Posts tagged Scotland
Brimmond Hill: Aberdeen High Point

Approaching the summit of Brimmond Hill from the car park.

Significance: High Point for the City of Aberdeen Council Area
Member of: Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Marilyns
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Cairn-mon-earn
Historic County: Aberdeenshire (of which Ben Macdui is the County Top)
Elevation: 266m
Date climbed: September 30th 2024
Coordinates: 57° 10' 23'' N, 2° 14' 22'' W

Route Start & Finish: Brimmond Hill Car Park, Aberdeen, AB15 8RQ
Route Distance: 2.6 km (1.6 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 100m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Brimmond Hill Circular
OS Trig Pillar: TP0666 - Brimmond
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Aberdeen & Banchory Map | Deeside Way | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 406
Links: Wikipedia: (Aberdeen / Brimmond Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Brimmond Hill is the highest point in the present-day Council Area of Aberdeen within the Historic County of Aberdeenshire. We bagged this one in 2024 on the final day of our annual County Top trip having also visited the high point of Dundee City and the Historic County Tops of Angus and Kincardineshire.

This one can be bagged in a short out and back walk from the Brimmond Hill car park off the Borrowstone Road. It’s a 1.3 km walk the top which is marked by a Trig Pillar, a radio transmitter and a flag pole. It was a little misty when we were there but we still had a good view across to Aberdeen City, the airport and the surrounding hills.

We returned to the car-park via the same route but there’s also a circular option which returns via a path to the south adding around 500m to the total trip.

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Aberdeenshire, ScotlandComment
Mount Battock: Kincardineshire County Top

Path split on the circular route. Mount Battock in the distance

Significance: Historic County Top for Kincardineshire
Member of: UK County Tops, Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Marilyns
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Mount Keen 
Elevation: 778m
Date climbed: September 29th 2024
Coordinates: 56° 56' 57'' N, 2° 44' 31'' W

Route Start & Finish: Small parking space near Millden Lodge, Glen Esk
Route Distance: 15 km (9.3 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 637m
Subsidiary tops on route: Wester Cairn
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP0677 - Mount Battock
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Glen Esk and Glen Tanar (OS Explorer Map Series): No. 395
Links: Wikipedia: (Kincardineshire / Mount Battock), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Mount Battock is the Historic County Top for Kincardineshire and the 27th highest of all of the UK County Tops. We bagged it in 2024 on our annual County Top weekend trip, along with the Historic County Top of Angus and the Council Area High Points of Dundee and Aberdeen.

The start of the route is from a small parking area in Millden just off the minor road that tracks the northern edge of the River North Esk. From here take the lane that heads north from the parking spot, past the old water mill to a path junction at Muir Cottage. Take the right hand path to follow the track that follows the left-hand side of the Burn of Turrett. At the 2km mark you’ll reach another path junction which marks the start of the main circular section of this walk. Take the left hand path to the Trig Pillar and stone shelter at the summit of Mount Battock.

To descend cross over the fence to the south of the summit, using the ladder stile. There’s a path here in places but it’s often hard to track as it passes through very boggy ground. Just keep close to the fence on your left for around 800m until you reach a well-defined track. Follow the track in a south / south westerly direction until it meets the Burn of Turrett. Cross over the burn and you’ll reach the path junction where you previously took a left to start the circular section. From here take a left to retrace the first 2 km of the route back to the start.

Kincardine Kirkyard

One of the highlights of this year's County Top bagging trip was finding the remains of the lost County Town of Kincardine. This was originally a Scottish Burgh that developed around Kincardine Castle. By 1600, the burgh was in decline, and the county town moved to Stonehaven where it is now.

Our hunt for the lost town of Kincardine began on the way to Aberdeen after our Mount Battock walk. We stopped for a drink in Fettercairn and discovered a plaque in the main square detailing the town's history. The last sentence on the plaque reads: "All that remains of the old County Burgh today is the tiny Kirkyard of St Catherine's Chapel with a solitary tombstone dated 1786"

The site of Kincardine Castle is easy to find with a 5 minute drive to the east of Fettercairn along the B966. Take a left off the B966 to find Castleton Kincardine Farm (AB30 1EX). Turning left into the farm drive you can see the foundations of the old castle on your right. Slightly further down the farm track you'll see a clump of trees in the middle of a field. This is the remains of the old kirkyard.

We parked at the side of the lane and crossed the field to the kirkyard. In late September the field had been ploughed but be careful not to damage crops at other times of the year and, if possible, ask permission from the landowner. The tombstone and remains of the old wall are easy to find in the centre of the trees with not too much foliage to get through.

Links: Fettercairn, Kincardine

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Kincardineshire, ScotlandComment
Glas Maol: Angus County Top

Walking from Glas Maol towards Creag Leacach

Significance: Historic County Top for Angus
Member of: UK County Tops, Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Munros, Marilyns
Parent Peak: Lochnagar
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Carn a' Coire Boidheach
Elevation: 1,068m
Date climbed: September 28th 2024
Coordinates: 56° 52' 23'' N, 3° 22' 6'' W

Route Start & Finish: Small parking area on A93 Old Military Road, ~3km north of Glenshee Ski Centre
Route Distance: 19.3 km (12 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 808m
Subsidiary tops on route: Carn an Tuirc, Cairn of Claise, Creag Leacach
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Monega Pass
OS Trig Pillar: TP3372 - Glas Maol
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at Glenshee Ski Centre
Map: Glen Shee & Braemar Map | The Cairnwell & Glas Maol | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL52
Links: Wikipedia: (Angus / Glas Maol), Peakbagger, Hillbagging, Glenshee Ski Centre

Glas Maol is the Historic County Top for Angus and the 7th highest of all of the UK County Tops. We bagged it in 2024 on our annual County Top weekend trip, along with the Historic County Top of Kincardineshire and the Council Area High Points of Dundee and Aberdeen.

The quickest way to conquer Glas Maol is an out-and-back from the large car park at Glenshee Ski Centre. I always prefer an interesting circular over an out-and-back so we opted for the 4-Munro circuit that I found on the Walk Highlands site. For this we started at a small parking spot around 3 km north of the Ski Centre. If that parking spot is full then park at the Ski Centre and walk to the northern parking at the start of the walk rather than at the end.

From the northern parking spot take the footpath that ascends to Carn an Tuirc in an east/north-easterly direction on the northern side of a small stream. After 1.2km you’ll cross over the stream, continuing to ascend. You’ll reach the summit of the first of the day’s Munros after 2.9km.

Continue along the path, now curving to the south-east, for another 2.6 km to reach the summit of Cairn of Claise. This is the second Munro of the day and, at 1.064m, just 4 metres lower than Glas Maol. Continue along the path, now heading south-west. The route descends slightly then ascends, crossing over the Monega Pass, to the summit of Glas Maol. The high point is marked by a Trig Pillar and a stone shelter large enough for 4 people.

After the Glas Maol summit, continue heading south-west, descending for 1km to the 10 km point in the walk. Here you’ll reach a path junction marked by a large cairn. This is a good point to make a decision to either take a short out-and-back to the 4th Munro, or return straight down to the road. We expected bad weather but, as it turned out, we had a bright, albeit cold, day with good visibility so we decided to bag the 4th Munro.

To reach Creag Leacach continue south for 1.5 km following the ridge line towards the steep ascent to the summit. The path gets very close to a steep drop on the left hand side just ahead of the climb so be extra careful in low visibility. After the summit, retrace your steps back to the large cairn, then continue descending in a north-westerly direction towards the ski-slopes. As you get closer to the slopes, continue along the path as it curves to the west and descend back to A93 Old Military Road at the large Glenshee Ski Centre car park. Take a right onto the road and follow the grass verge back to the starting point.

There’s a cafe at the Ski Centre that’s a great place to stop at the end to celebrate completing the route. Don’t rely on it if you’re out late in the day though. Our excitement to stop there quickly vanished when we arrived there 5 minutes after closing time.

While some of the County Top walks are starting to blur together in our memories, Glas Maol will likely be one that will stand out as a real classic route. The great visibility that we had that day certainly helped but the chance to bag 4 Munros in 1 walk was a big factor too.

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Angus, ScotlandComment
Gallow Hill: Dundee City High Point

Water Tower at the top of Gallow Hill

Significance: High Point for the Dundee City Council Area
Member of: Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points
Parent Peak: King's Seat
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Craigowl Hill
Historic County: Angus (of which Glas Maol is the Historic County Top)
Elevation: 175m
Date climbed: September 27th 2024
Coordinates: 56° 29' 41'' N, 3° 2' 5'' W

Route Start & Finish: Clatto Country Park Visitor Centre, 83 Clatto Country Park, Dundee, DD3 9SE
Route Distance: 1.2 km (>1 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 20m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
OS Trig Pillar: N/A. Nearest is TP6425 - The Roundie
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Dundee & Sidlaw Hills Map | River Tay | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 380
Links: Wikipedia: (City of Dundee), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Gallow Hill is the highest point in the present-day Council Area of Dundee City within the Historic County of Angus. We were in town for the day as a part of our annual Scottish County Top weekend. As a warm-up for bagging Glas Maol, the Angus Historic County Top, on the following day we visited Gallow Hill plus a couple of Trig Pillars in the area.

The summit of Gallow Hill is a short out-and-back from either of the car parks at Clatto Country Park or the Templeton Woods Ranger Station. From either start point walk to the large concrete water tower at the top of the hill. The actual high point isn’t marked so we walked round a few possible contenders. The coordinates from Peakbagger take you to a bend in a path to the south of the tower. This seems unlikely to be the place as it’s not the highest ground and it’s not on a boundary. The water tower base is also unlikely as it’s man-made but we walked a full circuit of the outer fence anyway. Most likely seemed to be a small knoll on the east of the tower. Whichever point was the highest, we felt satisfied that we’d bagged it and returned back to the car.

There’s no Trig Pillar at the high point but The Roundie, nearby at 159m elevation is worth a visit. We also visited Dundee Law earlier in the day. This is 1m lower than Gallow Hill, but a more satisfying visit as it has a Trig Pillar and a great view over the city and the Tay Estuary.

