The 2014 Challenge, day 13: Glen Lethnot (3)

As in 2013, I walked beside the fishing loch to avoid the road where I could; but it only offered brief respite.

According to the map, there are a plethora of paths leading off the road to the left: one going up Rough Craig; another from just past Inchdowrie House to the Adielinn Plantation; another running up the side of the Adielinn Plantation to Loch Wharral (which almost certainly has a Corbeteers' branch, not marked on the map, up onto Ben Tirran), and another from Wheen leading back to the top of the Adielinn Plantation and joining up with the aforementioned path. I was not aware of any of these, as I strode out along the road!

Shortly before Rottal there is a well made car park with a sign proclaiming the fact that "you are welcome to park and access the hill from here". I interpreted this as an invitation not to intrude of the privacy of the folk at Rottal Lodge. Don't follow the track up past their windows. Park here, and cut across to join the track a little higher up the hill. I may not have had a car; but I thought it would be as well to respect the wishes of the folk at Rottal Lodge.

Hmmmmmm ... how long have I been walking the Scottish hills? Will I EVER learn?

I walked through the car park, and out onto the open hillside beyond. It was rough tussocky grass and heather, very boggy, and progress was slow. I could see the line of the track, and the path that branches off it up Manywee (what a delightful name for a hill: but don't drink the water!!) and so I aimed at the junction. It was a slow, difficult slog; but once I got there the track was well-made and progress was good. There was a bridge across the Burn of Heughs which I was more than happy to use. The only thing was, the track beyond the bridge did not behave as the path shown on the map ought to have behaved. It was, evidently, a track which is not shown on the map, running up beside the Kennel Burn. It seemed unlikely, then, that this would take me to the top of White Hill, so I chose my moment and turned left, heading for the skyline. When I felt I was on the skyline, I would turn right again, and just keep going up until I reached the top of White Hill.

I was, once again, on tussocky grass, heather and bog ... but with a little careful reading of the vegetation, I made steady progress, ascending all the while.