Walk: Culter Fell - I like grouse butts and I cannot lie

[Descent from Culter Fell]

Culter Fell is the highest of the Culter Hills: a sprawling mass of grassy summits stretching along the Scottish Borders / Lanarkshire boundary between Biggar and the M74. A well-positioned line of grouse butts (sunken hides for shooting game birds) perfect for perching on (for humans - not so ideal for grouse) makes the direct ascent from near Coulter less of a slog than it might otherwise be. And what about a different way down for variety's sake? There are a number of possible routes, but perhaps returning along Coulter Reservoir is the most scenic.

[Coulter Reservoir]

📌 Walk: Culter Fell - I like grouse butts and I cannot lie ★★★☆☆
▶ 12 km / 7 miles | ▲ 660 metres | ⌚ Half day walk
Main summits: Culter Fell (748 metres, Graham / Donald)
Points of interest: Coulter Reservoir
Start / finish: Layby on minor road at Culter Allers Farm, 2 miles south of Coulter, G.R.: NT 031312 ///hotel.outs.hesitate

Route: Layby - Fell Shin - Culter Fell - Moss Law - Holm Nick - north side of Coulter Reservoir - start
Terrain: Fairly clear, grassy hill path for the sustained ascent with just a few wet patches. Fainter and boggier in places for descent to Holm Nick, good track around reservoir then quiet tarmac road along the glen.
Wildlife today: Pheasants, sheep / lambs, dippers, grey wagtails, butterflies in the glen. Mallard ducks on the reservoir.
Weather today: Temperature in single figures at base, windy high up. Remnant, small snow patches above 600 metres, but not on path.

[Good views over Knowe Dod from the ascent]

Route map


Route credit: Scotland off the beaten track

More photos

[Sheep in fields at the start]

[Climbing Culter Fell]

[Looking across to Woodycleuch Dod (left) & Ward Law (right) from one of the grouse butts on ascent]

[View northwest towards Tinto (distance) from the cairn at 680 metres]

[View northeast to Chapelgill Hill]

[Culter Fell summit]



[View south into the heart of the Southern Uplands]

[Fainter paths for the descent across Moss Law]

[Coulter Reservoir]

[Descent to Coulter Reservoir]

[Breeks Burn]

[Coulter Reservoir]

[Coulter Reservoir]

[View along the glen and the final part of the route]

[Culter Water near the finish]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Walk: The Bonnie east Bank o' Loch Lomond

Image
25 miles after setting off from the centre of Milngavie, the West Highland Way runs along the full length of Loch Lomond's east bank. You can tackle this wild, intimate section of the trail as a day walk with the help of public transport from Tarbet: a ferry to the start of the hike, and a bus back at the end of the day. With the Inversnaid Hotel midway, a seasonal cafe at Cailness and Scotland's oldest pub (The Drover's Inn) at the end, there are plenty of places to break your journey. You could also check out Rob Roy's Cave en route - this damp slit where the outlaw allegedly hid is far from impressive, but at least you can say you've been there (look out for the letters highlighting the entrance in white paint). As for the rest: don't be fooled into expecting an easy lakeside stroll. Craggy knolls, thousands of tree roots and steep slopes make this an unforgiving zone for unsteady ankles, but spare a thought for through-hikers having to negotiate it all wit…
Read more

Loup of Fintry

Image
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 ★★★★☆
Location: B818 a mile east of Carron Valley Reservoir dam, G.R.: NS 662862 ///breezy.operation.survived
Anything else? There are informal laybys on both sides of the road near Gallows Knowe with space for about 5 cars in total. Follow the signposted, muddy footpath about 300 metres to the top of the waterfall, with good…
Read more

Floors Castle

Image
If bigger is better, it doesn't get any better than this! Floors Castle is the current seat of the Duke of Roxburghe, with a cool 7,000 rooms. Actually, we've no idea of the real figure (it's probably in the hundreds), but the building certainly holds the title of the largest inhabited mansion in Scotland. This Borders behemoth dates to 1721, with William Adam the original architect. But it was William Playfair (also the brains behind Edinburgh's New Town) who added turrets, battlements and other fancy embellishments a century later, which make the place instantly recognisable today. Although interesting, we'd have liked to have a little more information and seen a few more rooms on the self-guided house tour, which takes in a handful of public rooms and exhibition areas but none of the more intimate areas such as bedrooms or bathrooms. Taking photographs of the interior isn't allowed. Around the estate there's a lot more to see, making the ticket price wo…
Read more