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Angus, ScotlandComment
Walking the Quaraing Loop & Trig Pillar, Skye

Start & Finish: The Quiraing Car Park, Unnamed Road, Portree, Sartle, Staffin, Portree, IV51 9LB
Distance: 6.5 km (4 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 288m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Skye – Trotternish and the Storr Map | Uig | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 408
Links: Isle of Skye, Trotternish NSA, The Quaraing

Following our previous day’s out-and-back walk to the Old Man of Storr, we returned to the north of Skye for the Quaraing Loop. Similar to the Old Man, the Quaraing is a popular walking spot with stunning rock features. There’s a large car park nearby that can get very busy in the summer and at weekends.

Also like the Old Man, most visitors do an out-and-back to the see the Prison and the Needle. It’s well worth doing the full 6.5km loop though as there’s a lot more to see further on. The start of the trail is already at 250m elevation so the first 2km, heading anti-clockwise, is a gentle ascent. The main trail takes you through the middle of the Prison and the Needle before turning a corner. After the corner there’s a flat(ish) kilometre through a valley heading north-west towards Fir Bhreugach. Although it was tempting to check out views from the mountains to the north, we kept to the Quaraing Loop.

The return half starts with a steep ascent up the side of Meall na Suiramach. We had a very clear day and the views from our frequent rest-and-take-a-breath stops were outstanding. For here you can see the whole northern side of Skye and across the sea to other islands. The highest point of the Loop doesn’t quite get you to the Trig Pillar at the summit of Meall na Suiramach. I needed to bag it I so took a small diversion from the main trail to the Trig, returning a bit further along the trail to rejoin Timea who opted for a 10 minute rest over bagging a Trig Pillar.

Most of the final stage of the walk is a steady descent down toward the car park with a steeper section at the end. When were there in Summer 2024, the path on the final section was closed for repair so we had to find a steep alternative with a lot of hanging onto foliage to keep slipping. The new stone path looked impressive though.

The Old Man of Storr might be the most impressive rock formation but, for me, this was the most enjoyable walk and the best part of our short stay on Skye.

Richard gowerTrek, Trig Pillar, National Scenic Area, Inverness-shire, ScotlandComment
Walking to the Old Man of Storr, Skye

The Old Man of Storr and Needle Rock

Start & Finish: Old Man of Storr Car Park, Skye, IV51 9HX
Distance: 5.1 km (3.2 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 300m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Skye Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at the car park
Map: Skye – Trotternish and the Storr Map | Uig | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 408
Links: Isle of Skye, Trotternish NSA, The Storr

We had just 2 days on to the Isle of Skye on a short Scottish Roadtrip. Given how far away Skye is from home we decided to bag the easy “must-see”s on this trip and save larger adventures for later. The Old Man of Storr is definitely a must-see so we drove straight there from our previous night’s accommodation at Speen Bridge. Storr’s must-see status made parking predictable tricky, even for a large parking area. Once parked we picked up the tourist trail towards the main view point just over 2.2 km from the car park.

It’s easy to see why this is so popular. The rock formations are spectacular, especially on a clear day like we had. our original plan was to continue past the view point and take an anti-clockwise circular route that takes in the summit of The Storr mountain. As The Storr is also the high point of the Trotternish National Scenic Area so it would have been another great box-tick. The wind had picked up and it was getting late in the day so we decided to skip the circuit and return back to the car instead.

Rather than go straight back on the same route we took a small diversion to the right of Needle Rock that takes you right up close to The Old Man. I recommend checking this out as it’s quieter than the main route and I managed to get some of the best photos of the day from the base of The Old Man. On the final descent we took another diversion on the longer, less steep route to the car park.

Richard gowerTrek, National Scenic Area, Inverness-shire, ScotlandComment
Walking The Caledonian Canal from Corpach to Neptune's Steps

The Corpach Shipwreck

Start & Finish: Banavie Locks Car Park, Banavie, Fort William, PH33 7PL
Distance: 5.4 km (3.4 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 30m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Great Glen Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 78
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at The Moorings Hotel at the start and finish. An Cafaidh Mara Corpach (3.5 km in)
Map: Ben Nevis & Fort William Map | The Mamores & the Grey Corries, Kinlochleven & Spean Bridge | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 392
Links: Fort William, Banavie, Banavie Station, Caledonian Canal, Neptune’s Staircase, Great Glen Way, Corpach, Corpach Shipwreck

This is a short walk at the southern end of the Caledonian Canal. The canal runs for approximately 60 miles, connecting the west coast of Scotland at Loch Linnhe to the north-eastern coast at Inverness. We were staying in Fort William for a couple of days and wanted to see Neptunes’s Staircase so we turned it into an interesting short circular walk. Neptune’s Staircase is the longest staircase lock in Britain, lifting boats 20 metres through eight locks.

Starting from the Banavie Locks Car Park take a left onto the canal towpath to ascend Neptunes Staircase in a north-easterly direction. Cross over the top lock and take a right to follow the towpath in a south-westerly direction, following the Great Glen Way. Carefully cross over the A830 and continue along the towpath / Great Glen Way to the final lock at Corpach.

Near the end of the canal you’ll see the Corpach Shipwreck across a football field to your left. The ship has been beached there since 2011 and has become a local landmark. If the weather and tides are fine it’s worth a quick diversion from the towpath to check it out.

The canal and towpath finish at Loch Linnhe in the small town of Corpach. Cross over the final lock to the northern side. We stopped at the small cafe in the marina for food and an escape from the heavy rain that suddenly came through.

From Corpach Marina keep on the northern side of the canal heading in a north-easterly direction to return to Banavie Locks.

Richard gowerTrek, Canal, Coast, Great Trails, Inverness-shire, ScotlandComment
Walking The Forth and Clyde Canal from The Falkirk Wheel to The Kelpies

Approaching The Kelpies on the Forth and Clyde Canal

Start: The Falkirk Wheel Visitors’ Centre, Lime Road, Falkirk, FK1 4RS
Finish: Kelpies Parking, Grangemouth, FK3 8YE
Distance: 8.7 km (5.4 miles)
Elevation change: +42m / - 85m. Net 43m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): John Muir Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 754
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafes at the start and end. The Canal Inn (3.2km in)
Map: Falkirk, Cumbernauld & Livingston Map | Linlithgow, Bathgate & Kilsyth | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 349
Links: Falkirk, Forth and Clyde Canal, Falkirk Wheel, The Kelpies

This is a short canal walk linking 2 major attractions in the Falkirk area: the Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies. It’s a point-to-point walk along a section of the Forth and Clyde canal. We parked at the Kelpies and got a taxi to the Falkirk Wheel where we started the walk. We used Bruce Taxis, a local company that was recommended by the Kelpies Visitor Centre.

The Falkirk Wheel is a remarkable feat of engineering that connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. This iconic structure, resembling a giant Ferris wheel, is the world's first and only rotating boat lift. It allows boats to travel between the two canals, overcoming the significant height difference between them. We stayed there for about an hour to see a couple of rotations of the wheel and walk around the whole site.

From the Falkirk Wheel Visitor Centre we walked south along the John Muir Way ascending to the higher level of the canal. We continued south through the tunnel to meet the main section of the Union Canal. A longer walk would have taken us along the Union to the south of Falkirk and Calendar Park, but for this trip, we turned around and headed back to the Visitor Centre. From here we did a full circuit of the Falkirk Wheel Basin to pick up the Forth and Clyde Canal on the northern side.

Take a right onto the Forth and Clyde, heading in and easterly direction. Navigation from here is easy as there’s no diversions along the towpath until you get to The Kelpies. Along the way you’ll pass the recently re-opened Rosebank Distillery with several metal sculptures on the towpath.

Approaching the final few km, you’ll get a good view of the Kelpies from a distance. The Kelpies are iconic steel horse sculptures standing at 30 meters tall. They are the largest horse sculptures in the world. Inspired by the mythological water horses of Scottish folklore, the Kelpies symbolize the industrial heritage of the region, once a centre of coal mining and canal transport.

The Falkirk Wheel

The Kelpies

Richard gowerTrek, Canal, Great Trails, Stirlingshire, ScotlandComment
Hill of Stake: Renfrewshire County Top

Navigating the bog near a misty Hill of Stake

Significance: High Point for the Historic County of Renfrewshire, High Point of Muirshiel Regional Park
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: TBC.
Nearest Higher Neighbour = Cruach nan Capull
Elevation: 522m
Date climbed: September 24th 2023
Coordinates: 55° 49' 45'' N, 4° 45' 28'' W

Route Start & Finish: Muirshiel Visitor Centre, Calder Glen Road, Lochwinnoch, PA12 4LB
Route Distance: 12.8 km (8 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 429m
Subsidiary tops on route: Misty Law (510m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP3902 - Hill Of Stake
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at the Muirshiel Visitor Centre at start and finish
Map: Greenock, Largs & Millport Map | Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 341
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia: (Renfrewshire / Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park / Hill of Stake), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

This was a day hike as a part of a 4-day Scottish County Top trip to bag Ben Lawers, Ben Vorlich, Ben Lomond and the Hill of Stake. It was our final day of the trip and, with the Bens ticked off, we just had Hill of Stake to complete.

The 3 Bens were similar walks: steep, high mountains on popular well marked paths. Hill of Stake is in a remote part of the Muirshiel Regional Park on a route with occasional paths that disappear into the boggy ground.

The first 4 km from the Visitor Centre is straightforward, following a well-signed track to the old mine. From the mine you can follow a path parallel to a stream in a south-westerly direction. You’ll need a compass or GPX route, especially in low visibility conditions as the path abruptly ends. By taking a bearing you can reach the Trig Pillar marking the lonely summit of Hill of Stake. From here you can either retrace your steps or, as we did, continue on an anti-clockwise route to also take in Misty Law.

