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East Kip | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

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A perfect spring walk – the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh

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A bright snowy morning in the Pentland Hills

We are finally starting to get out walking more regularly again and on Monday we drove over to the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh.  A bit like the Ochil Hills which we visited the other week, these small hills make an excellent walk without being a major expedition.  That said, also like the Ochils, you can still make a good long walk …..and as we found, end up stomping back to the car in the dark!

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Snow line on the Pentland Hills

We had decided to go to the Pentland Hills as the forecasts had suggested that there would be much more cloud in the west than over in the sunny east ….and we fancied a bit of sun even if it was a bit further to drive than we’d planned.  It was however a very beautiful drive over as by the time we had reached the M74 there was a covering of fresh snow lying everywhere.  It wasn’t much and in the bright and surprisingly warm early morning sun it was melting back quite quickly ….but it looked lovely.

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Keith Salmon on Carnethy Hill

A fairly leisurely start meant that we only set out on our walk at around 10.30 am and we hadn’t really planned exactly where we were going to go ….we’d head up onto the ridge, go as far as Carnethy Hill and then decide what to do from there on.  It’s always a steep little pull up onto the first in the long line of hills but the views as always were spectacular, especially with the snow.  Nita could see out to the Bass Rock apparently although of course, I missed out on this and instead enjoyed the hills close to me.  By the time we were up onto the first hill, the snow had already melted back on most of the south facing slopes and as we made our way up Carnethy Hill and looked back there was a very impressive and very distinct line between the bright green on one side of the ridge and the white of the snow on the north facing slopes…..it was very impressive.

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Approaching West Kip

At the summit of Carnethy Hill it was time to decide what to do with the rest of our day.  We sat down close to the snow / grass divide and ate our lunch in warm sunshine and with little more than a slight breeze.  The ridge continued ahead over Scald Law, South Black Hill, East Kip and onto West Kip.  We’d visited all of these in the past, except West Kip and so it seemed the perfect destination.

As you know, we don’t move very fast these days and time was already getting on by the time we’d finished our picnic in the sun on Carnethy Hill.   We decided therefore to miss out the summit of South Black Hill and make directly for East and West Kip once we’d passed the summit of Scald Law.

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Nita at the summit of West Kip

There is a short sharp pull up onto the summits of both these hills and when we finally reached the top of West Kip I have to say, that my legs were starting to complain a bit!  But it was so worth while …..it is quite a lofty little summit with the ground falling away steeply on both sides and with the snow still lying on the ground at the top and on it’s northern facing slopes, well, it looked really wonderful.  It certainly looked much grander than I’d expected.  The question now of course, was, which way back.

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Evening reflections, the Pentland Hills

It was now about 16.00 and so a short sharp descent down the snowy slopes seemed to be the answer, and once the level ground had been reached, it was a simple case of following a track back to the start of the wee road that leads back to the car park past the two reservoirs.  It was quite a long way all the same and we were delayed en-route as we just had to stop and admire the stunning reflections on the surface of the reservoirs.  We ended up walking the last mile or so back in increasingly poor light and eventually almost complete darkness…..perhaps we should have started a little earlier in the morning, but it meant a little added mobility training that I hadn’t banked on!  Once again though, we’d had a wonderful day in these small hills and for the first time this year I felt that I’d finally stretched my legs properly.

A big china mug of tea and a free chocolate biscuit make for a fine walk!

Heading uphill above Flotterstone Bridge

Heading uphill above Flotterstone Bridge

This time last week we were standing atop Carnethy Hill in the Pentlands Hills just to the south of Edinburgh.  The upper slopes of the hills still had a lot of snow on them that broke into patches lower down and disappeared altogether once down in the glen.  For the most part there was an almost completely overcast sky but this helped to make the snow covered hills stand out, so it was almost perfect conditions for me.

Dan, taking photos

Dan, taking photos

We’d met up with the photographer Daniel Thornton at about half past nine and he was to join us for the first few hours of our walk.  He had a meeting at 4pm in Edinburgh and so planned to head off north across to a road on that side of the hills to catch a bus back.  Dan is a landscape photographer and it was interesting hearing him talk about his work and the kind of things that interest him in the landscape.  He said he liked my incredibly slow pace of walking as it allowed him plenty of time to take his photos without worrying that he was holding anyone else up!

Patterns in the snow

Patterns in the snow

The views that day really were wonderful and with the air so cold and clear even I could make out the snow covered hills further to the south and an even bigger view to the north and west.  It was a perfect day for a walk with either photos or paintings in mind.

A wintry scene. Dan and Nita near the top of Carnethy Hill

A wintry scene. Dan and Nita near the top of Carnethy Hill

The snow underfoot was almost perfect for walking on, soft enough to get some grip but not too soft that you sank into the drifts …it was great!  By the time we’d reached the wee bealach between Carnethy Hill and Scald Law, Dan said that it was time for him to make a dash for the bus and so after a quick goodbye and a promise to give him a shout next time we were heading up to the Highlands, we went to find ourselves a lunch spot and Dan disappeared down into the glen.  Apparently, despite stopping to take numerous photos he made his meeting with 20 minutes to spare.

On Black Hill

On Black Hill

When we were last in these hills we continued up and over Scald Law and on to East Kip before descending into the glen for the walk back to the car.  I had at the time thought that it would be interesting to get up on top of Black Hill.  This is the long whale back of a hill that lies on the north side of the glen opposite the main Pentland ridge…..it should give really fine views of where we’d just walked.  So then, that’s what we did.

