'Mon the wee hills... brilliant Benarty Hill

[Chris Mac]

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

WIth a good day forecast for Saturday and no Iain to walk with I was set a challenge, find a walk (it's always going to be a hill when i'm asked this) that was 2 hours maximum as Y didn't want anything epic after a small hiatus and knows that I would walk for days if I could.

The closer the better, near water with a path the whole way is always a winner. I scoured the Marilyn's in central Scotland and soon found the perfect candidate, Benarty Hill up at Loch Leven. Just over an hour's drive away, easily done in under two hours and could be turned into a 2 hour loop to take in Mulla Crag the neighbouring Tump.... I hoped!

After breakfast we set off and I enjoyed the view of the Ochils and smaller hills in the Kingdom of Fife on the way to the parking spaces at The Avenue & Struth's Steps.

We parked then set off up the stepped path into the woods:
DSC_7366 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The sunlight was creating beams through the trees and making the first section enjoyable and easy going:
DSC_7375 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Autumn colours were starting to show and a few gaps opened up to show the view to the south:
DSC_7387 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I point out North Berwick Law which we were up earlier in the year, along with Bass Rock to the left:
DSC_7392 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The path turns left and continues up then hits open hillside:
DSC_7426 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The Pentlands now in view to the south, showing off their long profile:
DSC_7432 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The west side of Benarty Wood decimated, reminding us of Ben A'an a few years back:
DSC_7439 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We crossed a few bulldozed trails and paths that might be a new mountain bike trail, continuing along the main path as per the WH route which was the easiest going:
DSC_7444 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Loch Ore, Lochgelly & Cowdenbeath:
DSC_7452 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The path soon turns right and we follow the wall:
DSC_7453 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Behind the Hill of Beath we can now make out Tinto, always very easy to spot being the southern upland outlier:
DSC_7454 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Through a gate and on to open hillside we go, stopping to chat to a cyclist briefly then passing a family enjoying a walk with their son and two Jack Russells. The cyclist is ascending to the large boulder summit beyond but it's not the top of Benarty Hill which isn't far beyond it:
DSC_7484 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Seamark stone on the OS map, Benarty summit and trig point can be seen from here:
DSC_7491 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We stop for a break, Lomond Hills and Bishop Hill tot he east:
DSC_7492 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

North west are the Ochils, looking compressed from this angle while in the foreground is the taller hill fort of Castle Craig with Mulla Craig to the left, i'm hoping to head downhill that way...
DSC_7501 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking more to the north I spot Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorlich in the distance, oh to be on a bigger walk today... but not to worry, it's a perfect day to be out and we're enjoying exploring new territory:
DSC_7504 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Benarty Hill summit up next:
DSC_7506 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

With the family catching up we set off again, shouldn't take long...
DSC_7515 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The path is good and the going fast:
DSC_7519 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The trig point and top of Benarty Hill approaches...
DSC_7527 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

DSC_7529 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

DSC_7533 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking back south to the boulder top:
DSC_7548 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Beyond Castle Craig hill fort next to us the Ochils are looking splendid:
DSC_7550 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The two Strathyre Munro's again:
DSC_7552 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking directly north and just left of centre the dark and distant summit of Ben Chonzie can be made out, I didn't know it at the time but my friend Michele was up there at the time:
DSC_7554 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It was a bit hazy and distant towards the Cairgorms so we instead focus on West Lomond & Bishop Hill to the east where some paragliders and gliders are playing:
DSC_7571 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Quite busy on West Lomond's summit which is sticking out behind Bishop Hill:
DSC_7573 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Glider:
DSC_7576 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

East Lomond looking shapely from here:
DSC_7609 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The Lomond Hills are another to return here for, either for some smaller individual winter walks or do all three at once if it's just me, i've already got a nice route planned for them:
DSC_7612 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking further south east over the heather atop Benarty Hill we spot a bird of prey in hover mode, eyeing up some lunch! I get a few photos, it's fairly big but not as big as a Buzzard and with pointier wings:
DSC_7615 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I'm pretty certain it was a Marsh Harrier but i'm happy to be corrected:
DSC_7639 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking west now:
DSC_7653 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Not only Abbey Craig and the Wallace Monument but way beyond are the Loch Lomond Grahams and Beinn Eich which I was also up earlier in the year while looking over in this direction:
DSC_7657 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Still counting hills we've been up, Dumyat is next, looking very rocky and grand all day any time we saw it, deservedly popular:
DSC_7659 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Ochils:
DSC_7666 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

DSC_7667 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Ben Cleuch summit:
DSC_7668 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

