Hills & Mountains
Southern Scotland (West)
*I am in the process of redesigning this section to include notes and many more high-res shots*
Please bear in mind that all my images are copyright. They are not free to use and have embedded with a digital watermark.
This section includes any hills or lower level walks I`ve done south of the Rivers Clyde and Forth, apart from the Isle of Arran, as most of my walking has concentrated on the area to the north of this line. The following notes and images therefore cover everything from fairly high mountains to coastal walks and strolls through country parks. See also: Hills & Mountains: Southern Scotland (East).
The Merrick
THE MERRICK (843m)
Various Dates
Even though the rolling, Munro-free hills of the Southern Uplands offer endless opportunity for challenge and exploration, they are often ignored by many walkers who concentrate on the higher ranges further north. The `Uplands are divided into seven principal hill groups with the westernmost being the Galloway Hills which includes the Merrick, the highest summit in southern Scotland at 843 metres, which I`ve climbed several times.
Various Dates
Even though the rolling, Munro-free hills of the Southern Uplands offer endless opportunity for challenge and exploration, they are often ignored by many walkers who concentrate on the higher ranges further north. The `Uplands are divided into seven principal hill groups with the westernmost being the Galloway Hills which includes the Merrick, the highest summit in southern Scotland at 843 metres, which I`ve climbed several times.
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The narrow, undulating public road through Glen Trool ends at Bruce`s Stone, an inscribed boulder which commemorates the Battle of Glen Trool in 1307 when Robert the Bruce defeated a larger force of English knights led by the Earl of Pembroke.
In 1929, on the 600th anniversary of Bruce's death, the memorial was unveiled high above the northern shore of the loch from where legend has it that he commanded the ambush which took place on the Steps of Trool on the opposite side of the loch.
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To ascend the Merrick by the tourist route and return the same way does not show the area at its best. It`s far more rewarding to include the Merrick on a longer, circular route which takes in the other fine hills that lie to the north and east of Loch Enoch but bear in mind that navigation here can prove difficult when visibility is poor.
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From the parking area at the road end a signpost, the first of several encountered, points the way along the path that follows the west bank of the fast-flowing Buchan Burn. Feral goats are often seen and there is just as good a chance of spotting a few grazing on the hillside beside the car park as anywhere else on the route, especially early in the morning.
The path emerges from the trees to reveal derelict Culsharg bothy directly ahead in a clearing, below Benyellary (Hill of the Eagles), the southern outlier of the Merrick, which is climbed on the way. Culsharg sits beside a small area of marshland with the long ridge formed by Rig of Loch Enoch and Buchan Hill visible on the opposite, eastern side of the Buchan Burn. This is the most popular descent route from the Merrick.
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From the bothy, the path soon crosses a forestry road where a final sign points the way through another thick plantation that climbs onto the open slopes of Benyellary. Initially this is a fairly steep plod but the angle soon eases and thereafter becomes a pleasant stroll.
The well-worn path is easy to follow over the grassy surface. From the top of Benyellary, there is a slight dip then a gradual ascent, following the line of a dry-stane dyke (wall) almost all the way to the triangulation pillar that marks the summit of the Merrick. |
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On a fine day the views are extensive and include the Lakeland peaks across the Solway in England, Ireland`s Mourne Mountains and the Scottish Highlands.
Redstone Rig, a wide, boulder strewn ridge, runs in an easterly direction from the Merrick`s summit towards the west side of Loch Enoch, which, lying at 488m is one of the largest lochs in the country at such a high elevation. Another noteworthy point, as can be seen below, is that one of Loch Enoch`s several islets holds a small lochan - a loch within a loch!
There are a few options, depending on how much time and energy you have available. The longest, a full circuit of Loch Enoch, taking in dome-shaped Mullwharchar (692m), Dungeon Hill (610m) and Craignaw (645m) is the best long distance walk in the region.