Navigation to Misty Law is simple if you follow the fence from the Hill of Stake summit. You’ll also pass over East Girt hill with its summit marked by a small pile of stones. The fence follows a curve and we thought we could outsmart it by following a direct line to Misty Law. It was extremely wet and boggy so we soon returned to the fence line. Near the top of Misty Law you’ll need to cross the barbed wire fence but there’s an obvious place to cross where blue plastic tubing saves your crotch from the barbs. Once you’ve bagged the Misty Law summit return to this spot on the fence then take a north-westerly bearing to the confluence of Black Grain Burn and Raith Burn.

The main challenge of the walk is how to cross over to the northern side of Raith Burn. It’s a fast-flowing stream with narrow enough places to cross via rocks but very slippery. We sent Joel, the tallest member of the group over first. Not having his height and having a fear of slipping I decided against his chosen mid-stream rock and opted for a spot further down. All 5 of us managed to cross in different sections but somehow Joel managed to fall in having already crossed it.

After crossing the Raith Burn follow a path that runs alongside it for around 1 km before leaving it to take a bearing in a north-easterly direction to the bridge across the Calder Water. Once across take a right to follow the track back to the Visitors Centre.

Other High Points in the Historic County of Renfrewshire

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Renfrewshire, ScotlandComment
Ben Lomond: Stirlingshire County Top

View over Loch Lomond on the descent from Ben Lomond

Also known as: Beinn Laomainn (“beacon mountain")
Significance: High Point for the Historic County of Stirlingshire, Loch Lomond NSA High Point
Member of: Munros, Marilyns
Parent Peak: Beinn Ime.
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Beinn Ime
Elevation: 974m
Date climbed: September 23rd 2023
Coordinates: 56° 11' 25'' N, 4° 37' 59'' W

Route Start & Finish: Ben Lomond (Rowardennan) Car Park, Stirling, G63 0AR
Route Distance: 12 km (7.5 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 913m
Subsidiary tops on route: Ptarmigan (778m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Ben Lomond Trail, Ptarmigan Ridge Path, West Highland Way
OS Trig Pillar: TP1283 - Ben Lomond
Pubs / Cafes on route: None on route but the Clansman Bar at the Rowardennan Hotel is near the car park
Map: Loch Lomond North Map | Tyndrum, Crianlarich & Arrochar | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL39
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia: (Stirlingshire / Ben Lomond), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

This was a day hike as a part of a 4-day Scottish County Top trip to bag Ben Lawers, Ben Vorlich, Ben Lomond and the Hill of Stake. We were on our 3rd day of the trip and had already ticked off Ben Lawers and Ben Vorlich. Now for Ben Lomond, not the highest of the trip, but definitely the most iconic. Ben Lomond is the most southerly Munro, sits on the edge of Loch Lomond and is very close to Glasgow. As such it’s very popular and it can be hard to find parking spots.

We read that in the summer the police close off the road to the main car-park. We were there in late September after the summer peak but we also had to get in a parkrun as it was a Saturday. By the time we arrived it was 11:00 and the main car-park was full so we parked in the overflow instead. This has its advantage though as it’s free and has a direct connection to the Ben Lomond Trail.

We opted for the clockwise circular route, initially following the West Highland Way from the overflow to the main car-park then picking up the Ptarmigan Ridge Path that ascends on the western side of the mountain closest to the Loch. The weather was a bit grey but we still had great views down to the Loch as we climbed.

The different map apps that we had in the group gave different positions for the summit of Ptarmigan so we visited both just to be sure. After Ptarmigan there’s a steep final ascent to the Ben Lomond summit and the Trig Pillar. The summit is flat and, when we were there, fairly crowded with walkers stopping for lunch. After a quick break we continued the circuit, descending down via the Ben Lomond Way.

Near the Loch there’s a path junction with one route to the main car-park and another to the overflow. We took the route to the main car-park to have a celebratory drink at the Clansman Bar at the Rowardennan Hotel.

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, National Trails, National Park, National Trust, Stirlingshire, ScotlandComment
Ben Vorlich: Dunbartonshire County Top

View to the south-west on the descent of Ben Vorlich

Also Known as: Beinn Mhùrlaig
Significance: High Point for the Historic County of Dunbartonshire
Member of: Munros, Marilyns
Parent Peak: xx. NHN = Beinn Ime
Elevation: 943m
Date climbed: September 22nd 2023
Coordinates: 56° 16' 27'' N, 4° 45' 18'' W

Route Start & Finish: Inveruglas Visitor Centre, Inveruglas Farm, A82, Arrochar, G83 7DP
Route Distance: 13.3 km (8.3 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 904m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Loch Lomond and Cowal Way, Three Lochs Way
OS Trig Pillar: TP1309 - Ben Vorlich
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at Inveruglas Visitor Centre at start/finish.
Map: Loch Lomond North Map | Tyndrum, Crianlarich & Arrochar | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL39
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia: (Dunbartonshire / Ben Vorlich), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

This was a day hike as a part of a 4-day Scottish County Top trip to bag Ben Lawers, Ben Vorlich, Ben Lomond and the Hill of Stake. After ticking off Ben Lawers we drove south to Balquhidder to stay at the Mhor 84 hotel ahead of tackling Ben Vorlich the next day.

It was during dinner at Mhor 84 that I realised that there was more than one Ben Vorlich and I had planned for the wrong one. Fortunately the correct one was only a 40 minute drive in the direction of our 3rd peak of the trip so we didn’t lose any time overall. Definitely a lesson learned for future trips as I soon found out that there’s also more than one Morven.

With a brand new route plan we arrived at the Inveruglas Visitor Centre for the start of the walk. We often follow Jonny Muir’s guide for the routes but this time decided to take a southern approach to Ben Vorlich instead of the northern route from Ardlui Station that he took.

From the Visitor Centre, head south along the Three Lochs Way following the A82. You’ll pass the Hydroelectric Power Station on your right. After ~900m leave the A82, still following the Three Loch Way along a track now heading west. This track runs parallel to the Inveruglas Water (stream), curving to the north to reach the dam at the southern edge of Loch Stoy.

At ~3km from leaving the A82 and 1 km before the dam you’ll meet a footpath heading steeply up to the right. This is a good place to take a break before the main ascent. Once on the path it’s a further 2.6 km climb to the cairn that marks the summit. You’ll pass the Ben Vorlich Trig Pillar shortly before the high point. For the descent retrace your steps back to the Visitor Centre. As with our Ben Lawers trip the day before, we had a lot of mist, drizzle and wind at the top but much better weather as we descended. Our slog to the top was rewarded by amazing views over both Loch Lomond and Loch Stoy.

Other High Points in the Historic County of Dunbartonshire

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, National Park, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandComment
Ben Lawers: Perthshire County Top

Descending Ben Lawyers towards Beinn Ghlas

Also known as: Beinn Labhair
Significance: High Point for the Historic County of Perthshire, Council Top for Perth and Kinross, Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon NSA High Point
Member of: Munros, Marilyns
Parent Peak: Ben Nevis
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Aonach Beag
Elevation: 1,124m
Date climbed: September 21st 2023
Coordinates: 56° 32' 42'' N, 4° 13' 15'' W

Route Start & Finish: National Trust of Scotland Ben Lawers Car Park, Killin, FK21 8TY
Route Distance: 11.4 km (7.1 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 838m
Subsidiary tops on route: Beinn Ghlas
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Ben Lawers Trail
OS Trig Pillar: TP1281 - Ben Lawers
Pubs / Cafes on route: N/A
Map: Ben Lawers & Glen Lyon Map | Loch Tay, Killin & Kenmore | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL48
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia: (Perthshire / Ben Lawers), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

This was a day hike as a part of a 4-day Scottish County Top trip to bag Ben Lawers, Ben Vorlich, Ben Lomond and the Hill of Stake. First up was Ben Lawers, the 3rd highest UK Historic County Top and the highest of this particular trip.

After a flight from London and a 2 hour drive from Glasgow we arrived at the National Trust car park at the start of the trail. The Ben Lawers Trail is well marked and maintained making navigation very easy. We also had good visibility on the day, although the summit was wet and very windy. The trek to the summit passes over Beinn Ghlas, a 1103 m Munro, followed by a small descent before a steep climb to the Ben Lawers Trig Pillar.

For the return to the car park you can either retrace your steps over Beinn Ghlas or take an alternative path to the west from the col between the two peaks. This alternative route rejoins the main Ben Lawers Trail by a fence at 2.2 km from the car park.

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, National Trust, Perthshire, ScotlandComment
UK National Parks, National Landscapes (AONB) and NSA High Points

If bagging all of the UK Historic and Present-Day County tops plus the Unitary Authorities isn’t enough for you, there’s also the high points of the National Parks, National Landscapes (AONBs) and National Scenic Areas (NSAs).

Contact me if you spot any mistakes and I’ll donate £1 to one of my supported causes for each correction made.

UK National Parks High Points

Of the 15 UK National Parks 10 have a high point that is also an Historic County Top. One other, Whernside is the high point of the Ceremonial County of North Yorkshire and was the high point of the Administrative County of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The highest National Park Peak that’s not also a County Top is Ben More (not to be confused with Ben More Assynt) in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

UK National Parks

  1. Cairngorms National Park (Scotland): Ben Macdui (1,309 metres).

  2. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (Scotland): Ben More (1,174 metres).

  3. Snowdonia National Park (Wales): Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa (1085 metres).

  4. Lake District National Park (England): Scafell Pike (978 metres).

  5. Brecon Beacons National Park (Wales): Pen y Fan (886 metres).

  6. Northumberland National Park (England): The Cheviot (815 metres).

  7. Yorkshire Dales National Park (England): Whernside (736 metres).

  8. Peak District National Park (England): Kinder Scout (636 metres).

  9. Dartmoor National Park (England): High Willhays (621 metres).

  10. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Wales): Foel Cwmcerwyn (536 metres).

