With Covid restrictions finally easing, it was great to get back out wandering and camping in the hills. Mind you, I didn't go very far. With it being the first weekend without travel restrictions and the last weekend of Easter school holidays, I guessed a lot of people might be on the move. So I avoided them by taking a short bus ride to West Linton for a wild walk in the far western hills of the Pentlands. Another guess of mine ... that it would be quiet out there ... it was.
Of course, there's a reason for that part of the Pentlands being quiet. The hills are considered quite dull, just pudding-shaped lumps with few footpaths but lots of heather and bog. I didn't mind as it was good just to be out for a rugged tramp across the hills. Plus I did find a few interesting spots in this otherwise featureless landscape.
I left behind the banks of daffodils on West Linton's village green for a long walk north to the Cauldstane Slap, a low pass through the hills. This is the old drove road and is also known as the Thieves' Road because of the cattle and sheep rustling that used to go on there. As I passed through Baddinsgill Farm at the start of the track, I was surprised to read a sign asking walkers to look out for any suspicious activity. Apparently livestock theft is still rife here today.
I'd been at the Cauldstane Slap back in January in the snow to climb East Cairn Hill but this time I headed up West Cairn Hill. Its modest little top already felt quite wild and that feeling was enhanced as I trekked westwards through empty moors. A thin path soon fizzled out and I plodded through deep heather to make progress.
The rolling hills were cut suddenly by a rocky defile called Wolf Craigs. So often the names of landscape features take us back into the past and I can only imagine there was a forest here hundreds of years ago which echoed with the call of wolves.
I was grateful for the firm ground of my next hill, Craigengar, after the boggy valley at Wolf Craigs. The twin cairns on top of Craigengar were a fine viewpoint where I could see my day's walk behind and ahead of me. It was a thirsty plod along the top of this hill though as I was out of water. Boggy as it was at Wolf Craigs, the stream marked on the map was actually dry. So it was a relief to eventually drop down into a steep gully cradling the tributaries of Medwyn Water and listen to the gentle babble of the burn. It was too tempting to laze here, back against a rock, in warm sunshine, drinking cool water as fast as I could filter it. I don't always filter water out in the hills before drinking it but there were sheep around here, so better safe than sorry.
It was late afternoon now and the heat had gone from the sun as I pulled up onto White Craig. This was another interesting spot with a scatter of boulders to clamber through on the way up and an old, lichen-covered cairn on the top. It felt little visited.
The final stop from here was Black Law where I pitched the tent on a spot I'd used before with big open views. The evening air was full of sound with skylarks singing above, grouse gurgling in the heather and noisy geese somewhere nearby.
A windless, still night passed and gave way to a grey dawn and drizzle. A long walk took me past the Covenanter's Grave where I turned east for West Linton and the city.
My route: Off the bus cross the Lyne Water then take the first road to the right, Medwyn Road. Continue to the road end which continues as a track to the Cauldstane Slap. From here, follow the wall up to the left for West Cairn Hill then continue along its southwestern flank (bit of a path along here) then drop down through heather to Wolf Craigs. Climb the northeast flank of Craigengar to the two cairns marked on the OS map then continue southwest along its top and pass to the north of Millstone Rig. Cross the Medwyn Water in the gully between Millstone Rig and White Craig then climb to the summit of White Craig. The path over Black Law and passed the Covenanter's Grave can be seen from here and joined by dropping down a little. After the grave, the path drops to a dirt track and follow this east to rejoin the outward route at the golf club.
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