Читать книгу Walking in the Ochils, Campsie Fells and Lomond Hills - Patrick Baker - Страница 13

WALK 2A

Dumyat Hill

Start	Blairlogie car park (GR832968)
Distance	5km
Total Ascent	403m
Grade	1
Time	1hr 40min
Maps	OS Landranger 57 (1:50,000) OS Landranger 58 (1:50,000) OS Explorer 366 (1:25,000) Harvey's Map – Ochil Hills (1:25,000)

The most distinctive hill in the Ochils range, Dumyat is a relatively small but undeniably handsome volcanic plug at the western corner of the southern escarpment. Its easy accessibility from a couple of car parking spots means that this is also the busiest hill in the range, and as such the main path up to its summit can become quite congested at times and is very badly eroded in parts. However, the three circular routes below aim to make the most of the differing approaches to this complex hill, and also avoid the main crowds.

An easy and quick route to the summit that circles back to the start point via the eastern flank of the hill.

Head north from the car park up a few steps to the stile and cross the track to head directly onto the small path that ascends steeply for 10m through shrubs. This path proceeds to contour around the side of the hill westwards, squeezing through brambles and gorse bushes for a few hundred metres until it crosses a small burn in more open ground. The path becomes more established at this point and climbs parallel to the wooded burn, past the convergence of tributary burns, to cross one of these tributary burns after approximately 250m.

Ahead, the more visible path moving upwards into more craggy terrain is to be ignored. Instead, take the grassy route through bracken, keeping a small scree section under some small crags to the right, to shortly arrive at a gate. Once through the gate, continue on the obvious path as it rises to meet the very well-established path running east to west. Take this track east, reaching a stile at the boggy watershed for the Warroch Burn. At this point, the short diversion south to the top of Castle Law is worthwhile for a less crowded summit view. Continue for a few more minutes to reach the summit of Dumyat (418m), marked on its rocky top by a cairn and a stone-filled beacon.

The exit route from the summit is not immediately clear, but the path begins just 10m or so northeast of the cairn and zigzags down before flattening to an obvious grassy route that continues southeasterly, reaching a farm track just after a fenced water-drainage area. Turn right at the farm track and descend along the track, passing some houses as the route swings round beneath the impressive south-facing crags of Dumyat until reaching the burn at Warlock Glen.

At this point, instead of passing through the gate and cattle-grid, turn up the path by the sign saying Dumyat Farm and cross the burn at the small footbridge. Continue along this path, with pleasant mixed woodland on the left, until you arrive back at the stile at Blairlogie car park.