An update from the SMC.
This will apply to all those people currently working their way through the Donalds.

DONALDS CLARIFICATION
To clear up any confusion about what constitutes a Round of The Donalds, following some consultation it has been decided that from September 2018 Donaldists should have climbed all 89 Hills and 51 subsidiary Tops on Percy Donald’s list. This concurs with Anderson & Prentice “The Grahams & The Donalds SMC Hillwalkers Guide” (2015) (page 324) who point out that Donald’s Tables “are seen as a complete entity” unlike the Munros, Corbetts and Grahams.
The issue has been brought to light by the increasing popularity of walkers achieving “Full House” by completing all six Lists on the website smc.org.uk. Climbing all 140 Donalds ensures that they have climbed every hill listed in Bearhop’s “Munro’s Tables And Other Tables Of Lower Hills” (1997).
People who have registered but not climbed the Donald Tops will not be “deregistered” or loose their “Full House” but will no doubt wish to make up this deficiency for the sake of their conscience.

Dave Broadhead SMC Clerk of the List, August 2018.

I'm sure that a number of users of this site will have seen the SMC's statement from last month. Previously there had been some uncertainty about what actually constituted a round of Donalds, not helped by the intermediate entity of "New Donalds" as well as "Donald Tops". On WalkHighlands, it's just the 89 Donald Summits that are listed - maybe Paul needs to look at that now. Anyway, I'd decided I'd do the Donalds/New Donalds, when I was doing them first time round and claim that this was a complete round. I think I was left with about 10 Donald Tops undone - I was able to pick these off in the course of returning for Allison's Donalds, leaving me one solitary Top, Glenleith Fell. This is just a short diversion from Scaw'd Law, but on both occasions I walked these hills it was a big circuit taking in Comb Law to Queensbury and I just didn't care about nipping out to Glenleith Fell. Well, today was the time to put that right.



Allison was otherwise occupied so I headed off around 7.15am this morning with a crappy weather forecast. It was cool - the car thermometer not even creeping into double figures. Roads were fairly quiet and I got to Durisdeer within 90 minutes. An improbably narrow road, with a ford to be driven over ends at the church, where there's parking space for a few cars. I'd decided to combine Glenleith Fell with my penultimate Sim in Section 27 - Well Hill, which I didn't realise til I got home was also a Marilyn - an unexpected bonus!

Set out past the little cemetery along an estate track with sundry "Keep Out" signs (hidden underneath were the words "when shooting is taking place") Very welcoming. I couldn't hear any shooting and decided to walk along the track without being intimidated by people who get their kicks out of killing animals for fun. Sorry, "sport". The track begins to head up the shoulder of Scaw'd Law and rapid progress was made. The track heads to Wedder Law; I took the right turning that proceeds almost to the summit of Glenleith Fell. A less inspiring hilltop to finish the Donalds (oroperly) could hardly be imagined - not that the clag helped. There was a tumbledown cairn which I touched, then retraced my steps, followed the fenceline to Scaw'd Law and continued along the fence/wall to Little Scaw'd Law with the path no more than a faint sheep track, pretty wet underfoot. In places, masses of small and tiny mushrooms formed fungal constellations in the green sward.

P1200579 by Al, on Flickr

Glenleith Fell - Exciting summit, yes?
P1200580 by Al, on Flickr

P1200581 by Al, on Flickr

Looking rather startled
P1200582 by Al, on Flickr

Mushroom constellations
P1200583 by Al, on Flickr


From here there was a small drop then re-ascent to Durisdeer Hill before dropping down 150m or so to the Roman Road. I could make out vague outline of Well Hill before me, rising steeply for 200m, sheep populating the wet grassy slopes. I clambered up alongside the fence line to reach the summit. I had planned to continue along the hilltops to Black Hill, but the clag descended once more and the rain came on, so I returned to the Roman Road and followed this back towards the village. There is a Roman Fortlet in the valley but - not being interested in the Romans much - I decided to give that a miss. I stopped before reaching the houses to have an early lunch. Two loud dogwalkers were on the lower slopes of Wether Hill and I watched a sleek fox run from them up the side of Penbane, a burst of running followed by a pause, then another burst of running.

Durisdeer Hill to the Roman road
P1200586 by Al, on Flickr

P1200587 by Al, on Flickr

Roman road heading to Durisdeer
P1200589 by Al, on Flickr

Top of Well Hill
P1200590 by Al, on Flickr

P1200591 by Al, on Flickr

P1200592 by Al, on Flickr

Back at the car the rain had stopped and blue sky made an ironic appearance. I drove back towards Elvanfoot, enjoying Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus". At Elvanfoot there's one of those electronic speed signs that states how fast you are going and gives a happy or sad face. It registered my speed as "- 0" and had a happy face. Minus zero - now there's something to mess with your brain