WHEN the wind drops on a remote hillside, a fleeting moment of silence can be experienced before birdsong, or the returning wind, fills the air. The same thing happens in quiet glens and by the side of lochs.
Why, then, are an increasing number of
people taking MP3 players into the great outdoors? I like music and can sing loudly and out of tune to my car radio better than most. But once you have escaped to the natural world, surely it's wildlife you want to hear? A bird's call can be your only indication that it is in the area, the sound of a tumbling burn is delightful and a howling wind reminds you of the power of nature.
This route in the Campsies does not need a soundtrack, other than one provided by nature, as it leads to the summits of Cort-ma Law and Lecket Hill. You can begin from the lovely village of Clachan of Campsie, but by setting off from the Crow Road you avoid a steep climb right at the start. The first bit is still relatively steep, but because you are starting from an elevated position, you quickly reach high ground with the Campsies laid out in front of you and to the left.
As you go up, keep looking back for burns cascading off Inner Black Hill. Crichton's Cairn is the first thing of note you reach – a number of explanations have been given for its name, including one where a local man carried a bag of grain up the hill for a bet and dropped dead at the top. Another suggests it was named after a smuggler who was chased and killed by customs men.
From here, a good moorland tramp begins. You don't get a view of Cort-ma Law until you have crossed a fence and reached a small cairn – don't worry, the trig point is not as far away as it looks.
From the top, the Trossachs come into view to the north with Meikle Bin closer to hand, on the right. The next destination, Lecket Hill, is to the left, across a high plateau of pretty boggy ground. Some would call this terrain boring, but I would say it is a vast expanse of nature, the perfect place to get away from it all.
A short detour takes you to the top of Lecket Hill, the highest point of the day at 1,795ft. Then the descent is easy, crossing a stile and dropping down to a shallow burn before following a road to the car park. On the way you pass Jamie Wright's Well, supposedly built to quench the thirst of weary travellers.
You can follow a sign just to the right of the road but this 'informal path' is extremely tough on the ankles and not worth it for the effort.
The route can be boggy in places and can be exposed to high wind and rain, so make sure you are fully kitted out.
Distance6.5 miles.
Height climbed1,280ft.
Time3 to 4 hours.
Map OSLandranger 64.
ParkA couple of miles along the B822 Crow Road from Lennoxtown there is a car park on the outside of a sharp bend, on the left.
In summaryCross the road and follow a broad grass path on the other side. Don't go too far left; aim at first for a small dilapidated concrete hut then carry straight on to Crichton's Cairn.
Carry on to another cairn, drop down to a fence, cross it by a broken stile and bear left to reach a small cairn. The path goes slightly right to reach a larger cairn, where you go left to the trig point on Cort-ma Law.
Go west of north from the trig point to follow a straight path a little less than a mile to Lecket Hill. At some rocks go right for about 30 yards to reach the summit cairn.
Return to the rocks and go right. Where three fences meet, cross a stile and go slightly left to drop down to a shallow burn, which you cross, and then a road where you go left. The car park is about a mile down the road.
RefreshmentsThe Aldessan Gallery in Clachan of Campsie is the best place in the area, with a good coffee shop among the artworks.
While you are in the areaThe Glengoyne distillery (
www.glengoyne.com, 01360 550254) – drive west to Strathblane then north along the A81 – offers interesting tours and is open all year round.
In the other direction, you will find the Colzium Estate (
www.northlan.gov.uk, 01698 251000), on the east side of Kilsyth. It has a walled garden, a ruined castle and picturesque grounds.
The full article contains 807 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
