The day started badly. Arriving at Menstrie, the car park was full (all three spaces) and although we could easily park by the Scout Hut, I was inexplicably irritated by this minor inconvienence. As a result things got worse as we set off in the wrong direction up the wrong side of the Menstrie Burn. 'Humiliating' as
Sir Hugh might say. Arrival at the monstrous haul road which goes all the way to Sheriffmuir did little to lighten the mood. The sensible thing would have been to retrace our steps and get on the correct route, but this was no day for sensible decisions. On we went, a good view of The Kips crag providing a cheering sight.
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| Kips Crag taken near Menstrie - routes to VS |
We fairly sped up the road but there was nothing to be gained by following it too far so I decided to cross a fence and descend to the Menstrie Burn in the hope of finding a way across to the eastern bank. In contrast to the ugliness of the haul road, it was a beautiful scene with the sun catching the Menstrie Burn below; Lynne spotted a lovely woodcock. Going the wrong way can have its rewards. Crossing the burn was straightforward and a brief exploration revealed a gate in the newly erected deer fence. A steep ascent, initially through huge tussocks (lack of grazing) led to a track which we followed back down to the First Inchna Burn and so to the route up to Colsnaur Hill.
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| Blairdenon Hill from Colsnaur Hill. |
It was a pleasant climb to the cairn but much of the hillside on this eastern side of the Menstrie Glen has been planted with Sitka spruce and some 640ha of planting at Jerah Farm has now changed the character of this historical landscape. Permission for this development was given by Forestry Commission Scotland and was opposed by Friends of the Ochils, amongst others, but to no avail.
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| Colsnaur Hill summit cairn |
A sunny hollow below the cairn provided the ideal spot for much needed sustenance and we had just settled down when another walker arrived. He also had walked these hills since a lad and was trying to regain some fitness after surgery. It was a pleasant interlude with someone who obviously loved the Ochils and hills in general but this was as far as he was going today. We, despite being well behind schedule, still wanted to go out to Blairdenon.
The frozen gound made for rapid progress and thankfully Menstrie Moss was firm, if not solid, so we reached the short descent to the Old Wharry Burn dryshod.
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| Lynne on the summit. The cairn was bigger on my first ascent, I think. Maybe my memory is playing tricks |
This area of the Ochils forms an extensive plateaux with superb views of the southern Highlands, still retaining a significant snow cover. Between Blairdenon and Greenforet Hill a small memorial cross marks the spot were a civilian DH 82 Tiger Moth crashed in 1957.
A few photographs and we retraced our steps back to Colsnaur Hill.
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| Descending to the Old Wharry Burn with Colsnaur Hill in distance |
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| Bengengie Hill (R), Ben Cleuch (Centre) and Ben Buck |
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| Some of the plantings seen from the lower slopes of Colsnaur HIll |
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| Blue shows way out and red line the last part of the route back |
We sauntered down the track back to the car in the spring sunshine happy to have enjoyed such a glorious and varied (!) day.
