Weasel at large in the Ochils

[weaselmaster]

Today I was travelling through to Grangemouth to help my aged father celebrate Eightyoneness (a little prematurely as his birthday isn't til Tuesday). So why not seize the opportunity to tackle some hills en route - the Ochils would be nice and handy, less than 20 miles away. Having grown up in the Stirlingshire area i'm ashamed to say that I've never been up into the Ochils - well - today would be a first for me. I could have chosen a better day for it, mind - clag down and miserable blowsy rain for much of the time I was out.

Away from the house before 7.30 and parking up in the middle of Tillicoultry by 8.30. There had been a lot of rain overnight - much surface water on the roads driving through and the river running through the centre of the town was flashing white as it coursed along. I started off into the Glen but quickly found the way blocked by a warning/do not enter sign saying roa=ck fall was imminent, use the alternate path to the east. This involved the stairs and was the path I should have taken anyway, according to my route. The ground was slick with water and slippy underfoot. As I gained height I looked across into Craigfoot Quarry - not a place to slip down into from the hillside above. Mist was streaming over the low lying areas of the town and the hill tops were hidden under thick clag.

bencleug6b.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Leaving Tilly - clag level visible
P1110922 by Al, on Flickr

The Gannel burn through the town
P1110923 by Al, on Flickr

Up the stairs
P1110924 by Al, on Flickr

Quarry
P1110925 by Al, on Flickr

Low level mist
P1110926 by Al, on Flickr

My route followed the path to the east of the Gannel burn, then cut up the back of King's Seat Hill to reach the summit after a dog-leg. The ground was soaking but the going easy enough after a steep start and in just over an hour I was atop King's Seat Hill. I followed a soggy trail NW towards Maddy Moss, but the track skirted towards Andrew Gannel Hill instead, meaning I had to correct my course in the clag. I followed a fence post line to Skythorn Hill, through a deer fence to Cairnmorris Hill (a Sim) then across some open spongy grassland before following another fence line up to Tarmangie Hill. There were at least 2 cairns atop this - no idea which the highest point was. From here it was on through the clag to the New Donald of Whitewisp Hill - again follow the fence line then the muddy path to the cairned summit.

P1110927 by Al, on Flickr

Towards Ben Cleuch
P1110928 by Al, on Flickr

King's Seat Summit
P1110930 by Al, on Flickr

Typical terrain
P1110931 by Al, on Flickr

Near top of Tarmangie Hill
P1110934 by Al, on Flickr

Maybe the cairn for Tarmangie, maybe not
P1110936 by Al, on Flickr

Whitewisp Hill
P1110937 by Al, on Flickr

The wind was quite chilly, although the temperature seemed a good deal warmer when sheltered than might be expected at this time of year. I retraced my steps with the exception of not returning over Cairnmorris Hill but following the path that contours efficiently back to the gate in the deer fence. I stopped there to have my lunch sitting on the style.

From here it was back over Skythorn then up Andrew Gannel Hill - an ascent of 80m or thereabouts. A clear, if muddy, track runs west, heading for Ben Cleuch, just under 2km further on. There was still some snow on the slopes leading up to Cleugh and I found the ascent interminable. Passed a bloke coming down and met another 2 walkers at the cairn. I didn't have the time to go over to Blairdenon Hill - nor was today really the weather for it, so I made do with finishing my baggin on Ben Ever. There's a good trail down from here and as I got beneath the clag it was good to see the town below, across to Longannet and the bridges. Sheep were avoiding the worst of the weather huddled in sheltered spots near the bottom of the hill. I was following a WH route for Ben Cleuch which would have had me descend to the lower track through the glen, the one that's closed - and I passed a warning sign indicating not to descend that way. I therefore kept on the main track, which headed round to the north of the quarry before petering out. I had to squeeze through some gorse bushes and make a line over rough ground before finding a way through the trees and back onto a track at the top of the golf course, which brought me back into the town.

Summit - Ben Cleuch
P1110939 by Al, on Flickr

P1110940 by Al, on Flickr

P1110943 by Al, on Flickr

Quarry
P1110947 by Al, on Flickr

P1110948 by Al, on Flickr

A shower and change of clothes at my parent's house and I was good to go for a nice curry in Falkirk. Happy birthday when it comes, old man

[Dave Hewitt]

Interestingly spread out selection of Ochil Donalds remaining - the two at either end plus the Law, so two or even three return trips look likely. It's rarely as wet as that underfoot, by the way - the Ochils are famously fast-drying, but you caught them in a soggy spell. I was on the eastern end four days earlier and the snow was varying between calf-deep and knee-deep. The Innedownie-Whitewisp stretch normally takes between 25 and 30 minutes but that day it was over an hour - which is where all of Sunday's squelch came from.

Re summit locations, quite a few of the Ochils don't have their actual tops where it might appear at first glance (and are quite vague anyway), eg the top of Andrew Gannel is at the fence end of the little summit ridge, rather than at the crag end although most people just go to the crag. On Tarmangie, the smaller cairn (a fairly recent addition - it used to be just tussocks) is higher than the old big one you photographed, while the best estimate for King's Seat isn't the cairn shown (which is in a little hollow) but a smaller one in the tussocks on the opposite side of the ATV track a little to the SE.

Looks like you took much the boggier option between Andrew Gannel and Cleuch - drier, shorter and arguably nicer is what tends to be known locally as "the short cut" on the north side of the fence. Lots still to do on the Ochils, anyway, hopefully on a drier and brighter day in due course. As well as the three remaining Donalds, lots of the lower tops are really nice, eg Wood Hill, the Nebit, Colsnaur and Bengengie (plus RTC's beloved Dumyat, of course), and there are also heaps of lower and very unfrequented things round the Frandy side to the north and in the straggle of lower hills to the east of the Devon/Eagles road. A fine range of hills all in all, and very accessible.

[weaselmaster]

Enjoyed the report. - But its "Cleuch" not "Cleugh".

It is indeed - amended - thanks

[rockhopper]

Obsessed: adjective - unable to ​stop ​thinking about something; too ​interested in or ​worried about something
Example: WM is obsessed with getting out on the hills...........

Another productive weekend - hope Allison is feeling better soon - cheers

[Collaciotach]

At least you never gave yourself a fright or got nearly stuck ,avalanched ,lost or benighted ....a decent day then