free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Drove down from Glasgow early to park in Glen Afton at Blackcraig where there was space for about 4/5 cars just before the bridge over the Afton Water. The skies were blue and clear but there was a chill easterly blowing to keep the temperature down.
- Blackcriag Hill from the bridge over the Afton Water
I set off skirting around Blackcraig on a good track up towards the cairn at Quentin Knowe. At times, the track deteriorated into rocky rubble, then soggy bog but it made for a quick ascent to the cairn at 554m.
- Looking back down to Glen Afton from the cairn at Quentin Knowe
- Looking up to Blackcraig Hill from the cairn
It was a fairly easy walk on reasonable ground up to the summit of Blackcraig Hill but I did start to ask myself - how many cairns does one Graham need? The hill seemed to be littered with them! However, I did visit them all in time honoured tradition and soon arrived at the wind-blown trig point where I sat for a while for a snack and drink huddled down behind some rocks.
- The summit of Blackcraig Hill
Soon, though, it was time to set off for Blacklorg Hill. I had, of course looked at my map and saw that I had to descend to 540m before going back up to 681m on Blacklorg but as I started to go down and looked ahead to the re-ascent, I must admit that it looked more!
- Looking over to Blacklorg Hill from the descent of Blackcraig
Fortunately, there were pretty clear vehicle tracks to follow which avoided the worst of the boggy, tussocky terrain and soon I was on the long but steady plod up Blacklorg.
- Looking back at Blackcraig Hill from the ascent of Blacklorg
The summit here was a bit of an anti-climax with its rather sad apology for a cairn but at least there was a convenient wooden style to sit on to have lunch on this otherwise barren top.
- The summit of Blacklorg Hill
I decided to head over to finish my walk by visiting Cannock Hill 594m and Craigbraneoch Rig 576m which actually proved to be the most interesting top of the walk.
- A panorama fo Blackcraig and Blacklorg from Cannock Hill
It was on this final summit that I was fortunate enough to meet a local hill-runner who directed me to an indistinct narrow path which he used often which led from the summit to the Eastern end of the Afton dam. I followed this and quickly reached the dam, went down the concrete steps and all that remained was just over 3km down the road to the car.