  11. Exmoor National Park (England): Dunkery Beacon (519 metres).

  12. North York Moors National Park (England): Urra Moor - Round Hill (454 metres).

  13. South Downs National Park (England): Black Down (280 metres).

  14. New Forest National Park (England): Pipers Wait (129 metres) or Telegraph Hill (127 metres).

  15. The Broads National Park (England): Strumpshaw Hill - South Slope (40 metres).

England, Wales and Northern Ireland National Landscapes High Points

National Parks and National Landscapes are both protected areas in the United Kingdom, but they have different designations and management structures. National Parks are designated by the UK government for their outstanding natural beauty, cultural heritage and recreational opportunities. They are managed by National Park Authorities and have specific planning policies to protect their landscapes and wildlife. On the other hand, National Landscapes are also designated by the government for their outstanding natural beauty but are managed by local authorities and partnerships. They have different planning policies compared to National Parks. National Parks tend to be more remote and wilder, while National Landscapes are often found close to populated areas and include cultural heritage and agricultural landscapes. Both National Parks and National Landscapes are intended to be enjoyed and appreciated by the public but the management, planning policies, and protection of the areas can differ.

National Landscapes were previously called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) until On 22 November 2023.

There are 46 National Landscapes in the UK of which 16 are the county tops of the Historic Counties that they are in. St Boniface Down is the high point of both the Ceremonial County of the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Wight National Landscape.

There were 2 National Landscapes that I couldn’t find a high point for when researching this: Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape and Lagan Valley National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Let me know if you know what these high points are and I can update the list.

  • North Pennines National Landscape (England). Cross Fell (893m).

  • Mourne Mountains National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Slieve Donard (850m).

  • Nidderdale National Landscape (England). Great Whernside (704m).

  • Sperrins National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Sawel Mountain (678m).

  • Ring of Gullion National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Slieve Gullion (576m).

  • Forest of Bowland National Landscape (England). Ward's Stone (561m).

  • Llŷn Peninsula National Landscape (Wales). Yr Eifl (561m).

  • Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape (Wales). Moel Famau (555m).

  • Antrim Coast and Glens National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Trostan (550m).

  • Shropshire Hills National Landscape (England). Brown Clee Hill (540m).

  • Malvern Hills National Landscape (England). Worcestershire Beacon (425m).

  • Cornwall National Landscape (England). Brown Willy (420m).

  • Binevenagh National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Binevenagh (385m).

  • Tamar Valley National Landscape (England). Kit Hill (334m).

  • Cotswolds National Landscape (England). Cleeve Common (330m).

  • Mendip Hills National Landscape (England). Beacon Batch (325m).

  • Blackdown Hills National Landscape (England). Staple Hill (315m).

  • Wye Valley National Landscape (England / Wales). Trellech Beacon (313m).

  • North Wessex Downs National Landscape (England). Walbury Hill (297m).

  • Surrey Hills National Landscape (England). Leith Hill (294m).

  • Dorset National Landscape (England). Lewesdon Hill (279m).

  • Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (England). Win Green (277m).

  • North Devon Coast National Landscape (England). Berry Down near Combe Martin (269m).

  • Chiltern Hills National Landscape (England). Haddington Hill (267m).

  • Somerset - Quantock Hills National Landscape (England). Wills Neck (263m).

  • East Devon National Landscape (England). Gittisham Hill (259m).

  • Kent Downs National Landscape (England). Toy's Hill (257m).

  • Cannock Chase ANational Landscape NB (England). Castle Ring (242m).

  • High Weald National Landscape (England). Crowborough Beacon (242m).

  • Isle of Wight National Landscape (England). St Boniface Down (241m).

  • Anglesey National Landscape (Wales). Holyhead Mountain (220m).

  • South Devon National Landscape (England). Blackdown Camp (199m).

  • Gower Peninsula National Landscape (Wales). The Beacon at Rhossili Down (193m).

  • Howardian Hills National Landscape (England). Yearsley Cross (174m).

  • Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape (England). Wolds Top / Normanby Hill (168m).

  • Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape (England). Warton Crag (163m).

  • Strangford and Lecale National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Scrabo Hill (161m).

  • Causeway Coast National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Carnduff Hill (114m).

  • Norfolk Coast National Landscape (England). Beacon Hill (105m).

  • Northumberland Coast National Landscape (England). South Hill (75m).

  • Dedham Vale National Landscape (England). Broom Hill (69m).

  • Solway Coast National Landscape (England). Pudding Pie Hill (56m).

  • Isles of Scilly National Landscape (England). Telegraph on St Mary’s (49m).

  • Chichester Harbour National Landscape (England). c. two locations with 9m spot height (9m).

To be verified … couldn’t find these originally but have been identified by Joel Adcock.

  • Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape (England): Holbrook Park, (~44m)

  • Lagan Valley National Landscape (Northern Ireland). In garden of private property on Tullyard Rd, Lisburn BT27 5JN (164m)

Scottish NSA High Points

National Landscapes and National Scenic Areas (NSA) are both designations used in the United Kingdom to protect and promote areas of exceptional natural beauty. However, there are some key differences between the two. National Landscapes are designated by the UK government and are considered to be the most important landscapes in the country, with the highest level of protection afforded to them. NSAs, on the other hand, are designated by the Scottish government and, while they also offer protection to areas of exceptional natural beauty, they do not have the same level of legal protection as National Landscapes. Additionally, National Landscapes are managed by local authorities, while NSAs are managed by Scottish National Parks. Both National Landscapes and NSAs are intended to be enjoyed and appreciated by the public, but the management and protection of the areas can differ.

There are 40 National Scenic Areas (NSA) in Scotland, of which 8 are the county tops of the Historic Counties that they are in. There were 12 NSAs that I couldn’t find a high point for when researching this (scroll down to see). These are mostly in coastal areas without notable high points. Let me know if you know what these high points are and I can update the list.

  • Ben Nevis and Glen Coe NSA: Ben Nevis (1344m).

  • Cairngorm Mountains NSA: Ben Macdui (1309m).

  • Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon NSA: Ben Lawers (1214m).

  • Glen Affric NSA: Càrn Eige (1183m).

  • Deeside and Lochnagar NSA: Lochnagar / Beinn Chìochan (1156m).

  • Glen Strathfarrar NSA: Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais (1083m).

  • Kintail NSA: Sgurr Fhuaran (1068m).

  • Wester Ross NSA: An Teallach (1062m).

  • Knoydart NSA: Sgurr na Cìche (1040m).

  • Assynt-Coigach NSA: Ben More Assynt (998m).

  • Loch Lomond NSA: Ben Lomond (974m).

  • Cuillin Hills NSA: Sgùrr nan Gillean (964m).

  • North West Sutherland NSA: Foinaven (909m).

  • Loch Shiel NSA: Beinn Odhar Bheag (882m).

  • The Trossachs NSA: Ben Ledi (879m).

  • North Arran NSA: Goat Fell (873.5m).

  • Upper Tweeddale NSA: Broad Law (840m).

  • Small Isles NSA: Askival (812m).

  • South Lewis, Harris and North Uist NSA: Clisham (799m).

  • Jura NSA: Beinn an Òir (785m).

  • Trotternish NSA: The Storr (719m).

  • South Uist Machair NSA: Beinn Mhòr (620m).

  • Hoy and West Mainland NSA: Ward Hill (481m).

  • Knapdale NSA: Cruach Lusach (466m).

  • Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs NSA: Scarba (449m).

  • St Kilda NSA: Conachair (430m).

  • Eildon and Leaderfoot NSA: Eildon Hill (422m).

  • Lynn of Lorn NSA: Barr Mòr (127m).

To be verified … couldn’t find these originally but have been identified by Joel Adcock.

  • Dornoch Firth NSA: unnamed summit (387m)

  • East Stewartry Coast NSA: Bengairn (391m).

  • Fleet Valley NSA: Ben John (354m)

  • Kyle of Tongue NSA: Ben Hope (927m)

  • Kyles of Bute NSA: Meallan Riabhach (484m).

  • Loch na Keal, Isle of Mull NSA: Ben More (967m)

  • Loch Tummel NSA: Meall Tairneachan (787m)

  • Morar, Moidart and Ardnamurchan NSA: Meall nan Each (490m)

  • Nith Estuary NSA: Criffel (569m).

  • River Earn (Comrie to St. Fillans) NSA: Either slope of Beinn Fuath (~650 metres) or Mor Beinn (640m)

  • River Tay (Dunkeld) NSA: Creag Dhubh (498m)

  • Shetland NSA: The Sneug (418m)

More High Points

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, National Park, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern IrelandComment
Allermuir Hill and Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

North face of Arthur’s Seat from Whinney HIll

Allermuir Hill and Arthur’s seat are two very different hills, linked only as being short walks very accessible from Edinburgh Centre. For us they were two “bonus peaks” that we squeezed in on our Edinburgh Crescent County Top trip.

Allermuir Hill

Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Scald Law NHN = Turnhouse Hill
Elevation: 493m
Date climbed: 25th September 2022
Coordinates: 55° 52' 57'' N, 3° 14' 14'' W
Route Start / End: Midlothian Snowsports Centre, Hillend, Biggar Road, Edinburgh, EH10 7DU
Route Distance: 4.0 km (2.5 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 240m
Subsidiary tops on route: None .. but Caerketton Screes could easily be added to the route
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Pentland Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP0816 - Allermuir Hill
Map: Edinburgh Map | Musselburgh & Queensferry | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 350
Links: Wikipedia (Pentland Hills), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Having completed Blackhope Scar earlier in the day and with some time to spare, I picked Allermuir as our bonus walk as it was close to our hotel in Dalkeith. We parked at the Midlothian Snowsports Centre and to the track heading west towards the Pentland Way. We chose to ascend via the col between Allermuir and Caerketton Screes. In hindsight, and with better planning, I would have ascended before Caerketton Screes to bag that summit too in the way to Allermuir.

From the Trig Pillar at the summit of Allermuir you get a great view over to Edinburgh, including Arthur’s Seat, the Firth of Forth and, in the other direction, the Pentland Hills. We were there on a very windy afternoon so didn’t hang around on the summit for long so descended following the Pentland Way to the north-east then back to the Snowsports Centre.

