Walk: A litter-free approach to the Bin of Cullen

Moray | Cullen | Half day walk | ★★★

[View towards Cullen from the summit]

It'd be easy to make to make a throwaway disparaging comment about a hill with a name like Bin of Cullen, but the truth is that this hill's prominence amongst pancake-flat surroundings makes it one of Moray's best viewpoints, overlooking the firth of the same name and (on a clear day) Ben Wyvis beyond, 101 km distant. Ben Rinnes and the Cairngorms crown the views southwards. Crisp packets and other rubbish on our visit spoilt the sections where this route joins the "tourist" route; fortunately 80% of this circuit is little trodden. The contours gathering around the Glen Burn look enticing on OS maps and deliver, with valley sides gradually narrowing while the track remains pleasantly level. This is a hill walk though, and on this one the ascent all comes at the last minute, although optional zig-zags ease the pain. Maps promise a choice of tracks for the return route: in reality, most are overgrown so a detour north towards Moss Hill Plantation is wise.

[The track along Glen Burn provides a pleasant approach to the hill's base]

📌 Walk: A litter-free approach to the Bin of Cullen ★★★
Start / finish at car park at Cullen House, minor road end 1 mi south of Cullen, G.R.: NJ 509664 ///option.charts.heaven

▶ 13 km / 8 mi | ▲ 420 m | ⌚ Half a day | ⬤ Moderate
Summits: Bin of Cullen (320 m, sub-2000') | Features: Glen Burn
Terrain: Tracks throughout, steep near summit. Briefly muddy after Cullen House.

Route & map

Car park - Cullen House & bridge - pond at G.R.: NJ 507658 - follow north side of Glen Burn to Badentarget Plantation - Bin of Cullen - return to bealach between Bin of Cullen & Little Bin - High View Plantation - Moss Hill Plantation - Foulford Bridge - Cullen House - start


Route credit: Scotland Off the Beaten Track

On our visit

Wildlife: A few birds but generally quiet.
Weather: Blue skies with light winds and a beautiful sunset, temperatures in single figures.

[Buckie with Spey Bay and the Moray Firth beyond]

Comments

Post a comment

Popular posts from this blog

Walk: Livingston's jaw-dropping waterfall

Image
West Lothian | Livingston | Short walk | ★★★
❕ Route currently impassable - see red text below

What springs to mind when someone mentions Livingston, West Lothian? Sprawling road junctions, retail parks, 1960s architecture... how about a splendid waterfall? Under a mile from the town's southernmost suburbs, the Camilty Water drops into a short but beautiful gorge sharply at odds with the gentleness of the surrounding farmland. Two substantial waterfalls and several smaller ones tumble into the depths; the largest is actually fed by a crumbling mill lade (the mill no longer exists) but this isn't obvious from below. Parking is limited, but the walk from the nearest road begins promisingly. The last few hundred metres of the route are however a bit sketchy: stepping stones across a side burn, and a very slippery slope to reach the best viewpoint - more details below.

Important

The house and gardens alongside the path are someone’s home, and although we have a so-called "right…
Read more

Campsie Glen

Image
East Dunbartonshire | Clachan of Campsie | Waterfalls | ★★★★

In bygone years a path used to snake up the narrow gorge north of Clachan of Campsie. Rockfalls and warning signs now block the middle section, but short linear walks into the gorge from each end are still well worth it. A quick stroll from the bottom car park leads to the lower section of rapids. The upper car park on Crow Road is reached by a steep, 300 metre walk or a winding, 3 mile drive. Heading downhill from here (instead of uphill towards Cort-ma Law) accesses the middle of three more waterfalls. All are worth a visit following wet weather if you don't mind a bit of scrambling, but the bottom one of these 3 deserves special praise - as you can walk behind it!


📌 Campsie Glen Lower Falls ★★
On the Kirk Burn immediately north of Clachan of Campsie, G.R.: NS 610798 ///exploring.pirates.clipped
Always open | Free

Anything else? From the large car park at G.R.: NS 611796 ///quaking.spider.dislikes it's a 5-min walk …
Read more

Loup of Fintry

Image
Stirling | Fintry | Waterfall | ★★★★

Winding through gently scenic nowhere land between the Campsie Fells and Fintry Hills, the Endrick Water unexpectedly takes an almighty 94-foot plunge into a side-on gorge. This is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Scottish Lowlands (although Corra Linn and Grey Mare's Tail both come close), so why it's not better known is something of a mystery. Perhaps it's because the Carron Valley Reservoir upstream blocks much of the burn's catchment area, so waiting until after a period of local heavy rain is even more important than with other waterfalls. Nevertheless, this awesome cataract should be right at the top of your list.


📌Loup of Fintry ★★★★
By the B818 a mile east of Carron Valley Reservoir dam, G.R.: NS 662862 ///breezy.operation.survived
Always open | Free

Anything else? There are informal laybys with space for about 5 cars in total on both sides of the road near Gallows Knowe, G.R.: NS 661864 ///thanks.hint.curls. From…
Read more