Hill: Brown Muir (presumably as stated. A moorland hill whose colour is mainly brown)
Type: Sub2k
Height: 339m
Today was planned to be a bike trip but the rain was relentless and according to the forecasts it was going to stay like this until lunchtime at least. It is not a lot of fun cycling in the rain and I am here for fun, so plan B.
On with the waterproofs and I headed for the start of Brown Muir. The amount of standing water, huge pools of water, showed just how much rain had come down overnight.
Still lovely rural countryside as I drove up the progressively muddier track to Teindland Farm (sounds Germanic). Teindland is a pig farm and there are many of them around here, never seen so many piggy's in my life.
The rain was still relentless as I walked to the side of a gate to gain the track that would take me all the way to the top. Another mast topped Sub2k.
I was walking alongside the pigs some of whom were moving towards me taking an unhealthy interest. Maybe they knew I had eaten a bacon roll a couple of days ago. They make a lot of noise some of which sounded quite aggressive to me. Between me and them was a single low wire, presumably electrified. Also another flimsy fence with a double barbed wire. I was thinking that neither seemed substantial as I looked around for my escape routes, climbing a tree the only option.
At the end of the pig section an S bend and I walked passed the ruined farm of Moniemouies. The track led me to another gate, closed and with a couple of ominous signs. I had seen fairly new born calves in several places yesterday so I knew their presence was a possibility.
With
my hood tightly pulled round my head and with the rain still pouring
down hearing something was less likely so I was constantly head
scanning, but mainly downwards, for any sign of recent cow pats.
Thankfully there were none and the signs were just attention seekers,
for today at least.
As
I
gained
height
the track
was deteriorating big style, this was hard walking on my dodgy leg. A
sudden strong smell but it was a fox not a cow.
I could just make out the mast in the gloom when the track dipped and a big deep pool of water was in the way, wet feet. Fortunately I could detour around on less soggy grass and made the final climb up to the mast and the trig point just beyond it.
 |
| Trig appears out of the murk |
 |
| Unusual 'Lossiemouth' type trig with its cast iron hat on |
 |
| No idea why there is a visitor log up here so any answers would be welcomed |
This trig was an interesting shape with a black coned top. On the far side there was an opening and hidden away was a plastic tub which I understand contains a visitor log of sorts. With this rain I was not opening it and spoiling the contents so my summit will go unrecorded.
I had read a report which suggested the real top was 50 metres away in the heather. Not according to my map which showed this as a plateau and nothing looked higher so this was fine for me.
About 10 minutes into my descent the clouds lifted, the sun came out but paradoxically for a couple of minutes the rain intensified to the heaviest of the day, so weird.
With the better light I could now appreciate why the hill got its name as at this time of the year it was swathed in dark brown heather.
On the descent the size of the pig farm became obvious, widespread and this is just one of the many fields.
Back at the car it was too late to go back and get the bike out for my planned ride. The leg felt good so time to take on another wee Sub2k.
Ascent: 190m
Distance: 6.1km
Time: 1.24
Wildlife: Sparrowhawk; Coal Tit; Red Grouse; Stonechat; Wren; Meadow Pipit
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