Over The Hill

A walk on the Campsie Fells always proves popular, and especially so when there is clear blue skies and not a breath of wind, and so it was as 16 of us gathered in the car park at Fintry.

A short stroll around the village and we were heading up through Fintry Woods and onto the steep, but distinct path leading to the hill fort atop the rocky mound of Dunmore. A short scramble above the path and we were able to explore where the hill fort once lay, but with little visible evidence of its existence to be seen. Evidence, however, of the warmth of the day was very evident as before continuing over the now pathless, hillside, most of us had shed a top or two leaving base layers only as if out walking on a summers day.

Across the moorland of rough grass and tussocks we arrived at the eastern edge of the great bowl that is Corrie of Balglass with its steep and eroded sides dropping almost vertically to the basin below. Although, the delights of walking around it's edge would have to wait until later in the day, as for the moment we headed away from the corrie edge and over the deep heather moorland for the long trek to Earl's Seat, at 578m, the highest point on the Campsie Fells. Rather surprisingly, on such a fine day, this usually busy top was deserted, at least until we arrived that is.

Having paid our respects to the high point, we returned to the corrie edge, picking up the aptly named Little Corrie as we followed it's curving eastern side to the northern most point at Jock's Cairn - oddly enough with no cairn to talk of! Now we headed back to skirt the main edge of Corrie of Balglass and complete the loop back to where we had first stood above it's towering edge, and onwards across the moorland and back to the footpath below Dunmore Hill Fort.

And still, the sun shone and the skies were blue - a glorious day for the hills. Thanks David.