Arthur’s Seat

Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Allermuir Hill (to be verified) TBC NHN = Caerketton Hill
Elevation: 251m
Date climbed: 26th September 2022
Coordinates: 55° 56' 38'' N, 3° 9' 42'' W
Route Start / End: Parking area near Duddingston Lodge, Old Church Lane, Duddingston, Edinburgh, EH15 3PY
Route Distance: 3.7 km (2.3 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 195m
Subsidiary tops on route: Crow Hill (238m), Nether Hill (237m), Whinney Hill (174m), Dunsapie Crag (146m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP0893 - Arthurs Seat
Map: Edinburgh Map | Musselburgh & Queensferry | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 350
Links: Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Arthur’s Seat is an icon of Edinburgh, an extinct volcano dominating Holyrood Park to the east of the city centre. We had completed Meikle Says Law in good time and were keen to fit it in on the way back to the airport. Rather than a simple out-and-back from the closest car park, we ended up having enough time for a small circuit covering 4 smaller peaks on the east side of Holyrood.

Most people access Arthur’s Seat from the west, closest to the city centre. Instead we found a small, quieter car park in the east at Duddingston Village. The simple out-and-back option would have taken us less than 40 minutes and we did the whole circuit in only an hour and a quarter. With more time I would have included Salisbury Crags and Haggis Knowe on the west of the park to do the full Holyrood Circuit. I reckon that the full route would have taken around 2 and a half hours.

Bagging Arthur’s Seat was a satisfying conclusion to our Edinburgh County Tops weekend. We had a a clear day and had a good view to several of the peaks that we bagged over the weekend and the city itself.

Richard gowerTrek, Trig Pillar, Midlothian, ScotlandComment
Edinburgh Crescent County Tops

Ascent of Innerdouny Hill

Our UK County Top bagging trips have now got into a rhythm of an annual long weekend at the end of September. Our group has also grown to 6, although there’s always the inevitable last minute cancellation due to house move / new job / failing body / [*insert excuse here]. For our second Scottish adventure we tackled the “Edinburgh Crescent”, a collection of 6 high points covering 7 historic counties, all within an hour of Edinburgh airport.

We also managed to bag a couple of “bonus peaks”, Allermuir HIll and Arthur’s Seat over the weekend. See this post for details on these.

West Lomond

Significance: Highest peak in Fife (Historic CT)
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Ben Cleuch NHN = Innerdownie
Elevation: 522m
Date climbed: 23rd September 2022
Coordinates: 56° 14' 43'' N, 3° 17' 49'' W
Route Start / End: Bunnet Stane Car Park, Cupar, KY14 7RR
Route Distance: 4.5 km (2.8 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 365m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 1 / EV12 passes Bunnet Stane Car Park
OS Trig Pillar: TP0674 - West Lomond
Map: Glenrothes North, Falkland & Lomond Hills Map | Auchtermuchty & Cupar | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 370
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (West Lomond), Wikipedia (Fife), Bunnet Stane, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Having landed in Edinburgh Airport mid-morning on the Friday, we picked up a rental car for the 40 minute drive to West Lomond. This is the most north-easterly of this trip’s peaks and a nice warm-up for the longer treks to follow. We met with Joel, who drove from Northern Ireland, at Bunnet Stane Car Park. Don’t let the “car park” label fool you though, it’s just a layby for about 4 cars with a parking sign on it.

The walk to the summit is fairly straightforward, initially flat before getting steeper after Bunnet Stane. This is a rock formation with a man-made cave at the bottom and a information sign describing the history and myth around it. It’s worth stopping here to check it out before the ascent to the summit.

There’s several footpaths to the Trig Pillar at summit but we chose the most well-trodden. For the descent I originally planned to return on the same route but decided at the top to mix it up a bit and make it a circle. This didn’t work out too well as the path I chose to follow was cut of by a fence ahead of a steep drop. We took a alternative, slightly less steep, route down to meet the path we came up on. In hindsight we would have been better off sticking to the out-and-back.

Innerdouny Hill

Significance: Highest peak in Kinross-shire (Historic CT)
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Ben Cleuch NHN = Innerdownie
Elevation: 497m
Date climbed: 23rd September 2022
Coordinates: 56° 14' 55'' N, 3° 33' 48'' W
Route Start / End: Forestry Commission Car Park at Littlerig on B934
Route Distance: 9.2 km (5.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 220m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP4108 - Innerdouny Hill
Map: Perth & Kinross Map | Ochil Hills East & Loch Leven | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Active Map 369
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Innerdouny Hill), Wikipedia (Kinross-shire), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

After West Lomond it’s a half an hour drive to the Littlerig Forestry Commission car park at the start of the walk to Innerdouny Hill. The car park didn’t come up on our sat-nav so we just headed north along the B934 looking out for it on the right. In the end it was easy to find and enough parking for several cars. Given the relative obscurity of the peak, it’s unlikely that you’ll be fighting for a parking spot here.

This is a longer walk than West Lomond but much less elevation. The first 3.9 km follows a wide Forestry Commission track before taking a right turn up a narrow path to the summit. We were there on a very clear day and got great views over the Firth of Forth and some of the other peaks of our trip.

As with West Lomond an out-and-back would have been the best plan. Instead we followed a clearing between a wooded area and a wall to try a more direct route down to the start of the track. It definitely made a more interesting route but in reality didn’t save much time or distance vs. retracing our steps from the summit.

Ben Cleuch

Significance: Highest peak in Clackmannanshire (Historic CT)
Member of: Marilyn, Donald, Graham
Parent Peak: Ben Chonzie NHN = Carn Chois
Elevation: 721m
Date climbed: 24th September 2022
Coordinates: 56° 11' 8'' N, 3° 46' 10'' W
Route Start / End: Free on-street parking at Upper Mill Street, Tillicoultry, FK13 6AX
Route Distance: 7.9 km (4.9 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 650m
Subsidiary tops on route: The Law (638m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP0672 - Ben Cleugh
Map: Stirling & Ochil Hills West Map | Alloa & Dunblane | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 366
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Ben Cleuch), Wikipedia (Clackmannanshire), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Day 2 started with the University of Stirling parkrun, right next to the hotel where we were staying. Stirling is a good option for an overnight stay on the trip and our hotel, part of the University campus, worked out well.

From Stirling it was less than a 30 minute drive to the start of the walk to Ben Cleuch. This was a shorter distance than the previous 2 walks but much higher elevation. Navigation is straightforward as there’s a very well-trodden path to the summit.

Learning from Day 1 we stuck to the out-and-back plan and didn’t attempt a creative alternative route back to the car. The Woolpack Inn, close to the start point, is a good place for a pint and a rest before heading to the Lothians.

Cairnpapple Hill

Significance: Highest peak in West Lothian (Historic CT)
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: West Cairn Hill NHN = West Cairn HIll
Elevation: 312m
Date climbed: 24th September 2022
Coordinates: 55° 55' 22'' N, 3° 37' 18'' W
Route Start / End: Cairnpapple Hill parking, 2km from Torphichen, Bathgate, EH48 4LD
Route Distance: 650 km (0.4 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 14m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: Falkirk, Cumbernauld & Livingston Map | Linlithgow, Bathgate & Kilsyth | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 349
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Cairnpapple Hill), Wikipedia (West Lothian), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Our original plan for Cairnpapple was to follow the short circular route in Jonny Muir’s guidebook. We parked at the small Cairnpapple parking area and took the well-marked south-westerly path to the burial mound. Cairnpapple is commonly regarded as the highest point in West Lothian although the Ballencreif Hill Trig Pillar to the south is higher. Jonny Muir’s guide has the walk continuing in a straight line south from the burial ground to the Trig. Some boundary work must have been done in the meantime as we found a new fence in the way and no obvious means to walk straight to the Trig. Note that Historic Scotland charges an entry fee to the burial ground, although it’s easy to avoid it as the ticket office is not on the gate.

Separate walk to The Knook and the Trig Pillar:

Route Start / End: Top Point Parking, Unnamed Road (south of Cairnpapple Hill), Bathgate, EH48
Route Distance: 1.1 km (0.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 16m
OS Trig Pillar: TP0991 - Ballencrieff Hill
Links: Peakbagger (Knock)

To access the Trig Pillar we returned to the car and drove south down the minor road to a layby near the gate to the field containing the Trig Pillar. Alternative parking can be found on the south side of Knock Hill, another contender for West Lothian’s high point. After climbing to the toposcope on Knock Hill we cross the field to bag the Trig Pillar.

Blackhope Scar

Significance: Highest peak in Midlothian (Historic CT)
Member of: Marilyn, Donald, Graham
Parent Peak: Windlestraw Law NHN = Windlestraw Law
Elevation: 651m
Date climbed: 25th September 2022
Coordinates: 55° 43' 25'' N, 3° 5' 31'' W
Route Start / End: Small parking area on southern end of Gladhouse Reservoir
Route Distance: 17.7 km (11 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 518m
Subsidiary tops on route: The Kips (542m), Bowbeat Hill (636m), Bowbeat Rig (585), Dundreich (623m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP1448 - Blackhope Scar and
Map: TP1448 - Blackhope Scar and TP2914 - Dundreich
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Blackhope Scar), Wikipedia (Midlothian), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Blackhope Scar was the longest and most interesting of the weekend’s peaks. The small parking area on the southern edge of Gladhouse Reservoir is the best, and realistically only, place to start the walk. The first 2 km is fairly flat as the route follows the private road through a farm and up to the ruins of Hirendean Castle. After the ruins the route ascends in a south-westerly direction to the summit. I had read that the route is very boggy and was preparing for a Meikle Fell style swamp. As we were there following a particularly dry summer the ground was solid and much easier than expected.

Jonny Muir’s guidebook shows the route as an out-and-back to the summit but there’s a more interesting circular route. See this post on Walk Highlights and this video on YouTube for good detailed descriptions on the full circular. As well as being more interesting as a circular, you’ll bag an extra Trig Pillar and a couple of extra summits.

