free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Bishop Hill from Holl Reservoir
A hidden delight!
The turning north from the Auchmuirbridge to Leslie road on the A911 needs attention!! The road north to the Holl Reservoir parking requires care! The parking area is obvious but a multitude of local dog walkers and fishermen go further and park towards Drumain reservoir!
As the cost of petrol/diesel rises I have tried to find more local hill walks! This one is excellent! I have walked the anticlockwise circuit twice and mountain biked the other way round once! All excellent!
The walk from Holl reservoir towards and past Harperleas reservoir is on easy uphill terrain with changing views of the Lomond hills. From the top of the reservoir the path into Glen Vale is clear, eroded, occasionally boggy and with the odd hole! It traverses the hillside before descending gently into the valley. As the map shows take the ascending path south and walk up steeper ground for about one kilometer (dont quote me). At the first obvious gap in the stone wall, pause, have some refreshment, enjoy the views north and east and then head west.
This secluded glen is a delight to walk. Great views, gnarled trees, grazing sheep and (as I write) nobody else!!
The path brings you out on the main north/south ridge and, on rough and knobbly/boggy ground, head south to Bishop Hill. (The occasional fell runner may intrude but usually nobody else is about)!
Bishop Hill is just a gentle knoll but a great viewpoint over large areas of Kinrossshire (to the west) and Fifeshire to east and south!
The main path descends south with a bit of west! Another path, south with some east, lead to the same well defined track heading east-west! Go east through the old limestone workings, dropping into the woods before passing West and East Feal farms. Great views to the south (and if you ignore the montrosity of Glenrothes) to the east as well! On my first visit the farmer at Wester Balgothrie stated that 50 farms had been erased in order to build the new town!
Overall this is a great walk with varied terrain, great views, steeped in history and a good local day on the hills!
