Rhinns of Kells

[jchallis]

From the car park at Forest Lodge follow Professor Hans Heiberg forest road for around 3.5km until on the left there is a blue painted arrow on the ground and also a signpost pointing up a narrow path to a clearly visible stile onto open hillside. Follow the clear, though small, path over Meikle Lump to Meikle Millyea. From the trig point on a clear day it is easy to see the route on over Milldown to Corserine: initially a track keeps just to the left of a stone wall which follows the ridge, then later follow the track that ascends to the trig point on Corserine. Here initially head east then when the ridge splits head down the southeast ridge following a small but clear path past cairns at intervals. Before descending further if possible identify where the fire break runs up through the forest. The path peters out as the descent continues over steeper ground but the stile over the deer fence (3 layers of barbed wire either side) GR518 861 is visible. Make for this then follow mostly broken posts down to a narrow entrance into firebreak in forest. This descends steeply initially in the gloomy firebreak then gradually flattens out before finally meeting a rough forest road. Here turn right and follow the forest road for some 3km back to the car park.

Both ascent and descent were almost entirely over dry ground today. The ascent to Meikle Millyea was straightforward following the path, though there were occasional short boggy sections to bypass. The south east ridge descent was gentle apart from the last few hundred meters over steeper rough ground and into the forest where again there were short boggy sections.