Pentlands Plan B - East Cairn Hill via Thieves Road

[Chris Mac]

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

We both needed a walk and after much planning a weather window appeared to me over the Pentlands so it was time to introduce them to Iain for the first time. Scald Law, Carnethy Hill and the Kips from Flotterstone looked good and I didn't mind another walk up Scald Law as I had other hills there I had yet to visit and it would be a new route.

I picked up Iain in the morning and drove through via the M8, deciding to drive around the east end of the Pentlands along the bypass before doubling back and instead of driving down the M74 and going via Biggar. This would turn out to be a flaw in the plan as on arrival at Hermiston Gait roundabout there was a large queue of traffic due to an accident on the bypass.

We waited for half an hour and with time ticking along and us still on the roundabout I suggested a plan B - East Cairn Hill - this would mean coming off the roundabout and heading back the way we came before turning off at Livingston and heading up to Harperrig Reservoir. Iain agreed it was better than sitting in traffic so off we went to visit my last Pentland Marilyn and climb Iain's first.

We parked and I put on my new Scarpa Delta boots which had been freshly waxed. Boots would prove to be quite essential on what would turn out to be a pretty boggy walk but they would also be my undoing. We parked and set off up the Thieve's Road, an old drovers route, which in my head I thought would be a decent track to between the two Cairn Hills, how wrong I was.

We should have been over there:
East Cairn Hill (1) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The word "road" is not the most accurate one that could be used for this route:
East Cairn Hill (2) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

As we look ahead to East Cairn Hill's northern cairn we're still not seeing this well used drovers road:
East Cairn Hill (3) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

This may be boggy:
East Cairn Hill (4) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I point out the Pentlands as we walk along the grassy path:
East Cairn Hill (5) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We go through a few gates and fields while dodging more boggy bits like this one:
East Cairn Hill (6) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Early on it is a fairly decent grassy/boggy path with wooden boards to cross, then it turns slightly right towards the farm and West Cairn Hill:
East Cairn Hill (7) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The locals are out in force including this big bull, he stared us down as we walked past him in his field, hinting at a repeat encounter on the way back later on:
East Cairn Hill (8) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

On our right is Harperrig Reservoir:
East Cairn Hill (9) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The path now takes us more towards our Target East Cairn Hill:
East Cairn Hill (10) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It will then head between the two hills up towards Cauldstane Slap and Little Hill:
East Cairn Hill (11) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

A dry section as Iain powers along towards East Cairn Hill:
East Cairn Hill (12) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

East Cairn Hill (14) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Sunlight hitting West Cairn Hill:
East Cairn Hill (15) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The boggy parts of the path consisted of regular large puddles that were easily jumped:
East Cairn Hill (16) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Along with wider boggier streams with good planks across them:
East Cairn Hill (17) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

West Cairn Hill:
East Cairn Hill (19) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The path continues rising up between the twin hills:
East Cairn Hill (20) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Our target to the East:
East Cairn Hill (21) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We reach the gate where we will turn left for the summit ascent and decide to have a break:
East Cairn Hill (23) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The way ahead - although the large cairn is on the left the actual summit is indistinct over on the right and we'll visit both:
East Cairn Hill (24) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Summit and unnamed south top:
East Cairn Hill (25) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

All three:
East Cairn Hill (26) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The weather was decent but trouble was brewing to our south as rain came our way, time for the waterproof camera phone:
East Cairn Hill (27) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We don't hang around and plod on up the path, passing a couple with dog on the way down. We reached the flat area between summit and cairn top and see the tops of the other Pentland hills to the east:
East Cairn Hill (28) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The path has been decent the whole way as we approach the large shelter cairn, this could come in handy and it would:
East Cairn Hill (31) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It had been quite breezy the higher up the hillside we got and by now it was pretty strong as we hunkered down in our rocky shelter and enjoyed a snack while putting on waterproofs on legs and rucksack. Luckily the rain was light compared to how it looked elsewhere, maybe it's a good thing the traffic diverted us here instead of Scald Law!
East Cairn Hill (33) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

A rainbow to the north east:
East Cairn Hill (34) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

