Carleatheran from Gargunnock

[pinkmongoose]

One doable with public transport, this, as there's a decent bus service from Stirling.
This was my second attempt at this hill, via a new route, since my previous attempt from Touch Mollar via Cambusbarron was bogged off. The area around Touch Muir at NS720915 was very swampy on that occasion.

From Gargunnock village, take the minor road east and then the farm track at NS713942 to Hillhead Farm. A clear farm road leads from the back of the farm yard south, then zig zags up the cliffs to the top of the plateau near NS714923, at a shed, shortly beyond a lodge.

From here, a rough quad track leads south and west along the plateau, passing straight by the cairn of Carleatheran itself. It's easy to lose and the going is rough and boggy in places, however I stayed dry given recent rain levels. There's also some interesting flora to be seen including butterwort and hairy stonecrop. At the top of Gargunnock Burn there is a marshy area around NS705920. The quad track swings south around this to avoid the worst of the wet. In places white poles mark the quad track but some appear to be well off it. In summary, there's no need to march across the open moor away from paths for this walk, and in fact doing so might disturb breeding birds in the area.

The summit itself is marked by a trig point and has extensive views over the upper Forth valley and hills beyond.

[snodland]

A jolly nice walk. Not startlingly high but I always find it a good vantage point. Quite wild and remote up there too as long as there is no shooting going on. Am always suprised few people post about having been up there

[snodland]

I remember walking off by the Kippen track and as I got near the transmitter there was thunder. I was lucky. No lightning. I quickened up but only a mile away in Kippen there had been lightning thunder and a torrential downpour.