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Here's one I climbed last summer.
Ask most Orcadians where Mid Hill is and you'll likely get a blank look, maybe a shrug of the shoulders. The highest point in the Mainland is that kind of hill - quiet, unassuming, just getting on with the job - a bit of an introvert.
There's a straightforward climb up Mid Hill's slightly flashier neighbour Ward Hill from the main road in Orphir, but the easiest way is to start at the parking place at the highest point of the minor road that climbs over Scorradale.
I was warming up for my first Munro outing last July and, with our small terrier Mij coming along, a stretch out to Mid Hill seemed ideal. I also had unfinished business after a failed attempt to get up the hill when I took a wrong path and ended up knee deep in one of Orkney's many upland bogs.
Leaving the car in the lay-by, we headed along the well-worn track, climbing gently and steadily towards Gruf Hill, taking a quick detour across the heather to bag the summit of the Tump.
- The track from the parking place at Scorradale
At times the track is worn to a depth of several feet and at most times of the year is very wet, but this was after a month of dry weather and the going was generally good.
- Typical Orkney Mainland hill landscape
After just over a mile there's a small cairn which marks the place to leave the track and head for an old fence at the edge of the firing range. Last winter I stayed on the track which bends away to the left and ended up tackling the mother of all blanket bogs.
- A fairly new cairn marks where it's best to leave the track and head directly towards Ward Hill
Reaching the fence (which was then in a very poor state) I decided to climb over as there was no sign of any activity on the firing range. We made our way over to another track with took us towards Ward Hill, getting vaguer the higher we went.
- Mij heading up into the clag
The stiffest part of the walk took us towards some low cloud which happily cleared for a few minutes by the time we reached the summit of Ward Hill.
- A moment of clarity on Ward Hill, looking from the trig towards Keelylang.
- Scapa Flow and Flotta from Ward Hill
From there it was a simple job to drop down to the bealach (or whatever the Orkney equivalent is) and take a gentle walk - hopping over another decrepit fence - to the top of Mid Hill, seven metres higher than Ward Hill. The summit cairn was a poor affair and by then the cloud had come back down so the views were restricted, but on a clear day this - like any other hill in the islands, is a fabulous spot to be.
- The last gentle climb up Mid Hill from Ward Hill
- Unassuming cairn for an unassuming hill. Mij bags his third Scottish Marilyn.
On the way down I tried to be smart and took a more direct route which ran into some brand new stock fencing which had been expertly put up, tight as could be and about chest high. I lifted Mij over and made my way to the strainer, and managed to climb over myself there.
Heading back over Gruf Hill, the views over to Hoy came and went with the cloud and I reached the car feeling ready to take on my first Munros.
- Heading back down Ward Hill with the Tumps Gruf Hill (foreground) and Hill of Midland