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On descent from the Merrick, veer towards the northwest corner of Loch Enoch and over the boggy ground at the head of the loch where you gain the easy slopes leading to the summit Mullwharchar. Dungeon Hill is crossed en route to Craignaw. From there descend and cross the stream between Loch Neldricken and Loch Valley and gain the path on the west side of the latter`s outflow, the Gairland Burn, which leads round the lower slopes of Buchan Hill back to the car park.
A far more popular and shorter alternative is, on the descent from the Merrick, to head for Loch Enoch`s southwest corner then continue southeast to Craig Neldricken. From there the Rig of Loch Enoch (below left), seen earlier in the day from Culsharg, can be followed all the way to Buchan Hill which affords an excellent view of Loch Trool although parts of the shoreline remain hidden.
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The shot above right, taken from Rig of Loch Enoch, shows the initial section of the normal route to the Merrick although Culsharg Bothy is hidden by forestry.
On the final descent from Buchan Hill, avoid the various crags and aim to join the track just east of the stone bridge near to Buchan House (below) which once served as a hunting lodge for the Earl of Galloway. Cross the bridge and follow the track uphill to the car park (visible on the extreme right in the above shot). This section of track forms part of the Southern Upland Way, a long-distance coast to coast path through the Dumfries & Galloway Region and the Scottish Borders.
White Coomb
WHITE COOMB (822m)
My first proper hillwalk in the Borders was on Thursday 17 June 1999 when I climbed White Coomb. The rolling terrain was a complete contrast to the Swiss Alps which I`d left only two days previously. The starting point is the public car park at the foot of the Grey Mare`s Tail from where a track on the east side of the waterfall gains height quickly. Once above the drop, I crossed the burn and followed a dry-stane dyke, almost right to the top of White Coomb.
I was surprised to find a herd of around a dozen feral goats on a craggy section about halfway up but I learnt that they are often spotted here. These were all mangy-looking males with long white beards. I also saw a hare and a pair of Roe Deer. Weather-wise it was a pleasant day with well-broken cloud and plenty of sunshine, so I continued around the head of Loch Skeen to a top named Lochcraig Head before returning to the car. The only other person I met was a guy from Morecambe who was heading up the steep hillside as I made my way down.
As I drove along the side of nearby St Mary`s Loch an RAF Hercules flew towards me, very low and close to the surface of the water. The twisting glen between the loch and the Grey Mare`s Tail is a popular route with military pilots in training and I heard several jets flying around during the walk but didn`t see any.
My first proper hillwalk in the Borders was on Thursday 17 June 1999 when I climbed White Coomb. The rolling terrain was a complete contrast to the Swiss Alps which I`d left only two days previously. The starting point is the public car park at the foot of the Grey Mare`s Tail from where a track on the east side of the waterfall gains height quickly. Once above the drop, I crossed the burn and followed a dry-stane dyke, almost right to the top of White Coomb.
I was surprised to find a herd of around a dozen feral goats on a craggy section about halfway up but I learnt that they are often spotted here. These were all mangy-looking males with long white beards. I also saw a hare and a pair of Roe Deer. Weather-wise it was a pleasant day with well-broken cloud and plenty of sunshine, so I continued around the head of Loch Skeen to a top named Lochcraig Head before returning to the car. The only other person I met was a guy from Morecambe who was heading up the steep hillside as I made my way down.
As I drove along the side of nearby St Mary`s Loch an RAF Hercules flew towards me, very low and close to the surface of the water. The twisting glen between the loch and the Grey Mare`s Tail is a popular route with military pilots in training and I heard several jets flying around during the walk but didn`t see any.
Loudoun Hill
LOUDOUN HILL (316m)
Loudoun Hill (1,037ft) lies just east of Galston in East Ayrshire and, being the highest point in the area, was of great strategic significance in years gone by. Consequently several battles have been fought in its shadow, two of them during the Wars of Independence. Nowadays, for walkers, an ascent requires far less energy than the hills to the north and south, and there`s a fair chance of spotting some wildlife on the way.
