Dracula's most feared hill - Hill of Stake

[rob munbett]

Hill of Stake was really some unfinished business for me: I'd attempted it before but failed to reach the summit because of deep, rotten snow. Today, the weather was ideal: clear, dry and breezy - and not much rain in the past few days - because this hill is really a mossy sponge! I parked at the Muirsheil Country Park visitors' centre and set off up the rough road to the old barytes mine about 4kms distant. I started on to the Queenside Muir by following a track between two streams before crossing the left-hand stream and continuing up a faint path to an upper fenced-off section of the old mine. So far, quite easy going. From this point, though, the going became much tougher: tussocks, deep heather and wet mossy bog - lovely!

The 'lovely' terrain of Queenside Muir

After a bit of huff and puff and a few stretches of knees and ankles, Hill of Stake came into view across some more rough moorland.

The distant Hill of Stake

Following the driest ground I could find, I reached a fence line a short distance NW of the summit and followed a wet path to the trig point and cairn.

The summit trig and 'stake'

On the summit looking over to Arran

There was a chill wind blowing and no shelter at the exposed top so I decided to head back down to find a more comfortable place for lunch.

The 'enticing' route of descent

After a quick bite, I got back down to the mine pretty quickly and then there was just the 4k stroll back along the road to the car.

Hill of Stake across Queenside Muir