To the south east is the summit, indistinct, somewhere over where the wall and path are:
East Cairn Hill (35) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It might look calm but it was tricky to stand like this with your head out the shelter as the wind would blast around us:
East Cairn Hill (36) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

West and slightly north to Glasgow and Harperrig Reservoir below:
East Cairn Hill (37) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Black Hill, Scald Law and the Kips getting a soaking:
East Cairn Hill (38) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It was drizzly and breezy and my feet hurt but we were out on the hills and loving it. We sauntered over to the summit in 10 minutes and took some photos. It's safe to say they could do with sprucing up this summit area, a cairn at least would be nice, I mean it's called East Cairn Hill and there isn't even a cairn at the top:
East Cairn Hill (39) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

South:
East Cairn Hill (40) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

West to the twin cairn hill:
East Cairn Hill (41) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

North top and shelter cairn, it is a better viewpoint so I can see why it has had more attention:
East Cairn Hill (42) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

North to the Ochils:
East Cairn Hill (43) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

East to the other Pentlands:
East Cairn Hill (44) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

That was the summit view, it's a bit chilly, we head back to the shelter cairn, following everyone else in neglecting the neglected true summit of East Cairn Hill:
East Cairn Hill (45) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We make use of the shelter cairn again and enjoy our lunch, occasionally popping our heads up to take some photos.

It's cleared up a bit to the west now and we can make out Tinto:
East Cairn Hill (46) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Scald Law and co. enjoying the rainbow now:
East Cairn Hill (47) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The shelter cairn is a good one and does its job admirably. It's clearing up over Edinburgh now:
East Cairn Hill (48) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It's not looking nice to the south:
East Cairn Hill (50) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It has cleared briefly to the west though and we can make out Tinto beyond West Cairn Hill:
East Cairn Hill (51) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Tinto:
East Cairn Hill (53) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Not so bad to the south now as Broughton Heights clears up:
East Cairn Hill (55) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

To the north Ben Cleuch and the Ochils:
East Cairn Hill (56) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

East Cairn Hill (57) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

North east are the Forth Bridges, Benarty and the Lomond Hills:
East Cairn Hill (58) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Edinburgh and Arthur's Seat:
East Cairn Hill (61) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Large shelter cairns have their uses:
East Cairn Hill (62) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Allermuir Hill, Black Hill and co.:
East Cairn Hill (63) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Carnethy Hill, Scald Law and co.:
East Cairn Hill (65) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

East Cairn Hill summit, disappointing:
East Cairn Hill (66) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

East Cairn Hill (67) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We had seen enough and it looked like the weather might be closing in to the west so it was time to head back down. My feet were pretty sore by this point but I just had to grin and bear it after trying several re-ties of laces to ease the pain.

Heading back down now, these are definitely the more quiet Pentland Hills compared to the others:
East Cairn Hill (69) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Will we beat the rain is the question?
East Cairn Hill (71) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

It might be a close one:
East Cairn Hill (73) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

This part was a bit of a trudge and seemed much longer than during the ascent, no doubt because every step was painful for me. A hairy caterpillar provided some a brief distraction:
East Cairn Hill (75) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Approaching the Bull's field, how apt that he's on the sign post:
East Cairn Hill (76) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Passing this point we were facing the large bull we had passed on the way up, he was in his field and staring us down as we approached, then it dawned on us.... there was an open gate between the big angry looking beast and two slightly worse for wear hillwalkers, of which only one would be able to make a fast getaway:

We had no recollection of the gate being open on the way past but didn't hang around to ponder the sitation as we made haste back along the field where we could put some fence and distance between us and the big lad.

Iain checking back to make sure we haven't been followed:
East Cairn Hill (77) by Chris Mac, on Flickr

We blethered briefly to the gent seen in the photo above who was fishing and just as the rain started we reached the car where I was relieved to get the boots off.

I took a summit video to give a better indication of the conditions atop the hill, since the photos make it look like a pretty pleasant day when it was more than a tad breezy higher up:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/djchrismac/48635632483/in/album-72157710584329697/

So that was us, a final Pentland Hill for me and a first for Iain although I still have plenty of the smaller Humps and Tumps to visit. It wasn't the best day to go out or break in new boots but with events of the past few weeks before this walk weighing heavily on us it was just nice to get out into nature and think about something else for a brief moment.