Carlin's Cairn

What a difference a week makes, last Sunday grey, sodden, just miserable. Today the 1st blue skies for goodness knows how long. The clocks changed, potential extra hour in bed, but I wakened with my normal sleeping pattern so up, drove the 45 miles to the Forrest Lodge car park and was walking just before 9am.
My objective was Carlin’s Cairn, a Donald at 807m. This would complete the Rhinns of Kell summits for me. To get there I chose to ascend via the Corbett, Corserine 814m.
As soon as I left the car park there were two deer were feeding on the edge of the forest, nice early morning sight.

The walk in

Head north towards forest lodge then go left (west) up the forest track named Birger Natvig road to pass the house at Fore Bush. The ridge looks particularly good in the morning sun.
Basically just keep following the track and you cannot go wrong.

Turn left here

After 1.97 miles from start the track swings right at NX525874. Take to the track on the left and after 200m or so follow a path off left into the forest on the south side of the Folk Burn, which is crossed across a new mud bridge after a few hundred metres. 
This half mile walk is extremely wet and boggy with few options other than keep jumping from side to side to try avoid deep mud puddles.

Open moor follow the path

Once it emerges from the forest cross the stile onto open moorland and into a nice bowl shaped area. A fairly clear path, but wet and slippy at times, the path continues west onto Craigrine, the NE ridge of Corserine, which is climbed to the summit plateau. The sun was beating down and I was perspiring, is it summer? 

Almost at plateau

Once on top there is a very large cairn, which can be seen from near the start but this is not the highest point. 

Carlin's cairn behind this cairn

Follow the faint path and if like today the trig of Corserine is clearly seen along with great views north of Carlin's Cairn along with the other hills in the north ridge. The south ridge were in bright sunlight so no snaps. 

Merrick from Corserine

Walk has taken 1h 50min from start, good progress, but up here the northerly winds were now giving me the fridge treatment so on went hat and gloves. 
I take a few minutes as the views are superb but this was not my destination so on I went. 

Carlin's Cairn from Corserine

Carlins cairn lies to the north (it is only 7 metres smaller than Corserine). Follow another track and there is a drop of about 100 metres before climbing back up to the large cairn. Of course I had to do it the other way as well and I was feeling my legs by the time I was back up top on Corserine. 
The extra ascent was worth it as the views from here were today better than Corserine. 2hrs 15min to cairn. Just take it all in. I spotted someone at the trig but they didn’t come this way, the only other person so far. Brilliant views of ‘The Range of the Awful Hand’ and Loch Enoch.

Awful Hand from Carlin's

The return has fine views of Polmaddy Gairy corrie (I love the names here), care required from the top if misty. Unfortunately the views on one side are dominated by wind turbines so enjoy the other views. 
On the descent from Corserine it was also care required as the wet grass was very slippy indeed.

Forrest Lodge Black Watch

I actually met some other people coming up so not all alone on the hills after all.
When I finished I had a look at the Forrest Lodge and its history. Belonging to the Fred Olsen liner this handsome Black Watch has a very interesting history but I will leave you to search for it.
A very good walk and particularly nice to see the blue skies.


Time: 4 hours 17min
Distance: 9.6m (15.45km)
Ascent: 2844ft (867m)

A clear day on Corserine & the southern Rhinns of Kells

It was a belated but welcome opportunity to join the guys ‘n gals of ARC today for their walk to Corserine and its southerly Donald’s. This should have been my 7th walk with the group but mainly due to weather it is only my 3rd, still got the next two weekends in the diary as well. It was a bigger than usual group for an A walk today, 21 bodies.
Corserine is a Corbett at 814 metres the highest point of the day although with the ups and downs to the other hills we were probably touching 1000 metres of ascent. This is the southern section of the Rhinns of Kells ridge.
The weather forecast was decent so fingers crossed. A 45 minute drive got us to the walks start. We parked in the decent car park at Forest Lodge, midges’ out but not hanging about here for long.
A decent walk in to the hill, along forest tracks all unusually named after the Olsen family and various other people. We followed the track ‘Robert Watson road’ until the path forks right. Follow the now very boggy track through the woods, cross a stream, until you reach the deer fence/stile, roughly 2.5 miles in.

Polmaddy Gairy on the right

Now you are out in open moorland typical of this terrain. Follow the faint track upwards, initially heading to your right then back. This gets the lungs going and the group is starting to spread out. The ridge is soon reached via Polmaddy Gairy but be sure to stop and take in the views behind you. 

When the top is reached it is now a broad plateau, there is a large stone cairn here but this is not the top, you can see the trig point some way ahead which is the true summit of Corserine, 4 miles from the start of the walk.

Walking towards Corserine trig

To the north there are great views of Carlin's cairn and the rest of the ridge including Meaul and Bow (see earlier blog). 

Carlin's Cairn in the sun

However, we are heading south and there are equally excellent views of our route heading firstly for Millfire, then onto the Donald’s of Milldown & Meikle Millyea.

The Southern Rhinns of Kells

The air clarity was superb so long distance viewing in all directions, plenty of time to try to identify many of the sights.
Although dry the wind had picked up and at this height the chill factor was high so most of us were adding another layer or two.
The walk along the ridge and across the plateau is generally good going, the way ahead is obvious in today’s conditions, just keep dodging about to avoid the many wet sections. This section of the ridge is about 3 miles.

The Merrick

The views of the Merrick and the many lochs in the area are a highlight, constantly changing as the light changes between the sunshine and the clouds but this is what it is all about. The Solway can be seen as can the hills of the Lake District.
Again don’t forget to look back as the ever changing landscape has its rugged beauty on a day like this.
Another stone wall provides guidance onto Meikle Millyea.

The descent is as expected boggier and you are unlikely to keep out of all the water and mud. There is a path of sorts but mainly you are you are following the decaying stone wall. When you finally move away from the wall to make the final section to the forest there is a very steep and slippy section requiring minor scrambling skills. There were a few muddy jackets and trousers after this. 

Finally another deer stile and a short walk through the forest to another road/track (some Professor). Then about a mile and a half back to the car park.
Very little wildlife seen today, highlight was a merlin. Some ravens and a solitary red grouse. 

Loch Dungeon

An excellent walk obviously assisted by the great viewing conditions. On a day like this hill walking in Scotland cannot be beaten. Hopefully more of the same for Ben Ledi on Tuesday and Culter Fell on Saturday.
Time: 5 hours 57m
Distance: 10.55 miles (16.98km)
Ascent: 2957 ft (901m)