In search of another Donald top.....Meikledodd Hill

 Hill: Meikledodd Hill/Blacklorg

Type: Donald Top/Donald

Height: 630m

After postponing my Saturday group walk I still craved some hill walking exercise so I decided to tick off one of my Donald Tops on the Sunday. The weather was much improved from yesterday and as it was a local hill I put it up as a last minute ramble for ADRC and half a dozen joined me.

I wasn’t sure if I had been on this top before but as I could not fully remember it was time to formalise the tick. During preparation I had noticed that the OS maps aerial view showed a track beside the newish electricity pylons that was not shown on the standard map.

So I took my group alongside Afton reservoir hoping to find said track. It was no big deal as we could always take a short backtrack and do a circular via the traditional route over Alwhat.

A wide muddy track

As it turned out we found the track, well not exactly a track. It was a machinery gouged wide area of deforestation and churned up peat, muddy in places but it did exist and it took us uphill.

Meikledodd over the grassy hump

The slow group

Classic Donald summit marker, Blacklorg behind

For no reason other than it looked right I took the group off piste and took a more direct route towards Meikledodd. The map suggested we would find a fence and indeed we did, superb navigation! Followed the fence up to the high point where we spotted a single wooden stake on the moor across the other side of the fence, a true Donald summit marker.

The mast beckons

Back to the fence where we stayed this side and followed a grassy track to the mast at Littledodd Hill, a food and water break stop. As I enjoyed my sannie one of our members began pulling at the cables attaching this large structure to the ground. He was surprised at the flexibility of the cables, I was too for different reasons. Thankfully it did not come crashing down but I assume these things have CCTV cameras attached so look out for the polis to ADRC committee.

Blacklorg top

We wandered up to Blacklorg and down to Cannock Hill. As we descended I spotted a figure coming our way, my vision a bit blurred these days but I had a sense of deja vu. Surely enough it was Lorna who had joined us nearby on a similar walk.

Craigbranreoch Top

View down Glen Afton

So friendship group acknowledgements completed we walked on and most continued up Craigbraneoch Hill for what is arguably the best view from these hills.

Afton reservoir

Ringlet

A steep and rough descent back to the reservoir then back to the cars.

I bagged myself another Donald top, the weather stayed good and everyone got a bit more exercise, a good enough short ramble.

Ascent: 546m

Distance: 13.2km

Time: 3.59

Wildlife: Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch; Ringlet,