Fifty Up on Blairdenon Hill

Hill: Blairdenon Hill 
Category: Donald
Height: 631m
Well once again the salmon failed to show in my mid river beat, annoyingly the lower river beats did very well yesterday, curses.
So on the road back I decided to visit this isolated Ochil hill, classed as a Donald. Because of its location it is tended to be climbed on its own. I debated whether to start at Sheriffmuir or Menstrie before opting for Menstrie.
This route is in the SMC book but I could not find any reports starting from here so should I be worried?
A cracking autumn morning so eager to get walking. Since the SMC book was written there has been new housing built around the start, easy to confuse me but I did find the track I wanted.

Good track, Dumyat ahead

Ochil walkers know that these hills go up steeply from the start and this one  was no different but the advantage of this route is that the start gate leads onto a farm track that zig zags up the hill to the 230m contour, handy. Easy peasy, not quite but a lot better than some starts. I followed the track which is a good gradient for about 1.6 miles. Dumyat looks good in the crisp blue sky to my left hand side as I ascend.

You can see the grassy path going uphill to the left

The end of the track for me is just here so go through a deer fence gate, thankfully no climbing and then the track crosses over the First Incha Burn. 

The reason all these scarred tracks are here

Almost immediately veer right onto the obvious grassy track heading through the new tree plantations. Wet and boggy but follow this, crossing another estate track, and basically keep climbing to Colsnaur Hill (558m) the bulk of the climbing now done. Great view looking back and to the north.

View from Colsnaur to Blairdenon

Blairdenon is now topped with cloud hopefully blowing away soon.
Straightforward walk with no navigation issues as there is a track on the left of the dyke and fence which becomes just a fence across Menstrie Moss. 

Boggy Menstrie moor

The downside is the walk from Colsnaur to the Old Wharry Burn is extremely wet and boggy. No point trying to bypass the bog, just wade on through and guess who had forgotten to pack his gaiters, wet trousers the result.

The very small cairn Blairdenon

Leave the fence for the final ascent and pick the best path through the terrain and when you meet up with the fence that’s the top. Hop over the fence to the small pile of stones, the summit. Two hours to the top.
The bowl of Glen Turret with Ben Chonzie on one side and Auchnafree Hill on the other looks magnificent. 

Enjoy the views Lossburn reservoir

As always on these hills you are never alone and I had a couple of blethers with other walkers.

Descending the grassy track

Views excellent and despite my initial concerns this was as straightforward a route as I have walked recently.

Scarred track back to Alva

Back the same way, that’s now 50 Donalds completed, deserves a beer I reckon. 

Wildlife: Magpie; Red Legged Partridge; Red Grouse; Raven; Red Kite; Meadow Pipit, Wood Pigeon; Dunnock.
Time: 3.52
Ascent: 791m
Distance: 14.5km