The plan was to walk to Burncrooks Reservoir from the Whangie and then return by the same route. That was the plan but…

The Whangie is a hill I don’t go to very often. It is usually too busy and the route is too muddy. Neither of which I enjoy. The last time I was here was with my dad. He first climbed it 50 years ago and hadn’t done it since. He climbed it when he was 18 years old. He had been drinking in a local bar, the Carbeth Inn, and someone had told him about an interesting rock face nearby. He’d wondered off drunk to see for himself. I’m impressed that he found it and that he made it back to the pub to tell everyone what he’d seen.

My wife and I came here early to make sure it was quiet but even at sunrise there was already five cars in the car park.

We didn’t have to worry about the mud as the recent cold weather meant it was very frosty under foot. Unfortunately my wife had the wrong type of shoes and struggled to get a good grip on the icy sections. After slipping and sliding our way to Burncrooks we decided to take a different way back.

During the walk one of my dogs tripped up my wife. She was fine but amusingly I was filming at the time and caught it all on camera. Does You’ve Been Framed still exist and do they still pay £250 for a funny faceplant video?

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Review

It started well but going to carbeth was a mistake.

Parking

Parking can be tricky on a nice day as its a popular spot.

Facilities

None

Nearest cafe

There is a café nearby at Eden mill (https://edenmill.co.uk/) and a coffee stop (https://www.facebook.com/stmocha/) on the main road at Carbeth.

Run Surface

30% mud, 60% fire track path, 10% road

Dog Friendly

Yes – I’ve never seen sheep here.

Elevation

252M of elevation.

 

Cort-ma-law is gaelic for “steep climb, boggy on top”

I must admit I failed Gaelic in school. The only phrases I know are “how are you?” and “I am cold” which in Scotland is appropriate conversation for 90% of the year.

So my translation may be wrong but its a steep climb as well as often being wet and boggy on top. I find the boggiest section is the run between Cort-Ma-Law and Lecket Hill. I’ve often ended up ankle deep in a bog.

This route follows a popular walks on well-defined paths. I’ve done it in mist and rain but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are familiar with the route. The car park can be extremely busy so get here early on a nice day.

From the car park, cross the road and make your way up the broad grassy shoulder going east. The ascent of Cort-ma Law is fairly relentless but the gradient eases off as you reach the high ground. Remember to look behind you to get the great view down the valley towards Strathblane.

Follow the cairns all the way to the Summit. Once at the summit. Walk north and jump over the fence. A clearly defined path takes you all the way to Leckett hull. Turn west and follow the path all the way back to Crow Road. Run down the road to finish off the route. Keep an eye out for Jamie Wright’s Well on the south side of the road, a memorial to a local angler who tapped the rock to provide drinking water on his walks to go fishing. 

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Not yet!

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Review

A hilly 10k on paths that are easy to navigate.

Parking

Parking can be tricky on a nice day as its a popular spot.

Facilities

None although on a nice day an Ice Cream van is usually at the car park.

Nearest cafe

There is a good cafe in Clachan of Campsie and there are a couple of options in Lennoxtown.

Run Surface

90% grass, 10% road

Dog Friendly

There is normally sheep roaming on the hillside.

Elevation

207M of elevation.

I know ‘Sir John De Grahams’ as a car parking spot in Carron Valley but in the 13th century he was one of Scotland’s best knights. Although this did prevent him getting killed at the Battle Of Falkirk when the English overran the Scottish army.

The inscription on his gravestone reads:

Here lyes Sir John the Grame, baith wight and wise,
Ane of the chiefs who rescewit Scotland thrise,
Ane better knight not to the world was lent,
Nor was gude Graham of truth and hardiment

When I die I’d also like to have a poem written about me.

Here lies Iain the Todd, both clever and wise
He loved eating cake until he grew to twice the size
Now he’s buried 2 meters deep and 10 foot wide.

This is a great alternative route to nearby Meikle Bin. I think the views are actually better here as there’s more variety and much less people about.

The video below will show you what the route is like. It was from a run done on the same course but with some off road sections added to it.

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Review

Quiet, good surfaces and easy to navigate.

Parking

Parking near Mikle Bin can be tricky on a nice day as its a popular spot.

Facilities

None

Nearest cafe

There is nothing close but there’s two good options a short drive away. The Fintry Inn is great for beer and hot food and on the outskirts of Fintry the Cafe in the Courtyard is great for for soup and treats.

Run Surface

100% fire road.

Dog Friendly

Yes – no sheep or animals spotted on route.

Elevation

207M of elevation.

Earl’s Seat (578 m) has been described by The Scotsman newspaper as “…at times a tedious traverse, but the effort is well rewarded.”

I’ve done this route during the Summer and Winter. I don’t think its tedious although it can be a bit of a bog slog in wet weather. It is actually a great Winter route on a cold frosty day. The bogs are frozen and the heather has died back. It’s much easier to run than in summer.

The common route is to do Earls Seat from Dumgoyne as an out an back route https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=62636 I met some cyclists pushing their bikes along this route as they planned to cycle back down. They’d never done it before. They asked if they had far to go. I gave them the same answer my Dad gave me whenever I asked that question – “its round the next corner and over the next hill.” Which basically means, its miles away, stop your moaning and get on with it. I felt sorry for them as they looked knackered pushing their bikes and they’d barely reached half way.

My prefered route is to start at the car park in Clachan of Campsie and run to the war memorial in Strathblane via Earls Seat. Before starting out, I left a car in Strathblane so I’d be able to drive home. If you fancied a longer run you could run back to Clachan from Strathblane via the old railway track

Run up the road next to Schoenstatt until you reach a sign that says “walkers this way.” Follow the path until you are past the houses and then cut down off the track and follow the wall of the stone house. This will take you to a small bridge over Finglen river. Head over the bridge and aim for the top of the hill. Eventually you will find a fence. Follow the fence to Earl Seat. Easy 🙂

That’s the directions I was given when I first attempted it. It did work although If you are stuck I’ve included a map below.

The video below will show you what the route is like. It was a beautiful day but the video doesn’t show just how cold it was. It was difficult to start the camera as I’d lost feeling in my fingers!

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Review

Quiet but can be slog if the ground is bad.

Parking

Plenty of parking in Clachan but parking in Strathblane near the war memorial can be trickier on a nice day as its a popular spot.

Facilities

None on the route

Nearest cafe

There is a cafe at the start and end of the run.

Run Surface

80% moor/grass. 20% off road (through trees)

Dog Friendly

No – the farmer who has the field at finglen has a sign requesting no dogs even if they are on leads.

Elevation

722M of elevation.