Hill: Tinto
Date: Friday 23rd September 2011
Company: Just myself
Time: 2Hrs 10Mins
After a good day out on the Afton Donalds yesterday, today was a bit disappointing.
I decided against a big day as I woke up with a cold and the weather was not good
.
I decided to head for Tinto – a nice straight-forward Fiona, Donald, New Donald, Marilyn and HuMP.
I made my way to the Fallburn Car Park, where there is room for lots of cars – a really good car park.
Before heading up the hill, I had a wee read of the sign – nice to read a bit about the geology and archaeology of the hill.
Information sign at Fallburn Car Park:
From the outset, and throughout the walk, it was windy and drizzly – one of those days when it is almost impossible to take a photo without the lens getting covered in water.
Start of Walk – Welcome to Tinto:
Looking back to Fallburn Car Park:
Not much to say about the ascent, just follow the very-wide path from the car park to the summit.
I didn't have a map with me, and certainly didn't need one.
Tinto, somewhere in the clag:
Looking back towards the car park:
As I ascended the path, a brace of grouse walked in front of me - for at least two hundred metres.
Grouse:
As I gained height, the quality of the path improved.
Excessively-wide path ascending Tinto:
I was aware that Tinto had a very large summit cairn, but have to say it was even bigger than I expected.
This must be the largest cairn of any Scottish Hill.
Enormous summit cairn:
Remains of a summit toposcope:
Summit cairn:
The large cairn also has a number of circular stone shelters round its base.
These can be seen in an aerial view of the hill (courtesy of Google).
Aerial view of summit cairn:
I returned to the car via the same route.
It was only 11.00am when I got back to the car, so I needed some more easy hills to go up.
From the Fallburn Car Park, I drove to Wanlockhead – the highest village in Britain.
The parking area below Green Hill is at a height of 425m and Green Hill is
Sub2000ft. Definitely an easy hill
.
Hill: Green Hill
Date: Friday 23rd September 2011
Company: Just myself
Time: 1Hr 05Mins
I followed an ATV track up the hill, which was short but fairly steep.
Start of track up Black Hill:
Wanlockhead:
The clag was sitting just above the height of Wanlockhead and just below the
height of Green Hill, so another hill with no views
.
Looking back towards car and Wanlockhead:
I made my way to the top of Black Hill and then on towards Green Hill.
Approaching the top of Black Hill:
Summit of Black Hill:
Between Black Hill and Green Hill, I crossed over a land-rover track – I assume this can also be used to ascend Green Hill.
Walking through the clag towards Green Hill:
The summit is the ground near the rusty iron fence post. I had a walk around all the high bits.
Summit of Green Hill
From the summit, I continued on to Stood Hill, which according to the map is only 1m lower than Green Hill – a very flat area – lots of potential high-points.
I returned to the car via the same route.
It was still only 13:00, so another hill was needed.
Next I drove round to Sanquhar and then drove up a narrow road to a starting height of 390m.
There aren't many passing places on this road and parking is almost non-existent. I parked beside the start of the track – room for one car.
Hill: Kirkland Hill
Date: Friday 23rd September 2011
Company: Just myself
Time: 1Hr 10Mins
My route to this hill followed the Right of Way to Kirkconnel via Kirkland.
Looking back to start of walk:
Following the Right of Way towards Kirkland Hill:
The path was mostly good, with a couple of wet bits.
First of two gates:
Second of two gates:
Just beyond the second of two gates, I followed an ATV track up towards the summit.
Following the ATV track towards the summit:
Kirkconnel?:
According to the DoBH, the summit is just a few metres from the Trig Point.
Trig Point next to summit:
This was another hill for which I didn't have a map.
I wondered if the top in the distance might be higher - I therefore walked the 450m to the other top.
According to the map, which I checked on my return, it is 4m lower than the summit.
Looking back towards Trig Point from 507m top:
From the 507m top, I returned to the car via the same route.