Friends of the Ochils Newsletter 23: Autumn 2003

Away from the big stuff

Newsletter 22 included the first half of an account, by Ken Stewart, of his pioneering ascents of all 60 Ochils tops listed on the FotO website (each hill is 300 metres or more in height with at least 30m of all-round drop). Here, in the concluding part, he describes some more thrashes through forestry and forays up to forts. (Note, incidentally, that various of the hills mentioned here and in the spring article are among those now threatened with windfarmery.)

COCK LAW, near the Dunning road at the north end of the Innerdouny forest, looks awkward on the map, but turned out to give a pleasant walk on a track, then beside a wall. The top is just a little way into the trees. Because of trees, Black Hill by Glensherup Reservoir, Knock Wood beside the road from Milnathort to Path of Condie and Burnt Hill between Borland Glen and the Dunning road all proved hard to pin down, summit-wise, though in the end I was content. Hillfoot Hill above Dollar had me to-ing and fro-ing for a while, but my nomination for worst of all is Black Creich Hill (near Burnt Hill), where my approach was through thick trees and the summit area was heavily obstructed by fallen timber. I think I got there, but can hardly be certain.

A few brief descriptions may indicate some of the other routes. Craig Rossie is a well-known landmark from the A9 and it is well worth making a visit to its interesting rough tops. Beld Hill to the south is higher, with a "which bump is the top?" problem, but is much less interesting. The forest to the east is easy as the trees are mature and after descent to the lochan I followed a broad ride to reach Rossie Law, a craggy and stony outcrop with excellent views.

Another day took me to Knock Wood and its trees. After emerging, I had to negotiate two awkward electric fences (strangely live, though no stock was about), but then had an easy 2km on short grass to Tillyrie Hill, the southeastern outpost of the listed hills. Then back to Dochrie Hill, where rougher going on heather predominated, and on north to reach grassy Whitehill Head above the unoccupied buildings at Baulk of Struie. The track back was rough until over the col, but then easy to the road.

Some years before, on a bleak January day with snow cover, I made my only ascent of the Marilyn Lendrick Hill, where trees complicate approach from the north. A surprisingly steep and long descent was then made to cross (with some difficulty) the South Queich stream, then over the moor by Mellock Hill through more trees to Innerdouny Hill. Speculation on the maker of some curious animal tracks gave interest to the descent on the forest road. I revisited the area alone on another strange winter day, with views from Innerdouny to the mountains but mists over the lower hills to the south. It was surprising to find something as low as Braughty Hill giving navigational problems.

I found suitable parking hard to find on the road west of Culteuchar Hill, so went round to Glenearn where the steep scarp gives a much greater climb but probably a more interesting ascent. Glenearn Hill is another twin top, after which grass, dipping first to a burn and a ruin, leads over to Culteuchar. From there I hoped to form an opinion on the relative height of Glenearn Hill's tops, but the intervening power-line created a classic optical illusion, negating the idea. Before returning, I looked at the fort on Law Hill with its well-defined and deep fortifications. Can anyone tell us more about this? Of the many forts around, this seems outstanding. Coul Glen is also worth a visit, with a route over Steele's Knowe, Sim's and John's Hills and Corb Law, these last three being very well defined with interesting steep-sided intervening gaps. This was a fine route on a bright April morning.

Even this is not the end. There are sub-300m hills to visit around Glen Farg, and the Ochils finally reach the Tay via some fine little hills in North Fife. And the tops are worth revisiting...

The complete list of Ochil summits is at http://sites.ecosse.net/ochils/ochils/ochils330.htm

The tops mentioned by Ken are to be found as follows (all are on Landranger 58):

(Note that some Explorer numbers in the article in Newsletter 22 were wrong - for Exp 367 read Exp 369 throughout. Apologies.)

Newsletter 23 Index