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After a fairly long absence from the hills we decided to head out to Gladhouse Reservoir today for a walk in the Moorfoot Hills heading for Blackhope Scar,it was nice to see the Southern Uplands still with a nice thick layer of snow, we made off down the road to Mauldslie Farm where we went through a wooden five bar gate into a field, the route now continues on a farm track to another gate, once through this you are onto open hillside, on the map there are two small square shape woods indicated, but on the ground all that is there is two dark square patches, anyway keep these to your left and continue on the track up to the bealach between Torphichen Hill and Mauldslie Hill where you will come to the boundary fence, cross this via a gate and continue directly ahead passing a stone sheep pen to you right and you will soon come to a small wooden barn at a track junction, turn right and follow the track past Blackhope Farm, after about 1.5km you arrive at the first of two small corrugated iron barns, we decided to stop at the second one for a well earned rest and a spot of lunch, much needed shelter from the driving wind and rain, 30 minutes later we were on the move again, making our way onto the broad shoulder of Blackhope Scar where the going started to get a wee bit harder with knee deep snow in some places and hard compact snow in others, also the weather had closed in and visibility was about 75m, but we persevered and at long last the trig point came into view, after a brief stop for the usual photo shoot we followed the boundary fence as far as The Kips and then made our way down the track to the junction and turned right and followed the track all the way to Mauldslie Farm and onto the road back to the start. Point of interest; Dogs are not allowed on the private estate between Huntly Cot and Mauldslie Farm.