Loudoun Hill (1,037ft) lies just east of Galston in East Ayrshire and, being the highest point in the area, was of great strategic significance in years gone by. Consequently several battles have been fought in its shadow, two of them during the Wars of Independence. Nowadays, for walkers, an ascent requires far less energy than the hills to the north and south, and there`s a fair chance of spotting some wildlife on the way.
An extinct volcanic plug, Loudoun Hill stands beside the busy A71 Edinburgh - Kilmarnock road. The designated parking area has been upgraded several years ago with the addition of picnic tables and information boards showing walking trails including the route to the summit.
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Next to the car park is this monument called `The Spirit of Scotland` by local artist Richard Price. The outline represents William Wallace who reputedly fought and defeated English forces near here in 1296. This skirmish is often confused with the much larger Battle of Loudoun Hill which was fought in May 1307 between a Scots force led by Robert Bruce and the English commanded by Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.
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Numbers quoted for the opposing forces, although no doubt greatly exaggerated, give the strengths as 500-600 Scots against 3,000 English.
Despite being drastically outnumbered, however, Bruce used the terrain to his advantage. He had his men dig a series of trenches which funnelled the enemy as they approached across soft, boggy ground, effectively exposing them to his spearmen who were waiting on the lower slopes. The English cavalry were at a severe disadvantage which the shot below clearly illustrates. |
Bruce`s warriors pressed downhill and the English knights broke and fled leaving around 100 dead on the field. Aymer de Valance managed to escape the carnage and took temporary refuge in Bothwell Castle. Although Loudon Hill was Bruce`s first major victory over the English, the greatest boost to his cause came two months later when Edward I `The Hammer of the Scots` died at Burgh-on-Sands, on the south side of the Solway Firth.
This plaque on the summit of Loudoun Hill commemorates Bruce`s victory.
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Looking southwest from the upper slopes.
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Below: Memorials to Edward I at Burgh-on-Sands, Cumbria.
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The Gleniffer Braes Country Park
The Gleniffer Braes Country Park lies just south of Paisley and occupies an area of elevated moor and woodland approximately 3 miles by one mile. There are a number of easy trails in the park which are marked on this information board at the main, Robertson car park. The wide open spaces are a major draw, particularly for local dog-walkers, and more than a handful of professional puppy-walkers that come up to exercise their charges.
There is an excellent panorama to the north which includes distant Ben Lomond and its neighbours forming a line across the horizon but in my opinion the best time to admire the scenery is when the lower ground including the town immediately below is fogbound, and the peaks appear to float on a sea of cloud.
When Runway 05 is in use at Glasgow, usually when an easterly wind is blowing, aircraft on finals, like the one just visible in the above shot, approach from the west. A long lens can capture some impressive backdrops from here in winter after a heavy snowfall, which has become quite a rare event in this area in recent years. The saltire in the sky shown below was formed above the park by high-flying jets.
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The Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park
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The Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park is the collective name given to separate areas of countryside set aside for conservation and recreation in Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and Renfrewshire.
The park consists of Castle Semple Loch at Lochwinnoch and the nearby Collegiate Church, Muirshiel Country Park, Barnbrock Farm, Lunderston Bay, Cornalees Bridge and the Greenock Cut, Locherwood, Haylie Brae above Largs, and Knockendon. Many outdoor activities can be enjoyed in the park including sailing, canoeing, mountain biking, orienteering and hill walking. Check out the official website for up to date information: www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk. Muirshiel offers a number of short walking trails, including one to the site of an abandoned barytes mine, as well as longer routes over the surrounding moorland where Hen Harriers usually breed each season. Live CCTV footage of the nesting birds can usually be viewed in the Visitor Centre. One of the most popular routes is to the top of Windy Hill, seen above in the distance*. Longer walks include Misty Law and Hill of Stake which are the highest hills, not only within the Regional Park, but in Renfrewshire. Someone with a sense of humour has placed a few totem pole-style wooden figures alongside one of the trails near the visitor centre at Muirshiel, and the carvings, one of which is shown here, add a certain atmosphere when the mist is down and there aren`t many people around. |
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Above: Looking north across Castle Semple Loch to Lochwinnoch village and the hills beyond. The Muirshiel Country Park encompasses much of the upland area visible in the photograph.
