6.9 miles 3h 45m ascent 669m
Route: Broughton Place-Broomy Side-Pyked Stane-Broomy Heights-Hammer Head-Trahenna Hill
A first outing to this group of wee hills. I was considering taking in all three Marilyns but opted for two instead. There was sunshine with a chilly wind, but the rain held off until I was driving home.
View of Culter Hills from near the start of the walk
I started by Broughton Place, after following signs to a “walker’s carpark”. The route starts along the John Buchan Way, a grassy track with way marker posts very similar to those of the SUW. The track was muddy in places but nothing dreadful. The view up the valley was hidden at first by a stand of Scots Pine, but once past these got a look at Hammer Head and later Broomy Side.
The track climbs gently towards the col between Clover Law and Broomy Side. Here the John Buchan Way turns right to pass around Hammer Head but I took a fainter track up to the col and then followed a fence up onto Broomy Side. It is worth pausing on Broomy side to have a look at the surrounding hills. Tinto was hiding its summit in cloud but cleared later in the day. The Pentland hills were clearly seen to the north and strangely, at the end of the walk, several miles further away from them, they looked larger. The Culter Hills were less well seen here since the sun was behind them.
Ridge to Broughton Heights
Looking from Broomy Side to Broughton Heights (Pyked Stane) there was an undulating grassy ridge to cross, which passed relatively quickly. I thought I could see a cross on Green Law and was going to get a photo once I was closer, but as I watched the cross withdrew its arms and curled onto the ground. It had been another walker stretching his arms before sitting down. I caught up with him on Broughton Heights so I’m not the slowest walker hereabouts.
I did wonder about following the hills around over Ladyurd Hill but counted the contours and thought I would leave that section for another day. Instead I turned about and headed back along the ridge to Broomy Side. Just to make it interesting I walked on the other side of the ridge fence. It wasn’t more interesting but I got better views of the other hills, Penvalla etc.
My plan was to follow the fence line off Broomy Side (not the fence from the col I had followed coming up) and then directly up Hammer Head. As I approached Broomy side a faint track went off to the left through the heather and I thought that might take me down more easily. It didn’t. In fact it soon petered out and left me walking through untracked heather so I headed back across to the fence and followed that down.
I did have some misgivings about attacked Hammer Head directly. It had crowded contours and with the light I could not see the hillside clearly. I thought it was heather but it just looked black. Plan B was to follow the John Buchan Way around to the NW of the hill and up the ridge there that was less steep.
There was however a narrow track just discernible in the heather heading up Hammer head on the right of the fence so I followed that, hoping it was made by humans rather than sheep. The gradient was like a steep staircase except for one short steeper section. Here the track disappeared, presumably as walkers all choose slightly different routes. I went up by the fence and after a short while the track reappeared. I wouldn’t depend on the fence itself for support since many of its own supports have come loose.
Hammer Head Cairn
The gradient then eased of for the final climb up to the cairn at the summit of Hammer Head. About a dozen people were ambling about near the cairn enjoying the views and taking photos. I had intended stopping there for lunch but the sheltered dip was taken so I pressed on. Luckily there was another sheltered dip just past Green Lairs so I got my quiet lunch.
After lunch I continued along the ridge and up to the summit of Trahenna Hill. The snow-capped Tweedsmuir hills were now more easily seen and the people on Hammer Head were still there.
I made my way back by following the fence down towards Cat Cleuch Head and then across the heather on a faint track that had probably been a burnt track 3 or 4 seasons ago.
A pleasant walk overall, the terrain was easy and the weather good, though there was quite a bit of up and down for a couple of wee hills.
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