A Moffat hills circuit.....Great Hill & Carlavin Hill

Hill: Great Hill (770m) & Carlavin Hill (736m) Molls Cleugh Dod (785m)

Type: Donald Tops x2 + Donald

After yesterdays deluge I was not sure what I would be able to do today as my 'A' plan involved a burn crossing which might be too high and fast running for safety. But somewhere in the Moffat Hills it would be.

Blue sky start as I parked up at the Grey Mares Tail car park, £4 a car, National Trust property. I wouldn't mind if it had toilet facilities but this does not. I gave them the money any way but I am sure most don’t and you can park across the road if you wanted to.

Still the view from the parking area was vivid with the greens of the bracken and the purple of the heather outstanding. Also showing well was the clear line where the track makes a steep ascent, my future in a couple of minutes.

After all the rain the Grey Mares Tail waterfall was magnificent in power and colour fully living up to its name.

I was surprised that the climb treated me so gently as I did not have a lot of walking in my legs, pleased nevertheless. The waterfall was roaring but so was the wind, it was strong and cool once I topped out onto the open area.

Plan A had been to cross at the 1^st ford and head up White Coomb but as expected the burn was running fast and deep. In my mind I was aware that last year a walker got swept away trying to cross this burn. He managed to anchor himself around a rock before being swept over the waterfall and almost guaranteed death. Mountain rescue got him out but he was a lucky man.

I walked up the track to the mouth of Loch Skeen where although deeper than I would have liked, it was still water so I waded across to the other bank. Mid calf deep at times but no fast running water, still water logged boots to empty.

Mid Craig

Lochcraig Head & Loch Skeen

A not very pleasant muddy boggy section followed before I started climbing up Mid Craig. Good views up top before a short descent and then up to Firthybrig Head. Here I had another disappointment. As it was a strong cold wind I stopped to put a light weight jacket on. But I realised the top thing in my rucksack should have been my food bag. No sign of it as it dawned on me that I had obviously left it in my car boot. At least I had water and I could do with shedding a pound or to.

Great Hill on the right

Broken fence & faint trail to Great Hill

View to Hart Fell

Upon reaching the fence line I turned left and followed an ATV track across mostly good ground. Reached a broken fence line which I knew took me to the Donald top of Great Hill, a straightforward 30 minutes out and back and not a lot great about it from this angle.

Molls Cleugh Dod & Carlavin Hill

Back at the dyke it was decision time. Having no food it was fairly straightforward, changed my plan for a shorter route. I decided to go Plan C and head back to tick off Carlavin Hill. As I was high up anyway the walk was straightforward despite the strengthening buffeting wind.

Molls Cleugh Dod

Carlavin Hill

View from summit to Megget Reservoir

View to the Culter hills

Wandered back to Firthybrig Head then the short walk to Molls Cleugh Dod. Another Donald that I had already completed but stupidly had not added on the top.

A 40 minute round trip but I was now starting to feel a bit tired. The combination of lack of hillwalking fitness and no nutrition was taking its toll so straight back was the plan.

Heading back to Moll with White Coomb behind

Wet feet ahead

The descent was a straightforward enough retracing of my steps. The views from the top of Mid Craig were superb over Loch Skeen and beyond. Wet feet once again and then the trek back to the car. More tourists around at this time in the day. Out of the winds it was also a more pleasurable walk back. Looking at the burn there was no obvious drop in the water levels.

Not exactly what I wanted out of today but it is an excuse to come back and finish the job, after a dry spell of course.

Ascent: 785m

Distance: 18.7km

Time: 5.19

Wildlife: Meadow Pipit; Wheatear