The Castle Semple Visitor Centre is located on the far (north) side of the loch beside the Glasgow - Irvine Cycle Route which passes the Collegiate Church (below). The church can also be reached by a circular, often muddy, marked trail from the Visitor Centre via Parkhill Wood with a return via the cycle track. Built in the late Gothic style, the Church is currently in the care of Historic Scotland. As can be seen, the locals are always keen to say hello to visitors! |
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These buildings, long since demolished, are about all that remains of the mining operation. Baryte is a non-toxic mineral that was initially used in sugar refining and as a white pigment for textiles, paper, and paint while today it has numerous applications.
Excavations had been ongoing to retrieve Barytes (Barium Sulphate) from this site for around 200 years before shafts were sunk in 1947. Thereafter output increased significantly. Workers were recruited locally, mainly from Lochwinnoch and Kilbirnie and in the early 1960s up to 48 people were employed at this lonely outpost.
Although it`s possible to walk round the quarry rim where mining took place, the head with the mine shaft entrance is hidden from view. |
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The buildings on the site of mine have since been demolished for safety reasons and only the concrete bases and pieces of rusted metal remain.
Originally known as the Cornalees Bridge Visitor Centre, its has since changed its name to the Greenock Cut Visitor Centre.
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At the Cornalees Bridge section above Greenock and Inverkip, there is another Visitors` Centre which is an ideal starting point for several moorland walks, including a short jaunt up Dunrod Hill (298m) (above).
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Nearby Loch Thom has provided the town of Greenock with fresh water since 1827. The loch is named after the civil engineer Robert Thom from Rothesay who created the reservoir and aqueduct system known as the Greenock Cut.
The trig point on Dunrod Hill with Greenock and the River Clyde in the distance.
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This aero-engine in the Cornalees Visitor Centre car park at Loch Thom is from a twin-engined Avro Anson RAF trainer, Serial Number K6255, which crashed on Dunrod Hill on 26 July 1939.
The Anson was a multi-role aircraft which saw military service not only with Britain`s Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm but also with Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. The aircraft`s main role during the war was training pilots and other aircrew to fly multi-engine bombers such as the Avro Lancaster. The type remained in service with the RAF until 1968, mainly in a communication role, but numerous Ansons were bought by civilian operators throughout the world and used as light transports. The image on the left is displayed on the information board beside the recovered engine at the Visitor Centre. |
Anson K6255 was part of a flight of 15 aircraft on their way back to Abbotsinch aerodrome from Belfast. A deterioration in the weather forced the pilots to break formation and fly back separately to reduce the chance of a collision. One aircraft, however, failed to arrive and a search was mounted. The wreckage was subsequently found between Dunrod Hill and adjacent Cauldron Hill and although all four crew members were alive when traced one later died from his injuries. The Anson was badly damaged in the accident and very little evidence of the aircraft remains although the other engine can still be found near the now disused Number 1 Dam. In January of the previous year a civil Spartan Cruiser monoplane crashed nearby on Hill of Stake. Its fuselage is now display at the Scottish Museum of Flight at East Fortune.
Lunderston Bay is the only section of the park situated right on the coast and, in addition to being an excellent ship-watching spot, it`s popular with birdwatchers, one of whom is sitting, bottom right, in the above photo, scanning the shore with his telescope.
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Winter is the optimum time to visit when a variety of common waders such Curlew, Ringed-plover, Redshank and Turnstone will gradually be forced close to shore on an incoming tide. Often, during July and August large numbers of Gannets and Manx Shearwaters can be seen feeding in the Firth fairly close to shore. More information on the Regional Park can be found at http://www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk/ (to edit*)
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Further south down the coast the town of Largs is overlooked by the Haylie Brae etc* Battle of Largs etc - Pencil monument, a large metallic Viking sculpture on the waterfront and if you`re really lucky you might even see one eating a Fish Supper!
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