Meikle Says Law

Significance: Highest peak in East Lothian (Historic CT)
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Windlestraw Law NHN = Windlestraw Law
Elevation: 535m
Coordinates: 55° 50' 49'' N, 2° 40' 13'' W
OS Trig Pillar: TP0685 - Sayers Law
Links: Wikipedia (Lammermuir Hills), Wikipedia (East Lothian), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Meikle Says Law - Southeast Slope

Significance: Highest peak in Berwickshire (Historic CT)
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Meikle Says Law NHN = Meikle Says Law
Elevation: 535m
Coordinates: 55° 50' 45'' N, 2° 40' 15'' W
Links: Wikipedia (Berwickshire), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

For both peaks:

Date climbed: 26th September 2022
Route Start / End: Layby opposite to gated entrance to Faseny on Gifford-Longformacus Road
Route Distance: 10.7 km (6.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 251m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: Lammermuir Hills Map | Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg & Gifford | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 345
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)

For our final walk of the weekend we headed to the eastern end of the Lothians for Meikle Says Law. As with Blackhope Scar this involves a short section from the parking area followed by a circular route. We took an anti-clockwise direction on the circular section following a track running parallel to Faseny Water. There’s a few places where the stream crosses the track but we found it easy to jump over without getting wet. It would be a different story after very wet conditions so be prepared to search for other places to cross or make sure that you have good waterproof boots.

Taking the anti-clockwise direction turned out to be a good plan as the track takes you right up to the summit. The Trig Pillar marks the high point of East Lothian. It’s very close to the border with Berwickshire and it’s a 100m walk to the south to bag the high point of that county. There’s nothing to mark the Berwickshire top so we just took a bearing from the gate near the Trig Pillar to the coordinates. It certainly didn’t feel like a summit but there’s was nothing else notable around so we decided to call it there.

From the Berwickshire top we retraced our steps to the Trig Pillar and followed a path on the south side in an easterly direction. The path comes and goes and it’s quite heavy going, but keep to the left of the fence and you’ll be fine. You’ll cross the East Lothian/Berwickshire border a few times on this path but with nothing to mark the boundary.

When you reach a small gate in the fence where another path comes in from the east, you’ll leave the fence, now heading in a north-easterly direction back down to Faseny Water. After crossing the footbridge you’ll have closed the loop and can return to the parking spot on the road.

Driving Distances and Times for the Edinburgh Crescent Road Trip

Based only on connections between the walks. Add more based on accommodation, bonus walks etc. Driving times based on light traffic.

  1. Edinburgh Airport to West Lomond: 32 miles / approx 40 minutes.

  2. West Lomond to Innerdouny Hill: 18 miles / approx 30 minutes.

  3. Innerdouny Hill to Ben Cleugh: 13 miles / approx 30 minutes.

  4. Ben Cleuch to Cairnpapple Hill: 35 miles / approx 60 minutes.

  5. Cairnpapple Hill to Blackhope Scar: 50 miles / approx 90 minutes.

  6. Blackhope Scar to Meikle Says Law: 42 miles / approx 90 minutes.

  7. Meikle Says Law to Edinburgh Airport: 39 miles / approx 60 minutes.

Total drive: 239 miles / approx 6 hours 40 minutes.

Other High Points in the Edinburgh Crescent Area

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, West Lomond, Fife, Kinross-shire, Clackmannanshire, West Lothian, Mid Lothian, East Lothian, Berwickshire, ScotlandComment
The Great Trails of Scotland

The Great Trails are 29 long distance walking routes established by Scotland Natural Heritage. The Great Trails website is the best place for further information on each. I’ve experienced a few of them on various adventures although it’s only the Great Glen Way that I’ve (kind of) completed so far. That was by bike and followed a path either on or close to the trail.

The above map is a collaboration between Michael Jones and myself based on research and an original design by Michael. Let me know via the Contact form if you spot any errors and I’ll donate £1 to one of my causes for any error corrected.

BLOG POSTS FEATURING THE GREAT TRAILS

MORE INFORMATION ON THE GREAT TRAILS

Tube-Style Maps

Richard gowerTrek, Coast, Canal, Great Trails, ScotlandComment
The Scottish County Tops

Compared to England, the Scottish Counties have had few changes over the years. There’s 3 main groupings of Scottish County:

  • Scottish Shires. Historic subdivisions of Scotland established in the Middle Ages and used as administrative divisions until 1975.

  • Historic Counties. Also referred to as Traditional Counties or Former Counties. Established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and abolished by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

  • Scottish Council Areas. Also referred to as Present Day Counties. Established by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.

This post shows the highest point in each of Scotland’s counties based on the above groupings. As the Venn diagram shows there is a lot of overlap between the different types of county.

Contact me if you spot a mistake on this page or you have new information and I will make a donation to one of my causes.

Scotland’s Historic County Tops

Also referred to as Traditional Counties or Former Counties. Established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and abolished by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. More details on Scotland’s Historic Counties.

The highest points of these Historic Counties are:

  1. Ben Nevis. 1,344 metres. Completed. Historic County = Invernessshire, Present Day County = Highland.

  2. Ben Macdui. 1,309 metres. Historic Counties = Aberdeenshire and Banffshire. Present Day Counties = Aberdeenshire and Moray.

  3. Ben Lawers. 1,214 metres. Completed. Historic County = Perthshire. Present Day County = Perth and Kinross.

  4. Carn Eige. 1,183 metres. Historic County = Ross and Cromarty.

  5. Bidean nam Bian. 1,150 metres. Historic County = Argyll.

  6. Glas Maol. 1,068 metres. Completed. Historic County = Angus.

  7. Ben More Assynt. 998 metres. Historic County = Sutherland.

  8. Ben Lomond. 974 metres. Completed. Historic County = Stirlingshire.

  9. Ben Vorlich. 943 metres. Completed. Historic County = Dunbartonshire.

  10. Goatfell. 874 metres. Completed. Historic County = Buteshire. Present Day County = North Ayrshire.

  11. Merrick. 843 metres. Completed. Historic County = Kirkcudbrightshire. Present Day County = Dumfries and Galloway.

  12. Broad Law. 840 metres. Completed. Historic Counties = Peeblesshire and Selkirkshire. Present Day County = Scottish Borders.

  13. White Coomb. 821 metres. Completed. Historic County = Dumfriesshire.

  14. Kirriereoch Hill-North West Slope. 782 metres. Completed. Historic County = Ayreshire. Present Day County = South Ayrshire.

  15. Mount Battock. 778 metres. Completed. Historic County = Kincardineshire.

  16. Culter Fell. 748 metres. Completed. Historic County = Lanarkshire. Present Day County = South Lanarkshire.

  17. Hangingstone Hill. 743 metres. Completed. Historic County = Roxburghshire.

  18. Ben Cleuch. 721 metres. Completed. Historic County = Clackmannanshire. Present Day County = Clackmannanshire.

  19. Carn a'Ghille Chearr. 710 metres. Historic County = Morayshire.

  20. Morven. 706 metres. Historic County = Caithness.

  21. Carn Glas-choire. 659 metres. Historic County = Nairnshire.

  22. Blackhope Scar. 651 metres. Completed. Historic County = Midlothian. Present Day County = Midlothian.

  23. Meikle Says Law. 535 metres. Completed. Historic County = East Lothian. Present Day County = East Lothian.

  24. Meikle Says Law (boundary). 532 metres. Completed. Historic County = Berwickshire.

  25. West Lomond. 522 metres. Completed. Historic County = Fife. Present Day County = Fife.

  26. Hill of Stake. 522 metres. Completed. Historic County = Renfrewshire. Present Day County = Renfrewshire.

  27. Innerdouny Hill. 497 metres. Completed. Historic County = Kinross-shire.

  28. Ward Hill. 481 metres. Historic County = Orkney. Present Day County = Orkney.

  29. Ronas Hill. 450 metres. Historic County = Shetland. Present Day County = Shetland.

  30. Craigairie Fell. 321 metres. Completed. Historic County = Wigtownshire.

  31. Cairnpapple Hill. 312 metres. Completed. Historic County = West Lothian.

Scotland’s Present Day County Tops

Scotland has 32 Unitary Authorities that replaced the 33 County Councils that existed from 1890 to 1975. More details on Present Day counties of Scotland.

The list above shows where a peak is both an Historic and a Present Day County Top. The 14 peaks shown below are distinct from the Historic County Tops.

  1. Ben More. 1,174 metres, Stirling.

  2. Ben Cruachan. 1,132 metres, Argyll and Bute.

  3. An Cliseam / Clisham. 799 metres, Western Isles.

  4. Blackcraig Hill. 700 metres, East Ayrshire.

  5. East Cairn Hill. 567 metres, Edinburgh.

  6. West Cairn Hill. 562 metres, West Lothian.

  7. Cort-ma Law East Top. 527 metres, North Lanarkshire.

  8. Creuch Hill. 441 metres, Inverclyde.

  9. Duncolm. 407 metres, West Dunbartonshire.

  10. Corse Hill. 376 metres, East Renfrewshire.

  11. Darrach Hill. 357 metres, Falkirk.

  12. Brimmond Hill. 265 metres, Completed. Aberdeen.

  13. Cathkin Hill. 200 metres, Glasgow.

  14. Gallow Hill. 175 metres, Completed. Dundee.

Scottish Counties Prior to 1890 (Shires)

The Shires were historic subdivisions of Scotland established in the Middle Ages and used as administrative divisions until 1975. More details on the Scottish Shires.

The mountains below are the high points of the Scottish Shires that are distinct from either Historic or Present Day County Tops.

  1. Sgurr Mor. Sgurr Mor 1003m, Cromartyshire.
    - Carn Eige is the Historic & Present Day County Top of Ross and Cromarty.

  2. Dun Rig. 774m, Selkirkshire.
    - Broad Law is the Historic County Top of Selkirkshire and the Present Day County Top of Scottish Borders.

