Despite Chloe's previous marilyn climbs being fairly disastrous (a poor option descending Arthur's Seat and a soaking on Walton Hill), I somehow thought it would be a good idea to drag the family up North Berwick Law. The hill proper was shrouded in mist which somehow persuaded Chloe it was higher (it's not very high at all), more dangerous (it's ( Read more... )

I found myself back in Kinross for the second time in four months: cheap fares are evidently a major factor in determining which hills to bag. I added a little ascent to the walk across the flat area just south of the T in the Park venue by visiting the trig at Cockairney. A series of lanes with imaginary and real dogs to avoid took me to the ( Read more... )

ardlui to crianlarich with a couple of hills thrown in: i began in spring, bare trees, but some warmth from the sunshine. after i left the west highland way, crossing the falloch for a second time it clouded over. after negotiating a field with bulls and a bridge over the railway which one is forbidden to cross (or so the sign says), the ascent ( Read more... )

The bus dropped me off in Carnwath, a seemingly unwelcoming village, even in incongruous March heat. I walked straight out of town. It was to be a long road walk to my first proper hill of the day, but I left the A721 for a while to bag a trig. I was soon sweltering. This would turn out to be perhaps the hottest walk of 2012. It certainly felt that ( Read more... )

early march 2012: i mopped up the final hill of stake tumps and bagged a couple of extraneous trigs ( Read more... )

February 2012 began pleasantly in Edinburgh. Bert's overnight nosebleed may have ruined a Travelodge mattress and taken a couple of hours off my sleep allowance, but it wasn't stopping me from a second consecutive day on the hills. I caught the bus to Hillend and was soon tensely weaving through a gorse maze (invisible people could be heard ( Read more... )

at the end of january 2012 we stayed in edinburgh, but i left the city for two long walks. the first was from kinross to glenrothes via three marilyns in the lomond hills. i had had a brief conversation with a bloke in a bookshop who looked a keen hiker (he was perusing something alpine) the previous day, telling him i was going to the lomond hills ( Read more... )

the first walk of last year involved the two small peaks above our house, airlig and clach mackenny. it seems i walk up there about once a year. this was a fortnight after the biggest storm i've experienced, which i've just learned was named cyclone ulli by some no doubt earnest german scientists. in the plantation to the north of airlig loads of ( Read more... )

i started before dawn. the pavements were frosty but not too slippery. i marched out beyond the retail park and into suburbia. kids were walking to school, apparently slgihtly more perturbed by the presence of the weird bloke in a cagoul than either the cold or the revolution afoot. then again they weren't in the other 1% who were about to be ( Read more... )

decided to risk taking a path in the dark rather than following the winding road. the only scare came when a woman was screaming at her dog which was wearing one of those ridiculous looking (but practical in this regard) flashing bows and had veered well off course. i'm fairly sure she was unaware i was in the vicinity. fortunately the dog (it was ( Read more... )