A closer look at Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorlich:
DSC_7670 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I might have to see about getting up Stuc a' Chroin sometime soon...
DSC_7672 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Kinross to the north:
DSC_7681 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Visibility was clearing a bit and in the distance towards Perth I could make out the beasts of Beinn a' Ghlo:
DSC_7694 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

There isn't much to see north east so continuing round past the Lomond Hills and Largo Law is the next prominent peak:
DSC_7716 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Bass Rock and North Berwick Law are easier to make out now:
DSC_7718 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I've not got many SIBs... this would be a good addition:
DSC_7720 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

As much as I love bigger hills, I have an equal love for the wee ones and the view from them:
DSC_7724 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

South again and Arthur's Seat stands out in the middle of yon Empress of the North:
DSC_7728 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Loch Leven down below:
DSC_7732 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

St. Serf's Island, West Lomond and Bishop Hill:
DSC_7734 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Trig point:
DSC_7738 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Satisfied after a good nosey around and a snack, we decide to move on again and go to investigate the hill fort, with me hoping to coninue the walk as a loop but with Y enjoying the walk so far and me not wanting a repeat of the hellish off-piste descent from Misty Law during our last walk back in August I decide to scope out the terrain first.

So far so good, grassy path and track:
DSC_7742 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Castle Craig and the lovely view west:
DSC_7748 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Passing some of the crags:
DSC_7758 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

For a short while one of the gliders we had seen earlier was slowly buzzing towards us, eventually providing a slo-mo fly past...
DSC_7772 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Hill fort exploration time now:
DSC_7777 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The track dips then it's a steep section:
DSC_7784 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking back to Benarty Hill:
DSC_7787 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We continue on...
DSC_7798 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

...crossing the wall/fence twice:
DSC_7805 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Mulla Craig ahead but unfortunately now we were in a field, not good going for Y's ankles and no sign of the path, it may have started up again further along but indications were not favourable for us continuing on...
DSC_7806 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We decide to not play with the cattle and head back, enjoying the excellent view north as we do so:
DSC_7809 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The dip then track back up to the trig point:
DSC_7811 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

At the bottom we investigated a faint quad trail to the right before realising it stopped, no short cut back, returning to the main track.

It's a quick down and up again:
DSC_7820 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

South:
DSC_7821 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

North:
DSC_7829 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

South west:
DSC_7834 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

West towards Knock Hill and Dumglow:
DSC_7837 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The Ochils:
DSC_7839 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

South east...
DSC_7850 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Our second trig point visit done it was time to set off downhill but our mini adventure wasn't quite over...

Back to the boulder:
DSC_7881 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

DSC_7885 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

DSC_7888 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Knock Hill and Dumglow:
DSC_7890 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

A last look at the Ochils:
DSC_7892 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Back at the gate:
DSC_7896 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

After the gate we decided to head straight down one of the recently plouged trails...
DSC_7902 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Unfortunately we overshot where we should have joined the path we took up and didn't realise until after we had carefully descended a few steep and loose sections of muddy, rocky, grassy hillside path. Sack going back up, we figured the trail would lead back down hill and it looked like we were now taking a more direct root back to the start, nothing like a bit of improvisation!

Enjoying one last view of the Pentlands waiting for Y to descend:
DSC_7907 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I never got one complaint during this surprise final section so perhaps earlier training on the Hill of Stake and Tighvein made a steep descent on a path seem easy going by comparison! to a pathless descent!

We were spot on, instincts and good balance and technique due to a lack of poles (who would have thought you could be doing with them on Benarty Hill?!) got us safely down the steep section and the trail led out right back to the start of the stepped path, job done:
DSC_7913 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It was still lovely, sunny and dry with little wind so we were surprised there wasn't many more people out on the hill, maybe they were all on the bigger ones... we were more than happy with our Benarty Hill adventure though, it may have been small scale in both height, length and difficulty (unless you try hard like we did to make it trickier) but it had everything you want from a hill wrapped up in an tiny and easy going 2 hour package, what's not to like?

[Sgurr]

Love Benarty. Sometimes one of us will go back down the same way as you did and drive the car round to Vane Farm RSPB place so the other can have the pleasure of walking over it and we can have coffee in their cafe.

[Chris Mac]

Love Benarty. Sometimes one of us will go back down the same way as you did and drive the car round to Vane Farm RSPB place so the other can have the pleasure of walking over it and we can have coffee in their cafe.

Yeah there's something about Benarty, maybe it was the fact we got a lovely day for the walk.

Unfortunately it was just a quicky we were doing so we didn't have time to explore further, but we will definitely factor in tea and cake the next time we're in the area, cheers for the tip!