  3. Carn nam Bain-tighearna. 634m, Nairnshire
    - Ben Nevis is the County Top of Present-Day Highland

More High Points

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, ScotlandComment
Scottish Borders County Tops
View to Loch Trool from Bruce’s Stone at the start of the Merrick Trail

View to Loch Trool from Bruce’s Stone at the start of the Merrick Trail

With all of the County Tops in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the bag, I “just” have Scotland to do. The problem is that they’re now a long way from home and getting taller. Before this trip I’d only done 3 of the 33 Historic County Tops of Scotland. I’d done Ben Nevis a couple of times, Goatfell once and, most recently Hangingstone Hill as an add-on to the Cheviot walk.

The remaining 30 would need to be grouped into longer weekends around natural groupings. With easy access from Glasgow Airport, the 6 summits of this trip was an obvious place to start. Broad Law covers 2 counties each giving a total of 7 historic counties over a 4-day trip.

Craigairie Fell

Significance: Highest peak in Wigtownshire (Historic County Top)
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Beneraird
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Beneraird
Elevation: 321m
Date climbed: 23rd September 2021
Coordinates: 55° 1' 34'' N, 4° 45' 40'' W

Route Start / End: Parking space at end of road west from Polbae (DG8 6RZ)
Route Distance: 7.5 km (4.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 159m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Southern Upland Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP2507 - Craigairie Fell
Map: OS Explorer Map (310) Glenluce and Kirkcowan
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Wigtownshire), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Craigairie Fell was our warm-up peak for the trip. With a total elevation of 321m, it’s a hill rather than a mountain and can be bagged in less than 2 hours. We tackled this one first as we flew into Glasgow in the morning and it was a 2-hour drive to the start of the walk.

There’s a good parking spot about a mile west along the road from Polbae. It’s more of a track than a road so don’t attempt it in a car with low clearance. You’ll notice it soon after the Forestry Commission sign saying “No Unauthorized Vehicle Access”. It’s an odd place to have the sign as it’s on a random part of the road with no place to turn around. The first place to turn further along is a junction with a track to a farm where the obvious parking spot is.

From the parking spot, navigation is very easy as you follow the Southern Upland Way all the way to the Trig Pillar at the top. The actual route is slightly shorter than the one on the map as there’s a short-cut of the Southern Upland Way that cuts off the hairpin bend near the D of Derry on the map.

Although our views from the top were a little misty, it was significantly better than the other summits in the trip with no views at all.

route-36816521-map-full.png
elevation_profile.jpg

Merrick

Significance: Highest peak in Kirkcudbrightshire (Historic County Top), Highest peak in Dumfries and Galloway (Present Day County Top)
Member of: Marilyn, Corbett, Donald
Parent Peak: Helvellyn
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Goatfell
Elevation: 843m
Coordinates: 55° 8' 21'' N, 4° 28' 6'' W
OS Trig Pillar: TP4777 - Merrick
Links: Wikipedia Kirkcudbrightshire), Wikipedia (Dumfries and Galloway), Wikipedia (Merrick), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Kirriereoch Hill-Northwest Slope

Significance: Highest peak in Ayrshire (Historic County Top), Highest peak in South Ayrshire (Present Day County Top)
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Kirriereoch Hill
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Kirriereoch Hill
Elevation: 782m
Coordinates: 55° 9' 11'' N, 4° 28' 53'' W
Links: Wikipedia (Ayrshire), Wikipedia (South Ayrshire), Wikipedia (Kirrieroch Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagger

For both peaks:
Date climbed: 24th September 2021
Route Start / End: Upper Bruce's Stone Car Park, Newton Stewart, DG8 6SU
Route Distance: 16.7 km (10.4 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 1,114m
Subsidiary tops on route: Benyellary (719m), Kirriereoch Hill (786m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Merrick Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 7 passes through Upper Bruce’s Stone Car Park
Map: OS Explorer Map (318) Galloway Forest Park North
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)

After an overnight in nearby Newton Stewart we tackled the big climb of the trip. Merrick is the highest point in the Historic County of Kirkcudbrightshire, the Present-Day County of Dumfries and Galloway and both the highest peak in the Southern Uplands and Southern Scotland.

The Merrick Trail is a well marked path leading from Upper Bruce’s Stone Car Park to the summit. Before you start the walk, take 10 minutes to see the carved granite stone that commemorates victory over an English army during the Scottish Wars of Independence in 1307.

On a clear, warm day this would have been a wonderful walk. From the summit you can see Snowdon, 144 miles away on the longest line of sight in the British Isles. This wasn’t the day to see anything. After the bothy and the forest section, the mist turned to cloud and we only saw what was 10m in front of us. By the time we reached the Trig Pillar at the summit there was also strong wind and rain. This would have been a great time to turn back and head down to a warmer, clearer elevation.

There was no turning back though as we still had another County Top to visit. The high point of Ayrshire is just beyond the summit of Kirriereoch Hill approximately 2km from the summit of Merrick. We relied on the GPX track as the path was hard to make out in the fog. Kirriereoch Hill’s summit is well marked by a pile of stones. From here, the County Top of Ayrshire is 100m to the north just beyond the remains of an old stone wall. The map on my phone showed the county boundary about 20m beyond the wall. Although it wasn’t completely clear exactly where the County Top was, we at least stopped by several possibilities.

From Kirriereoch Hill, the path continues north to a series of other summits. We had already got what we came for and turned back to re-trace our steps back over Merrick and down to the Bruce’s Stone. With the big one done, we drove 2 hours north-east to Strathaven, our overnight stop before the next set of peaks.

elevation_profile (1).jpg

Culter Fell

Significance: Highest peak in Lanarkshire (Historic County Top), Highest peak in South Lanarkshire (Present Day County Top)
Member of: Marilyn, Graham, Donald
Parent Peak: Broad Law
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Broad Law
Elevation: 748m
Date climbed: 25th September 2021
Coordinates: 55° 32' 46'' N, 3° 30' 10'' W


Route Start / End: Layby on right hand side of minor road south of Culter Allers Farm
Route Distance: 7.1 km (4.4 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 484m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP2681 - Culter Fell
Map: OS Explorer Map 336 Biggar and Broughton
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Lanarkshire), Wikipedia (South Lanarkshire), Wikipedia (Culter Fell), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Culter Fell was our first of 3 peaks, covering 4 counties, located close together to the north-east of Moffat. It’s possible to do all three on a single day with an early start and enough light. It was a Saturday and we also needed to get in a parkrun, so we did a combination of Lanark Moor parkrun, with Culter Fell and Broad Law.

There’s enough parking for several cars on a large layby near Culter Allers Farm. From here you can follow the road south, crossing over Culter Water stream. You’re now on private land which is open to walkers but occasionally closed for shooting. You can call 01899 204010 to check access or to request permission for groups of over 4.

Approximately 1km from the layby leave the road and follow a track, then a path, ascending to the south-east. The path to the Trig Pillar at the summit is well marked and difficult to miss even in low visibility as we had. Options at the summit are to return the same way, as we did, or continue south, then south-west to Coulter Head Reservoir and return back along the road.

route-36816633-map-full.png
elevation_profile.jpg

Broad Law

Significance: Highest peak in Peeblesshire and Selkirkshire (Historic County Top), Upper Tweeddale NSA High Point
Member of: Marilyn, Corbett, Donald
Parent Peak: Merrick
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Merrick
Elevation: 840m
Date climbed: 25th September 2021
Coordinates: 55° 29' 53'' N, 3° 21' 10'' W


Route Start / End: Layby next to Megget Stone, Biggar, ML12 6QR
Route Distance: 7.4 km (4.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 372m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP1647 - Broad Law
Map: OS Explorer Map 330 Moffat and St Mary's Loch
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Peeblesshire), Wikipedia (Selkirkshire), Wikipedia (Broad Law), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Looking back on our Broad Law walk a week after we did it, it’s hard to distinguish it from our Culter Fell walk. With a similar distance, elevation change and exactly the same thick fog, both have blurred into one. With better visibility I’m sure the view from Broad Law would have been impressive given its height, just 3m lower than Merrick. We couldn’t even see the large air navigation beacon close to the Trig Pillar on the summit.

Navigation is very easy as the path follows the boundary fence all the way from the road to the summit. The fence is low at the top making it very easy to cross the border to make sure you’ve bagged both of the County Tops on this peak.

White Coomb, our next peak is less than 9km as the crow flies from the Broad Law summit or a 30 minute drive between each parking spot. We’d had enough adventure for one day so came back the following day for the final peak of the trip.

Note that Dun Rig is another contender for the Historic County Top of the former county of Selkirkshire. See the reference to this in the Wikipedia article for Broad Law for details. Although I might return to bag that one later for completeness, I’m happy to claim Selkirkshire for now based on following the list in Jonny Muir’s UK County Tops book.

route-36816705-map-full.png
elevation_profile (1).jpg

White Coomb

Significance: Highest peak in Dumfriesshire (Historic County Top)
Member of: Marilyn, Corbett, Donald
Parent Peak: Broad Law
Nearest Higher Neighbour:
Elevation: 821m
Date climbed: 26th September 2021
Coordinates: 55° 25' 21'' N, 3° 19' 25'' W


Route Start / End: National Trust for Scotland Car Park, Grey Mare's Tail Nature Reserve, Moffat Water Valley, DG10 9LP
Route Distance: 6.3 km (3.9 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 575m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer Map 330 Moffat and St Mary's Loch
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Dumfriesshire), Wikipedia (White Coomb), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

The walk to White Coomb starts at the busy National Trust Car Park at Grey Mare’s Tail. From here the steep path to the right hand side of Tail Burn stream takes most walkers up to Loch Skeen. Follow this for 1.25km to the top of the waterfall where you can cross the stream via some stepping stones. You’ll see a faint path leading down to the stepping stones and the stone dyke wall on the other side. Once crossed, follow the well marked path to the right of the wall to the flat grassy top of White Coomb. You’ll need to leave the path and cross the dyke for the final 20m to the summit which is marked by a pile of stones.

