Over The Hill

Earlier this year, in February, we had set off for a walk around Culter Fell and, due to rain and mist, had abandoned that idea half way down the M74 in favour of it's neighbour, Tinto. Today there were to be no such weather problems, as we completed a round of Culter Fell in one of the sunniest days this year.

Skirting behind Glenkirk farm we started to climb the steep southern slopes of Chapelgill Hill, at times chest deep in the bracken which covers this hillside until it eventually gives way to the grassier upper slopes as you near the 696m, flat and unimpressive summit. Unimpressive the summit may have been, but the views were quite stunning, as the clear blue and cloudless sky extended to the distant horizons, and only then did it fade with a line of low mist lying to the north obscuring the Glasgow skyline yet, with the distant mountain tops just appearing above the top layer of mist.

A long arc anti-clockwise took us over the wet and boggy ground around the aptly named Glenharvie Moss and onto the dryer slopes of Culter Fell and, in the heat, what seemed to be a long laborious pull up to the Trig Point marking this 748m top, not quite a Corbett, but fine enough to make the Corbett list of "Other Tops"; an ideal spot for lunch on this gloriously sunny day, and we have not had many of those this year!

An easy descent south from the Trig Point took us to the oddly named Holm Nick, the low point between Culter Fell and Gathersnow Hill, at 688m the highest point on the ridgeline along which we would now traverse north east as it undulated over the lesser tops of Coomb Hill, Broomy Law and finally Glenlood Hill.

This traverse was notable for two things - firstly, and very mysteriously, as we paused on the summit of Gathersnow Hill we were suddenly engulfed in a mass of flying ants, they covered us, our rucksacks, clothing, everywhere, black ants. Then suddenly, they were joined by what appeared to be red flying ants, and these ones stung us with quite a strong sting. These blighters stayed with us, hovering around every time we attempted to stop for even the shortest pause until we reached Broomy Law, over and hour later, when just as mysteriously they all disappeared as quickly as they had descended upon us on Gathersnow Hill, leaving us nursing a few nasty bites.

Oh! And that second notable point, the ugly wind turbines that lie to the south of the ridge in what is known as the Glenkerie Wind Farm - one of the many wind farms that are visible throughout this walk - this area of the Southern Uplands being a hot spot for such eyesores.

Finally free of our tormentors we continued to our final top, Glenlood Hill, and a descent down its northern ridge for our return to Glenkirk, where we took advantage of the fresh coolness of the pools along Holms Water to bathe our fevered brows, and more - not the prettiest of sights, but it was a hot day after all!