Meall Mor - fitness boost and gilet trial up Glen Isla way

[Graeme D]

I wasn't working today and with the weather looking good, I decided to head out for a wee leg stretcher. I had a new Arc'teryx gilet which I wanted to put through its paces. It is replacing my old faithful Paramo one which has basically seen more action and taken more abuse in 3 years than any item of clothing deserves. It still does a good job but as I wear it for a lot more than just hill days (dog walking, generally just nipping out to the shops e.t.c.), it is beginning to come apart around the neck. I also didn't want to be heading up to the Glencoe meet in a fortnight with my last hill walking having been back on 17th October on Beinn Eunaich and Beinn a'Chochuill, so this was also a bit of a fitness booster before the big weekend at the end of the month. I didn't have that much time though by the time I'd done a few things that needed doing first thing in the morning, so I was looking for something light and easy. My eyes were drawn to Glen Isla and the group of Sub2K Marilyns scattered around that neck of the woods and over towards Backwater Reservoir.

I quickly threw a daypack together and hit the road, pulling in at the end of the track coming down off the flanks of Meall Mor just to the east of Drumore Loch.


Start of the track


Nether Craig

I recalled reading some reports on this little hill in the past and remembered that the most direct line of ascent (and the one that avoids plantation issues) leaves the track almost immediately and heads up the drystane dyke hugging the side of the trees.


Starting the ascent

There was a rough strip of tussocky ground about 3 or 4 metres wide between the dyke and a deer fence which I used for the ascent until reaching a wooden fence entirely blocking the way. I could have got over it but Lucy had no options so we backtracked a little to find a gap in the wall and nipped across.


Lucy on the Strip


Across to Drumore Loch


Nether Craig and Over Craig


Gradient easing slightly


Northwest towards Beinn a'Ghlo

We were soon up onto the summit ridge at the meeting of a trio of drystane dykes and the summit cairn was clearly visible a short distance to the west.


Mount Blair


Badandun Hill


Drumore Loch


Lucy wall hopping 1


Lucy wall hopping 2


Mount Blair and Glen Isla

I was at the summit in little over 30 minutes, and that with a fair amount of stoppage time for snapping photos and stopping to put names to the jumble of hills of various heights and shapes all around me.


Mount Blair from the summit of Meall Mor


Summit self-timed shot


Distant Mayar and Driesh


Zoomed in on the Lomond Hills in Fife


Crock (with the firebreak ascent route clearly visible)

A quick mug of hot juice at the cairn and we headed off. I decided to drop down more directly towards the eastern end of Drumore Loch to see if I could pick up the track that the OS sheet showed heading into and ending in the trees below the summit. After a while I picked up a clear animal track that eventually headed into a rough break in the trees.


Into the trees

The going was difficult but we battled on and emerged onto the track a couple of hundred metres up from the car.


Rough descent


Back onto the track

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My original thinking had been to then continue east to Freuchies to tackle the wonderfully named Crock, but Lucy had begun to limp rather badly - the deep heather on the steep ascent and the rough terrain in the fire break on the descent seemed to have played havoc with her gammy leg - so I headed for home, fitness nicely boosted and new gilet broken in and not found wanting.

I stopped off en route at Drumore Loch and nipped down to the loch side to investigate the old boat house - quite creepy in a sinister, abandoned sort of way.


Drumore Loch Boathouse from the east


Closer up


From the west

[The Rodmiester]

Thanks for posting Graeme D , that looks a good wee leg stretch, does the strip up off the road compare with the tussocky track down off Kings Seat, but maybe not quite as wet?, it certainly looks similar but not nearly so long. There seems to be quite a few below 2000 hills in this area, none which I have done yet, but fine for the shorter days .

[Graeme D]

Thanks for posting Graeme D , that looks a good wee leg stretch, does the strip up off the road compare with the tussocky track down off Kings Seat, but maybe not quite as wet?, it certainly looks similar but not nearly so long. There seems to be quite a few below 2000 hills in this area, none which I have done yet, but fine for the shorter days .

Yeah, I remember that bogfest skirting down off Kings Seat Hill!

The ascent of MM is very straightforward, if steep. However, it is relatively short and very dry underfoot. The only real issue is that it is very heathery and tussocky with a few big holes for the unsuspecting foot and ankle to disappear into.

