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Cramond Walkers, Edinburgh (2026)

23/08/2026

On Friday 21st August five of us travelled in two cars to the Ben Lawers car park north-east of Killin. The forecast had shown dry all day with only a light breeze, so we were disappointed to come into light rain about half an hour before we reached the start, and for the first hour of the walk, with the peaks in cloud. We set off just before 11am and as we climbed towards Meall nan Tarmachan the cloud lifted to give views over the valley to Ben Lawers and the rain stopped. We enjoyed dry weather with sunny intervals for the rest of the day, although the wind was stronger than forecast. We reached the Munro summit (1044m) before 1.30, then started along the ridge towards Meall Garbh (1026m), stopping for lunch near the lowest point out of the wind. We reached the pointed top by 2.30, followed by a steep descent in which Shelagh did all the scrambles but others mostly took the bypasses. The final top reached about 3.30 was Beinn nan Eachan (1000m), from where we got a good view back along the ridge and down to Killin. The next descent along the ridge took us down to 850m, where a cairn marked the recommended path for descent across occasionally boggy moorland to aim for a stony quarry track, which continued almost to the car park, reached at 6.00. A total of 13km, with 783m ascent according to Walk Highlands, but the map suggests maybe 100m more ascent. On the way home, we agreed to stop in Callander, and were very pleased with the Frying Dutchman where the medium fish supper eaten on benches in the square was good value and quality, and most followed it with home-made ice cream from another nearby shop.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/meall-nan-tarmachan.shtml

15/08/2026

On Friday 14th August five of us travelled together to Wanlockhead, 7 miles beyond Abington. The weather was cooler than in recent days, around 16C maximum, and many of the hilltops were in cloud. We parked near the entrance to the village and walked back up the road a little to join the Southern Upland Way, starting at a height of about 420m, then climbing south-east towards Lowther Hill, several times crossing and twice joining an access road that zig-zagged up the hill. As we approached the summit the cloud lifted to reveal its white golf-ball radar station. There was nothing to mark the summit (725m), one map suggested it may be behind the building where we tried to find shelter for a brief coffee stop, but we reckoned the highest point was next a junction of access roads.
From there we headed north-east along the straight access road to Green Lowther (732m), where there was a trig point next to more buildings and two tall masts, one with a workman half-way up. There were extensive views, including two large windfarms. We retraced the route to Lowther Hill then followed the instruction to stay on the access road for the start of the descent, although the path used for the ascent would have cut a couple of corners.
At another mast we turned left onto a path heading south-west, and found a good lunch spot out of the wind at the col of the Enterkin Pass. From there it was not far to climb to East Mount Lowther (631m), the furthest west of the three hills, and not included when Cramond Walkers last climbed these hills in August 2005. There was an old view indicator at the summit, and many of the hills indicated were visible, although the cloud was descending and there were a few drops of rain. This turned to a steady drizzle as we descended to the col and contoured round Lowther Hill, where the golf-ball was back in cloud, then rejoined our outward route to descend to Wanlockhead, a total of almost 12km with 550m ascent in 4hr 40. All three hills are classified as Donalds (hills over 2000 feet not in the Highlands), with Green Lowther also being a Fiona (previously Graham) as a hill of 2000-2500 feet with at least 500 feet reascent from anywhere higher. We did not search for a local cafe, and instead visited the toilets at Abington services.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/galloway/lowther-hills.shtml

