M&G Go For A Walk: Wednesday 26 May - Benaquhallie & Craiglich

Benaquhallie (NJ 606 086; 494m)

Start Point: I got dropped off at the S end of the minor road to Upper Broomhill. There was nowhere to park a large vehicle there (other than blocking the pull-in for the communal bin area; rather than doing that, Mick backtracked to Tornaveen Community Hall to wait), but it would have been feasible to park in the entrance to a timber yard that was on the west side of the road, somewhere around the access track to Lower Broomhill.

Distance and Ascent: 6.5km, 270m

Weather: largely overcast but pleasantly warm

I would have cycled to this hill from the Back of Hill of Fare Car Park, but Mick was happy to drive me, even if he had to then backtrack to find somewhere to park, and as I have a bit of a cold at the moment, I wasn't going to insist on the extra exertion. I drew the line at him driving me up the tiny lane though, giving me an easy 2km walk-in, before I really started up the hill.

Approaching the end of the public road, I could see a vehicle on the track to Upper Broomhill, and getting closer it turned out to be two estate vehicles, with the drivers, both dressed head-to-toe in khaki, staring through binoculars at something on the hillside. I popped my head around to their side of the vehicles to check that I wasn't going to be disturbing their activities, and was relieved when they said not.

The single-dotted-line route that leads from Upper Broomhill is a good, grassy track that doesn't pass particularly close to any occupied building, instead passing in front of an old ruin, before skirting behind the buildings. I'd not gone awfully far along that track before I gave contemplation to just heading straight up the hillside. My map told me it would be a 700m yomp (gaining around 150m of ascent), and it didn't look like the going would be too bad. And maybe if I'd ascended that way I would have found a good, not-too-heathery line, but I certainly didn't find it on the way down!

My decision for the ascent, however, was to continue along the track, to its high point between Benaquhallie and Red Hill, from where I understood that I could pick up another track that would lead me to the summit. I didn't go that far in the end, as when I saw what looked like a grown-over vehicle track, followed by some mown heather, I veered off, and despite a distance of deep, old heather, it worked out well.

For my descent, I headed over to the huge cairn (which, on my approach to the hill, I'd incorrectly assumed marked the summit), and from there I took a bearing to the waypoint I'd noted as the start of the likely looking ascent route. It was fine (by my standards) in descent, but I would not have particularly enjoyed ascending that way. The electric fence that lay in my way (I didn't check whether it was electrified, but I doubt it) was easily step-overable, even with my little legs.

To my surprise, when I got back to the road end, there was a full-size coach sitting there. I wonder why - it seemed such an unlikely place to be dropping off or picking up passengers.

A trot back down the road, and I only had a minute to wait before Mick hove into view to scoop me up on my way to:

Craiglich (NJ 533 054; 476m)

Start Point: large laybys on B road to N, one directly opposite the access track, one a very short distance SW along the road (I started from the latter, purely because it was in our direction of travel).

Distance and Ascent: 4.8km, 190m

Weather: Sunny intervals and warm

Looking at the map, you'd think that you could easily cycle right up to the summit of this one, but I'd read reports of a track overgrown to the point of being a narrow footpath. I'd not paid enough attention to what was being said, or somehow just assumed, that it was the spur to the summit that was overgrown. I was wrong!

The initial track around an open field wasn't overly well defined on the ground (and today the cattle were absent), but once I got through the gate into the forest (I say 'through' but 'over' was the only real option), I was immediately met by a track that has clearly not seen any vehicles for many years, thus it was even more overgrown than I had envisaged, although someone had been through recently and lopped the lower limbs off the small conifers and gorse bushes that littered the track.

Despite being a bit scratchy on the lower legs (yep, I still refuse to learn the lesson about wearing cropped leggings), it was easy enough, and to my surprise the spur up to the summit was much clearer than the main track.

The summit was a pleasing one with a large cairn, a trig point and a lone deciduous tree. It was also such a good viewpoint that it was a shame that Mick hadn't come with me.

Down was a retracing of steps, at least until I got out of the forest, where I took a straight line back to the gate out onto the road, rather than following the track.

Photos organised by hill but otherwise in random order: