Over The Hill

Before we had even started the walk, we were sent diving back into our cars as a torrential rain storm lashed the car park at the head of the Carron Valley Reservoir; thankfully, once it was over and the skies cleared, that was to be the last of the rain for the day.

Leaving the car park, we headed generally south on the good forest track, skirting the shores of the reservoir before swinging south west up through the forest to gain the north west shoulder of Meikle Bin just south of the aptly named Bin Bairn, a minor knoll at the end of the ridge.

Breaking from the forest, a long, grassy ridge makes a steady climb up towards the summit cairn, at 570m. En route, we passed a single pine tree, upon which some enterprising walker, or walkers, had placed some Christmas decorations, all of which served to remind us that this was our last walk before the Christmas festivities.

A very strong and bitter wind was blowing over the summit area and so we did not delay our departure, which was made via at short detour to the remains of a Fairy Firefly that had crashed on the hillside in 1950. We returned to the forest track for a short distance, before contouring the hillside between Meikle Bin and Little Bin, following the Bin Burn passed the waterfall at Peggie's Spout to gain yet another forest track for our return to the southern shores of the reservoir.

A gently undulating track then took us alongside the reservoir where were found a sheltered spot on the shoreline for a delayed lunch break, before continuing along the track back to the car park.

An excellent days walking in great company, on a hillside with place names straight out of a storybook - Thanks David