[rockhopper]

a nice wee wander Graeme and the gilet seems to be working - you're having more success than me....don't know when I'll be able to get back out - cheers

[Bod]

Nice one Graeme, like the gilet and why weren't you working today you rascal!

[laconic surf]

Nice to see reports on the wee hills, some lovely photos there Graeme. Also glad to see you and Lucy not violating the "highway code" and trudging over some Jolly Farmer's land

[malky_c]

Looked at this briefly when I was driving back from Mount Blair, but didn't give it much more attention. Looks like one of the hidden corners of Angus though - lovely colours and nice rocky scenery

[ChrisW]

Cracking wee wander Graeme, love that photo of Mount Blair and all the colours from your standing point to the distant summit. Shame to hear that Lucy was limping along toward the end as she was looking good leaping over the wall early on. I guess age catches up with us all eventually.......if we're lucky

[Graeme D]

a nice wee wander Graeme and the gilet seems to be working - you're having more success than me....don't know when I'll be able to get back out - cheers

Yeah, the gilet is a big success. Money well spent! I've never been disappointed by Arc'teryx gear. Not cheap, but then they say you get what you pay for....... Hope you manage out soon!

Nice one Graeme, like the gilet and why weren't you working today you rascal!

Flexible Working Time Arrangement??????

Nice to see reports on the wee hills, some lovely photos there Graeme. Also glad to see you and Lucy not violating the "highway code" and trudging over some Jolly Farmer's land

Yep, a very quiet day on the Angus Sub2Ks! Don't know where all the bad dudes were!

Looked at this briefly when I was driving back from Mount Blair, but didn't give it much more attention. Looks like one of the hidden corners of Angus though - lovely colours and nice rocky scenery

There's not a great deal to it malky, but worth an hour or so if you're in the vicinity. I really liked the rocky scenery too.

Cracking wee wander Graeme, love that photo of Mount Blair and all the colours from your standing point to the distant summit. Shame to hear that Lucy was limping along toward the end as she was looking good leaping over the wall early on. I guess age catches up with us all eventually.......if we're lucky

Sadly Lucy is nearing the end of her hillwalking days Chris. She will not do another big Munro day, put it that way. The run in with the car a few years back, and advancing years coupled with the natural tendency for Labs to suffer from arthritis in later years, have caught up with her. She'll be 9 in a few weeks time, so she is getting on. It's sad, especially when I look back at some of my reports on here that she has accompanied me on - Buachaille Etive Mor, the South Glen Shiel Ridge, Ben Alligin, Ben Avon & Beinn a'Bhuird to name but a few epics. Not to mention the countless nights in a tent when I have had a wet dog snuggled up close for company! I have to say I was quite shocked at how much a little daunder like this made her stiffen up by the time we got back home......

[Gordie12]

Interesting little hill, I hadn't even noticed it before...............assume you could do Mount Blair at the same time without the hassle of moving the car??

[ChrisW]

Sadly Lucy is nearing the end of her hillwalking days Chris. She will not do another big Munro day, put it that way. The run in with the car a few years back, and advancing years coupled with the natural tendency for Labs to suffer from arthritis in later years, have caught up with her. She'll be 9 in a few weeks time, so she is getting on. It's sad, especially when I look back at some of my reports on here that she has accompanied me on - Buachaille Etive Mor, the South Glen Shiel Ridge, Ben Alligin, Ben Avon & Beinn a'Bhuird to name but a few epics. Not to mention the countless nights in a tent when I have had a wet dog snuggled up close for company! I have to say I was quite shocked at how much a little daunder like this made her stiffen up by the time we got back home......

My son has a lab too, he's 9 and stiff as a board after a short walk....we 'talk around' the subject of his final days without ever getting into what he's going to do

[Graeme D]

Interesting little hill, I hadn't even noticed it before...............assume you could do Mount Blair at the same time without the hassle of moving the car??

Yeah, guess so. Would be a longer and rougher looking way of tackling Mount Blair than the more traditional ascent from the other side, but looks manageable.

My son has a lab too, he's 9 and stiff as a board after a short walk....we 'talk around' the subject of his final days without ever getting into what he's going to do

The black lab we had when I was a lad made it to nearly 14. I think that's about par for the course for a lab. I'm sure Lucy has a few years left in her yet, just that her hill bagging days are behind her!

[Collaciotach]

A handy hill good clarity in the photos a bhalaich