Tag Archives: Hills

Glen Isla: Caenlochan Circuit

Druim Mor (NO 190771, 961m) Cairn of Claise (NO 185789, 1064m) Glas Maol (NO 166765, 1068m) Little Glas Maol (NO 175759, 973m) Monega Hill (NO 186756, 908m) 25 kilometres 1060m of ascent Embarrassing to admit that, after more than forty years wandering the Angus hills, I’d never walked up to the head of Glen Isla … Continue reading Glen Isla: Caenlochan Circuit

Muriel Gray: The First Fifty

Right, this is a little odd. I’m not actually going to review this one. It comes up purely in the context of something I found on my hard drive that I’d completely forgotten about. First, a bit of background. Muriel Gray had been around as a TV presenter and columnist for quite a while when … Continue reading Muriel Gray: The First Fifty

A Sidlaws Gazetteer

Today, the home page has acquired a new menu item: Sidlaws. This links to a set of pages that I’ve rather grandly entitled a “photographic gazetteer” of the Sidlaw Hills. There’s an introductory page (packed with useful background information, though I say it myself), and then a set of pages dealing with all the Sidlaws … Continue reading A Sidlaws Gazetteer

Sidlaws: Three Unnamed Summits

Unnamed Point 328 (NO 360408, 328m) Unnamed Point 377 (NO 349408, 377m) Unnamed Point 315 (NO 329419, c315m) 14 kilometres 550 metres of ascent Many of the Sidlaw Hills get their names from the farms that work their slopes—with the result that some hills, surrounded by farmland, have several names attached to their various aspects, … Continue reading Sidlaws: Three Unnamed Summits

CCCP 2017: Corrour

I introduced the Crow Craigies Climbing Party last year, when I described our trip to Bonar Bridge. This year took us to a cottage at Corrour, at the east end of Loch Ossian—a ten-mile drive down a rough track from the bridge over the Spean at Luiblea, through Strath Ossian. (There’s a locked gate halfway … Continue reading CCCP 2017: Corrour

Sidlaws: Tealing Hill to Hayston Hill

Laidloon Hill (NO 393420, 312m) Broom Hill (NO 383421, c290m) Gallow Hill (NO 391413, 378m) Tealing Hill (NO 407402, c260m) Ironside Hill (NO 399411, 354m) Finlarg Hill (NO 406419, 336m) Unnamed Point 315 (NO 411431, c350m) Kincaldrum Hill (NO 414436, 309m) Hayston Hill (NO 408449, c235m) 17.7 kilometres 580m of ascent It’s distinctly possible that … Continue reading Sidlaws: Tealing Hill to Hayston Hill

Sidlaws: Blacklaw Hill & White Hill from Little Ballo

Unnamed Point 273 (NO 276349, 273m)Blacklaw Hill (NO 288344, 284m)White Hill (NO 274338, 233m) 10.5 kilometres240 metres of ascent You’ll perhaps recall my previous expedition to Blacklaw Hill—I went in from the north, which turned out to be a minor assault course, and went out to the east, which took me into the unnerving neatness … Continue reading Sidlaws: Blacklaw Hill & White Hill from Little Ballo

Elizabeth Allan: Burn On The Hill

Ronnie was a short-legged hunchback and a social misfit; his navigation was pathetic and he was not competent even with a railway timetable. He never carried more than a sandwich, and often not even that, and was entirely dependent on the spontaneous goodwill and hospitality of keepers and shepherds. He only at any time had … Continue reading Elizabeth Allan: Burn On The Hill

Sidlaws: Dunsinane to King’s Seat

Dunsinane Hill (NO 214316, 310m)Black Hill (NO 219319, 360m)Little Dunsinane (NO 224325, 295m)King’s Seat (NO 230330, 377m) 8.5 kilometres360 metres of ascent Do you think I may be becoming obsessed with King’s Seat? I think it’s possible. But I wanted to get some photos on this part of the ridge for another project, and I … Continue reading Sidlaws: Dunsinane to King’s Seat

Sidlaws: More About Smithton

I’ve been intrigued by the lost community of Smithton since I climbed Smithton Hill this time last year, and then read David Dorward’s description of its namesake—“Former farm-toun W of Lundie village, deserted, abandoned and demolished within the past half-century.” This was living memory for Dorward, writing in 2004, because he used to visit Smithton … Continue reading Sidlaws: More About Smithton