walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

A wee wander up the Sidlaws

A wee wander up the Sidlaws


Postby macq23 » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:08 pm

Route description: Sidlaws: Craigowl and Auchterhouse hill

Date walked: 12/01/2013

Time taken: 1.5 hours

Distance: 3.77 km

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Just a wee report of our First Family Walk for 2013, this was up the Sidlaws on a cold and cloudy Saturday morning. My wife, mum, nephew and my 4 year old son Fraser all came along for the walk.

We left from Balkello carpark and the original idea was to go to Craigowl Hill, then the Syd Scroggie Cairn on Balkello Hill....but with wee Fraser was finding it hardgoing in the cold weather and Craigowl being covered with the clag meant for no views, I decided to scrap Craigowl and just go for Balkello Hill. So we pretty much ended up doing a circular route of Balkello and everyone enjoyed it.

It was very cloudy, but the rain held off thankfully otherwise it would've been a damper for the kids. There wasn't much views of Dundee or the Tay to be had....but it was very good to get the old legs walking and also gave me a chance to play with my christmas presents,a GPS from Santa and a knitted beanie by my lovely wife! :D The highlight for me was seeing the wee man having a ball with the muddy paths in Balkello forest, splish splash splosh...not a care in the world...the way it should be! :)
DSC02277.JPG
Family photo at the start

DSC02280.JPG
Heading up the straight path on Balkello Hill

DSC02282.JPG
Balluderon Hill & Craigowl Hill with the Clag

DSC02283.JPG
Views of Dundee & River Tay....Honestly!!!

DSC02284.JPG
At the Carin on Balkello Hill

DSC02286.JPG
The Sydney Scroggie cairn. Here's a link about him...what a guy!

http://www.caledonius.co.uk/brechin/Page24.html

DSC02288.JPG
Fraser at the Cairn

DSC02289.JPG
Auchterhouse Hill

DSC02293.JPG
Loving my knitted beanie from the wife!

DSC02294.JPG
Coming down from Balkello Hill

DSC02295.JPG
Boys doing some map reading...such a proud moment!

DSC02296.JPG
A rest break? Really??!

DSC02297.JPG
Oh okay then, have a rest!!

DSC02300.JPG
MUDDY!!!!

DSC02302.JPG
Back at the start & in the water to get those boots cleaned!!!



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

Last edited by macq23 on Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
macq23
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 205
Munros:52   Corbetts:6
Fionas:1   
Sub 2000:9   
Islands:6
Joined: Aug 17, 2010

Re: A wee wander up the Sidlaws

Postby The Rodmiester » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:23 pm

Great to see the whole family out enjoying the hills, long may it last! All had :D faces. Well done all.
User avatar
The Rodmiester
Walker
 
Posts: 3396
Munros:107   Corbetts:196
Fionas:45   Donalds:13
Sub 2000:76   Hewitts:3
Wainwrights:1   Islands:17
Joined: Aug 15, 2012
Location: Newbigging

Re: A wee wander up the Sidlaws

Postby macq23 » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:45 pm

The Rodmiester wrote:Great to see the whole family out enjoying the hills, long may it last! All had :D faces. Well done all.


Cheers!! They are all keen on doing the smaller hills with me which they enjoy lots and leaving me to tackle the bigger hills also!
User avatar
macq23
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 205
Munros:52   Corbetts:6
Fionas:1   
Sub 2000:9   
Islands:6
Joined: Aug 17, 2010

Re: A wee wander up the Sidlaws

Postby hills » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:59 pm

I did this walk recently, and really enjoyed it, so good to see again, good also to see the kids out and about. :D
User avatar
hills
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 488
Munros:255   Corbetts:170
Fionas:172   Donalds:88
Sub 2000:191   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:32   Islands:34
Joined: Sep 16, 2009
Location: Stirling

Re: A wee wander up the Sidlaws

Postby ChrisW » Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:15 am

Great report Macq, it is always good to see the whole family out enjoying the hills (whatever the weather) such big smiles all round.... brilliant :clap: ....love the boot washing at the end too :lol:
User avatar
ChrisW
Rambler
 
Posts: 4941
Munros:18   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Jan 25, 2011
Location: Cochrane- Alberta - Canada

Re: A wee wander up the Sidlaws

Postby dogplodder » Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:40 pm

Loved reading this as it took me back to countless walks in the Sidlaws when we lived in Dundee. It's a great place to get kids started climbing hills and in our case it worked out 50/50 with the two boys (now big strapping men with their own wee ones) loving it and the two girls not being too bothered! :lol:
User avatar
dogplodder
 
Posts: 4238
Munros:242   Corbetts:74
Fionas:25   
Sub 2000:32   Hewitts:4
Wainwrights:9   Islands:24
Joined: Jul 16, 2011

Re: A wee wander up the Sidlaws

Postby The Rodmiester » Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:38 pm

macq23 wrote:
The Rodmiester wrote:Great to see the whole family out enjoying the hills, long may it last! All had :D faces. Well done all.


Cheers!! They are all keen on doing the smaller hills with me which they enjoy lots and leaving me to tackle the bigger hills also!


I like to encourage the youngsters onto the hills, therefore seeing you live in Dundee can I suggest you visit 'Blacks' in Commercial Street and get a copy of 'Map Reading' published by Ordnance Survey, its a very good simplified guide and its FREE, Fraser might like it. Don't take the last one though as I intend to go there tomorrow and get a couple for my Grandchildren :D
User avatar
The Rodmiester
Walker
 
Posts: 3396
Munros:107   Corbetts:196
Fionas:45   Donalds:13
Sub 2000:76   Hewitts:3
Wainwrights:1   Islands:17
Joined: Aug 15, 2012
Location: Newbigging

Re: A wee wander up the Sidlaws

Postby macq23 » Mon Jan 21, 2013 2:15 pm

hills wrote:I did this walk recently, and really enjoyed it, so good to see again, good also to see the kids out and about. :D

Thanks! Was back up at the sidlaws yesterday with the kids but this time to play in the snow!!

ChrisW wrote:....love the boot washing at the end too :lol:

Cheers Chris, we all took part in the boots cleansing exercise....great fun :wink:

dogplodder wrote:Loved reading this as it took me back to countless walks in the Sidlaws when we lived in Dundee. It's a great place to get kids started climbing hills

It is indeed a great place to start for the kids and ideal only being a 15mins drive away!

The Rodmiester wrote:therefore seeing you live in Dundee can I suggest you visit 'Blacks' in Commercial Street and get a copy of 'Map Reading' published by Ordnance Survey, its a very good simplified guide and its FREE, Fraser might like it. Don't take the last one though as I intend to go there tomorrow and get a couple for my Grandchildren :D

Thanks for that...I've forgotten all about the Map Reading guide for kids, will pick some up this week if you have left some :wink:
User avatar
macq23
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 205
Munros:52   Corbetts:6
Fionas:1   
Sub 2000:9   
Islands:6
Joined: Aug 17, 2010

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: hamill67 and 83 guests