Hogmanay in the Lammermuirs, Part 2: Spartleton
Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2016 1:00 pmAfter Part 1, Cockburn Law, our second Hogmanay hill was a sunny and breezy Spartleton. We parked up at a small parking area just where the B6355 crosses the Whiteadder reservoir on an unusual concrete causeway/bridge/dam. and walked back along the road to a gate.
We headed up a small valley, slanting up the SE side to join the track from Millknowe farm, which took us through a couple of fields teeming with game birds. Instead of passing the ruined Gamelshiel Castle, we turned NE, through a gate and onto the heathery hillside.
Eventually we reached an unmapped, but very good track, which took us all the way to the summit trig. Spartleton is a great viewpoint, if you can see past the wind farms. To the south, the Cheviot was now clear, and to the north, North Berwick Law, the Bass Rock and the Isle of May lit up occasionally as they caught the sunlight, with Fife lying dark and brooding beyond. This part of the Lammermuirs is very visible from the Angus hills and (I think) Lochnagar too, so I guess the views back should be pretty good on a clear day too.
Our descent was quick and direct, past lots of shooting butts, to the head of the reservoir, and along a track back to the car. A quick coffee and then we decided to head over to Longformacus and try for Dirrington Great Law before the rain returned…
We headed up a small valley, slanting up the SE side to join the track from Millknowe farm, which took us through a couple of fields teeming with game birds. Instead of passing the ruined Gamelshiel Castle, we turned NE, through a gate and onto the heathery hillside.
- Winter sun over the Whiteadder Reservoir
Eventually we reached an unmapped, but very good track, which took us all the way to the summit trig. Spartleton is a great viewpoint, if you can see past the wind farms. To the south, the Cheviot was now clear, and to the north, North Berwick Law, the Bass Rock and the Isle of May lit up occasionally as they caught the sunlight, with Fife lying dark and brooding beyond. This part of the Lammermuirs is very visible from the Angus hills and (I think) Lochnagar too, so I guess the views back should be pretty good on a clear day too.
- Summit cairn and some windmills
- Zoomed view to North Berwick Law and the Bass Rock
- Big sky, the Cheviot and Dirrington Great Law
Our descent was quick and direct, past lots of shooting butts, to the head of the reservoir, and along a track back to the car. A quick coffee and then we decided to head over to Longformacus and try for Dirrington Great Law before the rain returned…