A return option from the summit would be to return to the path and continue on it in a clockwise direction around the loch then back to the car park. With only a few hours until our flight back from Glasgow we returned by the same route, completing the walk within 2 hours.

route-37614329-map-full.png

Other High Points in the Scottish Borders Area

Other High Point in the Historic County of Lanarkshire

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Wigtownshire, Ayrshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Lanarkshire, Peeblesshire, Selkirkshire, Dumfriesshire, ScotlandComment
County Top Parent Peaks

In my ever-deepening County-Top related geekery I decided that I needed to document the Parent Peaks of every UK County Top. Many are easily findable with a bit of Googling, others are harder to come by. I’ve used the following sources in priority order:

  • Hillbagging (the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills)

  • Peakbagger: if the Parent Peak is shown there but not in Hillbagging

  • Wikipedia: If the Parent Peak is shown there but not in either Hillbagging or Peakbagger

  • Peakbagger’s Nearest Highest Neighbour (NHN) field if a Parent Peak is not listed in the above.

Some are disputed and others I’ve had to assume, so here’s my best attempt. Contact me or comment below if you have any corrections and I’ll happily make a donation to one of my causes.

England’s County Top Parent Peaks

Scotland’s County Tops Parent Peaks

Compared to England there’s a lot fewer Parent Peaks listed in my key sources, so the following is largely based on Nearest Higher Neighbours and some assumptions. Likely there will be a lot of corrections to be below.

Wales’ County Tops Parent Peaks

Similar to Scotland, there’s a lot fewer Parent Peaks listed in my key sources, so the following is largely based on Nearest Higher Neighbours and some assumptions. Likely there will be a lot of corrections to be below.

Coming soon: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland County Top Parent Peaks

UK County Tops on Islands

  • Goat Fell (843m), Arran, Buteshire, Scotland

  • Ward Hill (481m), Hoy, Orkney, Scotland

  • Ronas Hill (450m), Mainland, Shetland

  • Holyhead Mountain (220m), Anglesey, Wales

“A peak’s line parent is the closest higher peak on the highest ridge leading away from the peak’s “key col”. A col is the lowest point on the ridge between two summits and is roughly synonymous with pass, gap, saddle and notch. The highest col of a peak is its key col. If there is more than one ridge which can be followed to a higher peak then the line parent is the peak closest to the key col. Usually, a line parent must meet some prominence criteria, which might vary depending on the author and the location of the peak.”
— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_parent
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Country High Points, Trig Pillar, England, Scotland, WalesComment
North-East England County Tops
View from Burnhope Seat summit to the Trig Pillar

View from Burnhope Seat summit to the Trig Pillar

We had the dates for this in the diary for most of the year, even before Covid-19 became the thing that defined 2020. When the Lockdown came in March we we glad we had booked it in for later in the year and had assumed that the virus would have blown over by then. By mid-Summer things were relaxing and it was looking like there wouldn’t be a problem for the trip at all. September came, cases started rising again and the North-East was right in the centre of a local Lockdown. The rules were especially ambiguous and it was only the day before the trip that we decided that we would still be able to go. So, without breaking any rules and keeping as safe as possible, 3 of us headed North to complete the North-East County Tops.

As it turned out Covid had a very minimal impact on the plan. Our YHA for the first 2 nights was in Northumberland and had strict procedures. Rather than sharing one big room as per our usual trips, we had to have a room each under separate bookings. Breakfast was strictly one person per table, but given my lack of interest in talking to anyone 1st thing in the morning, it wasn’t a major inconvenience. Other than that we were out in the hills all day and the rare instances of coming in contact with others were few and far between and at quite a distance.

Being able to complete these 3, and by extension my completion of all of England’s County Tops, was a major win for me for 2020. Most other plans had been cancelled or postponed until 2021, so keeping this felt like a big achievement.

Burnhope Seat

Significance: Highest peak in County Durham (Historic CT)
Member of: Hewitt, Marilyn, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Cross Fell. NHN = Meldon Fell
Elevation: 747m
Date climbed: October 1st 2020
Coordinates: 54.7331° N, 2.3369° W
Route Start / End: 2-car layby on B6277 north of kink in road over stream bridge, south of Yad Moss ski area
Route Distance: 3.1 km (1.9 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 160m
Subsidiary tops on route: none
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: none
OS Trig Pillar: TP1783 - Burnhope Seat
Map: OS Explorer Map (307) Consett and Derwent Reservoir
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (County Durham), Wikipedia (Burnhope Seat), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Burnhope Seat and Mickle Fell are a short car journey apart and can be easily done in a single day with fair weather. We had a long drive from the south which took up much of our first day so we used this short walk as a break in the journey.

Jonny Muir’s County Top guide suggests a parking space on the B6277 at NY 7754 3640 but we found a more convenient one a bit further north on the same road. The layby in the book is quite small and at a steep angle from the road so we gave it a miss. From the larger layby near the stream bridge you can cross over a wooden gate on the opposite side. From here follow the left hand side of the stream, passing the ruins of an old building and use the GPS to keep you on-track for the high point. From the un-marked summit you can see the Trig Pillar to the east along the fence.

The Cheviot

Significance: Highest peak in Northumberland (Historic CT) and Northumberland National Park High Point
Member of: Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Broad Law. NHN = Dollar Law
Elevation: 815m
Date climbed: October 2nd 2020
Coordinates: 55°28′42″N 2°08′44″W 
OS Trig Pillar: TP2152 - Cheviot
Links Wikipedia (Northumberland), Wikipedia (The Cheviot), Wikipedia (Northumberland National Park), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Hangingstone Hill

Also Known As: Cairn Hill West Top
Significance: Highest peak in Roxburghshire, Scotland (Historic CT)
Member of: n/a
Parent Peak: Cairn Hill. NHN = The Cheviot
Elevation: 743m
Date climbed: October 2nd 2020
Coordinates: 55° 28' 3'' N, 2° 9' 59'' W
Links: Wikipedia (Roxburghshire), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Route Start / End: parking area off small road to Langleeford, accessed from A697 via Middleton Hall
Route Distance: 15.3 km (9.5 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 620m
Subsidiary tops on route: Scald Hill (548m), Cairn Hill (777m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Pennine Way
Other routes touched (cycle): none
Map: OS Explorer OL16 The Cheviot Hills, Jedburgh & Wooler
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)

This walk was the longest and most rewarding of the 3 especially as it's a circuit rather than an out-and-back like the others. If you’re using Jonny Muir’s guide this is a combination of the separate routes for The Cheviot and for Hangingstone Hill. It’s pretty obvious to do them both in the same walk so I’ve got no idea why they’re separated in the book. Both use the same start and end point and each trip is a return for the other.

We took an anti-clockwise approach taking in The Cheviot first via Scald Hill. Continuing south-west along the Pennine Way from The Cheviot you’ll soon get to the summit of Cairn Hill. From here there’s a short out-and-back section to the Scottish border to reach Hangingstone Hill (aka Cairn HIll West Top). There’s little to see here and bagging the top just involves a quick crossing of the gate to a slightly higher piece of moss.

From Hangingstone Hill retrace your steps back up to Cairn Hill summit and follow the path sign-posted to Windy Gale. After a short steep section keeping a fence to your right you’ll reach a footpath junction. Take the east (left) path signed to Langleeford Hope (2¼) and Langleeford (3½). This path will take you all the way back to the start following Harthope Burn (stream).

Mickle Fell

Significance: Highest peak in Yorkshire (Historic CT) and the historic North Riding of Yorkshire
Member of: Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Cross Fell. NHN = Knock Fell
Elevation: 788m
Date climbed: October 3rd 2020
Coordinates: 54°36′48″N 2°18′18″W
Route Start / End: Parking spot on B6276 to west of cattle grid between the Cumbria and County Durham county signs.
Route Distance: 17.2 km (10.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 505m
Subsidiary tops on route: none
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: none
OS Trig Pillar: TP4789 - Mickle Fell
Map: OS Explorer OL19 Howgill Fells Upper Eden Valley Map
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Yorkshire), Wikipedia (North Riding of Yorkshire), Wikipedia (Mickle Fell) / Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Mickle Fell is on a military firing range which is only open to the public on a few select days per year. You can apply for a permit to access the land from MOD Warcop. Based on our experience I recommend starting the application process early. It took over 3 months for me to get the permit from sending the application letter. There’s nothing complicated about the process, it’s just slow. With the permit secured the other thing that you need to do is call the control room number on the permit as you start the walk and again when you finish. We didn’t have phone signal at all on the walk so we were glad to have made the call in the car 10 minutes before arriving at the parking space.

The parking space is easy to find as it’s right next to the Welcome to Cumbria sign. From here cross the road and over a wire fence to access the hill. Strangely there’s no gate or stile even though this is the recommended approach. You can see where others have climbed through or over the fence though.

Much of the walk is very easy to navigate, even on a low-visibility day like we had. Follow the boundary fence, keeping it to your left all the way up to the summit plateau. A lot of the route is boggy underfoot and you’ll need to navigate around streams, loose peat and marsh-land. We were there on an especially wet day and it was all we could do to keep our feet dry.

There’s a steep climb up to the summit plateau where you’ll cross a fence via a stile and can pick up some Land Rover tracks. Keep to these heading on an easterly curve and they’ll lead you to the summit cairn and the Trig Pillar.

We were there on one of the wettest days possible. If the route was closer to home and we didn’t need a permit we might have delayed it for another day, but we had little option but to press on. The only other person we met on the approach had reached the summit but hadn’t bothered with the extra ~2km to the Trig Pillar. I could see how tempting it would have been on a day like that to have missed it. Given our Trig-obsession we weren’t going to miss it though and took the extra hour to bag the pillar.

The descent was much quicker as we had abandoned any attempt to avoid the wet marsh and mostly walked straight through it. At 5.5 hours of driving rain we arrived at the car as wet as if we had swum to the summit. It was challenging but it also meant that I had now completed all County Tops in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Now for the rest of Scotland…

OTHER HIGH POINTS IN County Durham

OTHER HIGH POINTS IN Northumberland

  • Westerhope (131m) North Tyneside Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

  • Camperdown (86m) North Tyneside Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

OTHER HIGH POINT IN Yorkshire

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Northumberland, National Park, County Durham, Roxburghshire, Yorkshire, England, ScotlandComment