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Cat Law, Creigh Hill, and Mile Hill, an Angus round

Cat Law, Creigh Hill, and Mile Hill, an Angus round


Postby wjshaw2 » Sat Jan 25, 2014 2:06 pm

Fionas included on this walk: Cat Law

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Creigh Hill, Mile Hill

Date walked: 23/01/2014

Time taken: 6.3 hours

Distance: 20.1 km

Ascent: 990m

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The forecast wasn't great for today, but also wasn't entirely right - gale force winds? No. Showers? Three flakes of snow does not make a shower. It was actually a clear day, and got better, even if what wind there was remained chilly.

Whatever it was today, it had clearly been very wet in the last few days - all the streams were swollen to the extent that any idea of just walking across them had to be scrapped - bridges the only way across.

I parked on the verge beyond Auldallan and started walking back towards it to use the bridge across the stream there to Mile Hill. Except I couldn't see one. Maybe I just couldn't see it, but I don't think it's there. This forced a rethink - should I drive further along the road to park near Knowehead of Auldallan? I couldn't be bothered moving the car in the end, so just reversed the order I'd planned to do the hills in and headed off up Cat Law.

Mile Hill from lower Cat Law slopes and wetness.jpg
Mile Hill's green-ness from the low southern slopes of Cat Law and the wetness underfoot.

Cat Law never becomes steep from here, just a gradual constant heathery (and very wet underfoot at times) walk up to the snow line at 600m and beyond. No cats, but plenty of other things to see - snow buntings, white hares, ravens, and probably more grouse than I'd seen than on any other hill I've been up. The clearest part of the long view was all the way to the Lammermuir Hills over the corner of Fife poking out from beside the Fintry Hills.

Fintry Hills silhouette.jpg
Fintry Hills silhouette

SE from trig on Cat Law - Meikle Bin in the far distance.jpg
SW from trig on Cat Law - Meikle Bin in the far distance

Ravens swirling and diving, shame I can't hold a camera straight.jpg
Ravens swirling and diving, shame I can't hold my camera straight

From the top, I headed down to Bodandere Hill and a frozen pond, before changing tack a bit to go down via Tombay because I looked ahead to the stream crossing on the road at the foot of Tombay.

Cat Law from Bodandere Hill.jpg
Cat Law from Bodandere Hill

Over Corwharn to Driesh and Mayar at the invisible border between snow and cloud.jpg
Over Corwharn to Driesh and Mayar at the invisible border between snow and cloud

Cat Law over Tombay from the foot of Creigh Hill.jpg
Cat Law over Tombay from the foot of Creigh Hill

Once over the stream, I was head over heels on some hidden fencing wire and into the mud, but then made easy progress on a rising ascent up Creigh Hill, with terrain being the same as on Cat Law, heathery - I tried to stick mainly to burnt patches which made for slightly quicker going. I hope they're right about the northern top being higher as I didn't have time to bag the southern top. The views westward really opened up here, Mount Blair being very prominent (it was hidden in cloud when I was on Cat Law) and the big hills to the north clearing up too - a lovely afternoon for anyone on Driesh and Mayar.

Mount Blair above Backwater Reservoir and Hare Cairn, from the top of Creigh Hill (with some zoom).jpg
Mount Blair above Backwater Reservoir and Hare Cairn, from the top of Creigh Hill (with some zoom)

Mayar and Driesh above Corwharn and Cat Law from Creigh Hill.jpg
Mayar and Driesh above Corwharn and Cat Law from Creigh Hill

Mile Hill from Motherlie Cairn on Creigh Hill.jpg
Mile Hill from Motherlie Cairn on Creigh Hill

From Creigh Hill it was a fairly straight descent through sheep populated heather to empty lower fields and Easter Coul, making another sudden, muddy visit to the ground on the way. The corner between that road and the track to Newton was cut through an empty field with open gates. You get views of the remarkable Balintore Castle - a Victorian pile that was left to rot, before the current restoration project which seems to have saved it. The blog of the restoration is here: http://balintorecastle.blogspot.co.uk/