Our route to the tea shop!

Our route to the tea shop!

After a leisurely lunch in a patch of sun that had appeared from nowhere, we followed the path Dan took down into the glen.  There was not much path to start with as the snow was so thick that only the top few inches of the fence posts were sticking above the white stuff!  We were however, quickly down into the bottom of the glen and out of the snow.  Further patches of sun were starting to appear and what had been a cold and very wintry scene higher up, was now much more spring like, especially with lambs in the fields and the grass looking decidedly green in the sun.  At first we followed the glen west and then north as it narrowed between steep craggy little hills on one side and the steep stony slopes of Black Hill on the other.  After about a kilometre we were able to cut very steeply up onto the back of Black Hill and then proceeded to walk all the way to its summit …just a slightly higher lump on this broad expanse of heather and snow covered hill …marked by a small pile of stones.  As a place to view the main Pentland Hills ridge, this was perfect and we spent much time stopping to take photos and simply stare at this beautiful winter scene.

The perfect little tea shop

The perfect little tea shop

Our route back down into the glen was a fortuitous one indeed.  We’d originally planned to follow a path marked on the map, but with all the snow it was almost impossible to find and so Nita made a curving route down to join the track by the reservoir …probably a little further than if we’d taken the path but at a much easier gradient.  The point though, was that we joined the track just where a small portacabin had been set up to sell hot and cold drinks to the fishermen who visit the reservoir.  We couldn’t believe our luck..it was open!  Nita went in and returned five minutes late armed with two big china mugs of tea and a free chocolate biscuit each!  Her day was made ..as was mine, and we stood by the side of the reservoir in what had now become bright late afternoon sunshine, drinking our tea with the snow covered hills rising all around us.  It was perfect.  If you’re walking here do check this little tea shop out…..it makes a perfect walk even more enjoyable!

The Pentland Hills 2 – from Turnhouse Hill to East Kip via Carnethy Hill and Scald Law …..a grand little day out!

From Turnhouse Hill - the route ahead

From Turnhouse Hill - the route ahead

Following the previous weeks retreat in the face of gale force winds on the Pentland Hills we were determined to get back at the first opportunity. This opportunity arose on Monday with fine weather forecast and on this occasion, our friend Guy with nothing else arranged for that day.

Once again, there was no real rush to get away at the crack of dawn and so we arranged to meet him at Irvine station at eight o’clock Monday morning. The skies were clear blue and stayed that way the whole journey to the start point at the Ranger Centre at Flotterstone. The countryside looked wonderful again but this time thankfully there were no high winds to spoil it. As we got close to the Pentlands Nita and Guy spotted a light covering of snow on the higher slopes …nothing much, but enough to make the scene even more beautiful.

Carnethy Hill - photo by Guy Hansford

Carnethy Hill - photo by Guy Hansford

Our first hill of the day was Turnhouse Hill, the place we’d been forced to retreat from on our previous visit. This time, on reaching its eastern end, we could stand and enjoy the magnificent views all around. Below us we could see part of the Glencorse Reservoir …around which we’d walk on our way back to the car later in the day. Ahead of us we could see each of the three other tops we were planning to visit, Carnethy Hill, Scald Law and East Kip ….each one with a white shading of snow on its north facing slopes.

This time we ambled along the broad grassy ridge of Turnhouse Hill and on descending into White Craig Heads, (the col between Turnhouse and Carnethy hills) we stopped and sat down in the bright sun. It was a magnificent spot with the bulk of Carnethy Hill rising in front of us. With its steep northern slopes in shadow and a good scatter of snow still lying, it looked a good deal more imposing than in reality it was.

From Carnethy Hill

From Carnethy Hill

A large well made path leads up onto the wide stony summit of Carnethy Hill at 573m. Even on this relatively calm day, it was a cold place to stand even in the sun and so after a few photos we kept on ….now descending grassy undulating slopes leading towards Scald Law. By this time cloud had bubbled up creating a patchwork of light, shade and changing colours across the landscape. Scald Law, rising to 579 m, is, by a few metres, the highest point in the Pentland Hills. On reaching its summit (after checking with Guy that his leg was feeling fine) we had the customary handshake ….…it seems like he is back in business! After another sit in the sun while pawing over the maps to agree on a line of descent from our next and final top East Kip, we donned the rucksacks and carried on. The final little climb to the top of East Kip is surprisingly steep, but it is a great view point and well worth the effort. The neighbouring West Kip was not much further on, but we decided it was time to start heading back.

East Kip from Loganlea Reservoir

East Kip from Loganlea Reservoir

We descended easy grass slopes down into the glen on the north side of the hills we’d been walking, picking up a path next to the beautiful Logan Burn and following it a short distance to the head of the metalled road at the western end of the Loganlea Reservoir. It’s a lovely location and on this day the water was calm enough to give some wonderful reflections. Beyond, the wee road follows beside the small outflow stream for a short distance before reaching the Glencorse Reservoir. In the now late afternoon sunshine, the colours of the surrounding hills made for spectacular reflections and further stops to take photos.

We got back to the car about twenty past five in the evening and after changing out of the gear we headed for the Flotterstone Inn ( www.flotterstoneinn.com ) for a meal. It’s a friendly place serving great food and beer …definitely to be recommended! There was still a little light in the sky at seven o’clock when we left and headed back to North Ayrshire …I love this time of year when the days are getting longer ….. and we can plan longer walks.