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Decided to spend my birthday on the hills, and what a superb day it was - glorious weather and so calm and peaceful. 4 hours of pure mindfulness - only saw one other person (in the distance) all day - and could have done it quicker but often stopped to listen to the Cramalt Burn and the silence.
Took the route up through the Cramalt Valley from Megget Reservoir. There's space for a couple of cars on the verge at the Cramalt Inlet bend on the Talla single-track road. You go through a gate and follow the track as it climbs gradually through the valley.
- Looking back down the track
The only sound was the Cramalt Burn burbling away
- Cramalt Burn
The track continues to climb gently. On my OS map it is shown as stopping just below and west of Notman Law, but on the ground it seems to have been extended (not sure why) and it now goes to the top of the ridge. I followed the track but soon realised it was turning West to pass below Fifescar Knowe, so I plotted a course to the fence line that runs between Fifescar Knowe and Dollar Law across boggy ground.
- The new hill track - more ugly than the old one. What's it for?
- Looking South down the valley
The path is much clearer on the ridge, and Fifescar Knowe (811 mtrs) and Dollar Law (817 mtrs) were easily and quickly reached over boggy ground.
- The path up to Dollar Law from the Thief's Road
- Dollar Law top
I hung about the top for a while - the visibility was superb at least 50 miles in all directions. I still can't get my head round the arcane rules on Scottish mountain names. Dollar Law at 817mtrs is only a few metres short of nearby Broad Law, but the latter is a Corbett but Dollar Law isn't. It seems to be variously called a Donald or a "Corbett Top" whatever that is!
I had hoped to find the wreckage of the de Haviland Rapide that crashed up there in 1949 - there are still bits of it there - but I didnt have a grid reference for it so did not know which way to search. Heading back down from Dollar law, I branched off onto the Thief's Road (why is it called that?) that bypasses Fifescar Knowe. When it reaches the fence line you can cut South West down to the hill track that you came up on. This then returns the same way via a gentle stroll down.
- Back!
All in all a superb walk and a great way to spend time contemplating my 65 years on Earth today!!