Balintore Castle.jpg
Balintore Castle

Past Newton I took the track to Gairlaw - Gairlaw's abandoned and rotting, but the fields were populated with friendly black bullocks. Through some more mud just to the south of the cottages and it's then a steep few hundred metres to the top of Mile Hill. The light was just beginning to fade here, so just a quick few last photos and then down. I decided to go down to the west which was fine apart from the lack of a gate through barbed wire fencing - there's one small bit without barbed wire next to an animal's drinking trough which made a handy step - presumably there's a gate in the fence to the south of Mile Hill somewhere. From there it's an easy stroll across fields (no heather around Mile Hill), across two wired-shut gates (there's a new double electric fence with a hedge planted between them north-south to the east of Hilton and along the south side of the track to Gairlaw) and down past Hilton.

Swollen streams.jpg
Swollen streams and twisted trees

Sunset over Loch of Lintrathen from Mile Hill.jpg
Sunset over Loch of Lintrathen from Mile Hill

From there it was a simple walk along the track back to Knowehead of Auldallan past the felled woods and along the road back to the car. There probably would've been plenty of room to park at Knowehead and this would make a better start point for the walk without there being a bridge at Auldallan.

One real low was the huge rubbish dump of fridges, hi-fis, and general metallic junk just by the track leading to Knowehead. Out of sight, out of mind. Not really, just out of their mind. It was too dark for a photo by then unfortunately.
User avatar
wjshaw2
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 116
Munros:100   Corbetts:66
Fionas:66   Donalds:76
Sub 2000:164   Hewitts:25
Wainwrights:15   
Joined: Feb 16, 2013
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Cat Law, Creigh Hill, and Mile Hill, an Angus round

Postby Benjaminnevis » Sat Jan 25, 2014 4:03 pm

That looks a good wander and a interesting route. I guess adding Corwharn would make it a fair old slog. i have still to do this hills so not sure if i should try and do the 2 sub 2000 now or wait until the clocks change and try em all in one day.
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Benjaminnevis
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 255
Munros:38   Corbetts:15
Fionas:7   
Sub 2000:27   
Joined: Nov 22, 2011
Location: Aberdeen

Re: Cat Law, Creigh Hill, and Mile Hill, an Angus round

Postby Gordie12 » Sat Jan 25, 2014 4:37 pm

Really enjoyed your report - I've done all these hills but never as a group. A bit more daylight and you could have squeezed Corwharn in as well (it's fairly easy from Corwharn to Creigh Hill along the tops).

I've seen a caravan up at Balintore Castle for a few years now so it was really interesting to read about the restoration, a stunning location.

A bit wet underfoot just now wherever you go, I was out this morning and I think the boots could take a couple of days to dry out.
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Gordie12
Walker
 
Posts: 2189
Munros:117   Corbetts:66
Fionas:30   Donalds:38+0
Sub 2000:35   Hewitts:45
Wainwrights:41   
Joined: Sep 6, 2012
Location: Nr Forfar

Re: Cat Law, Creigh Hill, and Mile Hill, an Angus round

Postby wjshaw2 » Sun Jan 26, 2014 2:04 pm

You're right that it wouldn't be too hard to add Corwharn onto this loop. It was the extra down and up between there and Cat Law that dissuaded me from doing it today. That and the fact that I didn't get going on the walk until the back of 11am :roll: .

The next targets round here will be Hare Cairn and Crock. Not sure how to join them into one sensible round yet.

Thanks for your comments.
User avatar
wjshaw2
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 116
Munros:100   Corbetts:66
Fionas:66   Donalds:76
Sub 2000:164   Hewitts:25
Wainwrights:15   
Joined: Feb 16, 2013
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Cat Law, Creigh Hill, and Mile Hill, an Angus round

Postby Gordie12 » Sun Jan 26, 2014 3:54 pm

Another two hills I did separately but when I was on Hare Cairn this time last year (in deep snow) there did seem to be a route over to Crock that would be worth investigating.
User avatar
Gordie12
Walker
 
Posts: 2189
Munros:117   Corbetts:66
Fionas:30   Donalds:38+0
Sub 2000:35   Hewitts:45
Wainwrights:41   
Joined: Sep 6, 2012
Location: Nr Forfar

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