Spartleton

 Hill: Spartleton

Type: Sub2k

Height: 468m

The weather forecast was for the first good day for ages, so I escaped for a morning and headed for Spartleton Hill. Described by Walkhighlands as a rounded dome in the Lammermuir Hills.

It is surprising that so quickly can the city of Edinburgh be left behind. When I reached Gifford the moorland beyond was a fabulous burnt orange in the early morning light. The sheep were in a belligerent mood, on three occasions one stood right in the middle of the road forcing me to stop before moving. Had to laugh.

I started from the Whiteadder Reservoir small parking area just on the east side of the dam on the north side of the road. The reservoir water was picture perfect flat calm only broken by the ripples of the plentiful rising fish and the wake of the swimming geese. The only sound was the honking of the geese. An ideal start to a walk.

The water has pretty much dried up on this side and as I walked alongside the water a snipe flew out of the vegetation at the side wings rapidly beating.

My descent track coming down from the trees

First view of Spartleton

Sheep guarding castle

Three route options but I was going for a direct approach along the track to reach the remains of Gamelshiel Castle, really a small towerhouse, with a large round sheep fank adjacent. The two walls are all that remain of the 14th century tower house which once stood here, today guarded by a single sheep. The thickness of the remaining walls gives some indication of its strength, and it is believed to have had a vaulted cellar at ground level.

After the castle I took an immediate left turn, crossed the Hall Burn and head up a path on the far side. Starting to blow now, how easily conditioning lost.

I followed the narrow path heading up to a gate that I could see. If you wanted to rough it head straight up the rough moorland. The amount of red grouse flushed was impressive, abundance hear.

Reached the gate in the fence to be greeted with the views over the large wind farm which covers it eastern flanks.

Taking the easy way I simply followed the track to the summit. Blue skies but a chilling cold wind had me pulling my beanie out of my pocket, wimp.

Gun butts everywhere, looking south

Bad picture all round, my shadow and the turbines

A huge cairn for a Sub2k and trig point is an excellent viewpoint if you try to not look at the Crystal Rig windfarm. Silence was disturbed by a quad bike, the farmer with two dogs on board rounding up his well scattered flock.

Today was excellent visibility, looking over the turbines the Fife coast was in the distance. The spikes of the Pentlands were distant but impressive. Looking south over the shooting but it was a lot of moorland with a couple of small peaks sticking up.

Heading for trees on the left

As I descended I could hear a skein of geese above me, but could I see them, nope. Their underwings clearly brilliantly camouflaged against the sky. The noise slowly drifted away.

Pheasant rearing cages all birds gone

From the summit I returned to the fence and gate. I followed the upward route for a while but instead of taking the castle turn I continued straight on heading for a copse of trees which eventually meets up with the ancient Herring Road. ‘At the height of the herring boom in the 18th and 19th centuries this route would have been followed by fishwives carrying heavy creels of herring to markets in Lauder from Dunbar on the coast. It was also used by people who would buy a winter's supply of salted herring to provide food for the cold months’.

View back to the reservoir

A pair of meadow pipits were doing a high speed coordinated mating/bonding session. The fast-twisting manoeuvrers were a delight to watch.

Then headed back to the car flushing another snipe, I assume the same one from earlier as very close to the earlier spot.

Overall, a short but excellent ramble, just what I wanted out of this morning.

Ascent: 243m

Distance: 5.2km

Time: 1.36

Wildlife: Meadow Pipit; Geese; Red Grouse; Pheasant; Snipe;