05/08/2026

On Tuesday 4th August five of us travelled in two cars to Craigmead car park, at a height of about 300m between East and West Lomond. We entered the cloud soon after leaving Leslie and stayed in the cloud for the next 5 hours. At Craigmead we found that the toilets were all closed, and that there is now a parking charge of £2 for the day if staying over 2 hours. The forecast was mostly scattered showers, but that is not how it turned out. We started walking about 10.30, crossing the road and taking a good track heading east, initially climbing then more level and running between rough stone walls. Early in this ascent we had the only shower of the morning, light and short. At a height of about 350m the path went left through a gate and soon climbed more steeply, to reach the 434m summit of East Lomond, with a view indicator but no views today. We returned by the same route, but with a diversion soon after the gate to head south to view lime kilns, where we were disappointed to see that the information panel had gone. We waited until we were back at the car park to have a late coffee break at a picnic table.
We then headed north out the car park and soon turned left taking a good track west towards West Lomond. After about 3km the path narrowed and started climbing round the west side of the hill, and the rain started. By the time we reached the 522m summit, again with no views, the rain was heavy and the wind was strong, so we did not linger for long. We took a compass bearing to confirm which path off the summit was heading south, for an initially steep descent, followed by a rough path heading SE across moorland, then more easterly across farmland, negotiating one stile topped by a strand of barbed wire. After a while the rain eased, the cloud lifted slightly and we caught sight of Ballo Reservoir below us. We decided to pause briefly for a late picnic lunch, and by the time we got going again the cloud had lifted more and it was getting warmer, and we were soon back at the car park. In total 12.5 km and 420m ascent, in about 4hr 40. On the way home we went to Lochend Farm Shop cafe south of Scotlandwell, and were pleasantly surprised at the lack of delays on the M90 crossing the bridge around 5pm.
The second part of the walk: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/west-lomond.shtml

22/07/2026

On Tuesday 21st July six of us gathered at Broughton village car park, to do a walk similar to one done in August 2024, but this time with an extra 1.2 km distance (twice) and extra 65m ascent to get up to the former walkers' car park (now closed) on John Buchan Way above Broughton Place. It was much cooler than expected, with cloud cover rising above the hilltops through the morning, then sunny intervals in the afternoon as it warmed up to about 21C. We learned that the Laurel Bank Tea Room would close at 4pm, so we were unlikely to be able to get there for refreshments at the end.
We started by climbing steadily past Broughton Place and the former car park, continuing along the John Buchan Way to a height of 400m, where we stopped at a bench for refreshments. We turned left to climb up a ridge heading north, crossing Green Law on the way to Broughton Heights, at 571m the highest hill in the area. We were disappointed to find a new barbed wire barrier just before the summit trig point with no good way to cross, now reported to Walk Highlands, so we missed out on some of the views. We then returned along the ridge to the bench for a picnic lunch.
After lunch we continued a short distance along the John Buchan Way, then turned right to climb steeply to the summit of Hammer Head (513m) topped by a large cairn. From there we went south on an undulating ridge, before turning left to go through the deer fence on a 1km detour to the undistinguished summit of Trahenna Hill (549m) and back. Back on the main path, we descended SW then bent right to descend steadily on a path that was much clearer than two years ago, keeping us away from the newly planted areas, to reach the former car park. Then back down the drive, and at the end we took the good option of a field path to avoid walking along the road to the village car park. A total of 13.7 km with at least 680m ascent (Strava showed more), completed in 5hr 45.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/borders/broughton-heights.shtml

11/07/2026

On Friday 10th July we did our first Munro since 2018, Ben Chonzie. Four of us travelled from Barnton to a busy car park about 4 miles up Glen Lednock north of Comrie, and were greeted by Callum with Dougie to see us off on the walk at 11am. It was hot and sunny, around 24C. For more than 4 km we climbed north-east on a stony track, having a coffee stop at a ford then lunch stop at the cairn where we were to turn off, at a height of about 670m. Refreshed and rested, and with some cloud cover to reduce the heat, we climbed more steeply on a rough path, then swung right to follow an old fence line on a gentler incline to the summit of Ben Chonzie (931m), Fiona MacI's first Munro, reached in about 3hr 30. There were good views to other mountains that we tried to identify using an OS map, and also down Glen Turret towards Crieff, and we took several photos. We then descended by the same route, pausing a few times, and got back to the car at 5.20pm, a total of 6hr 20 for 12.5 km and 712m ascent (according to Walk Highlands). Callum had kindly invited us for tea and scones at his home in Crieff, so we headed there and relaxed for a while, with a view of the summit of Ben Chonzie in the distance.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/ben-chonzie.shtml

04/07/2026

Our second summer hill walk was the Glen Sherup round in the Ochils on Friday 3 July. Five walkers travelled in two cars from Barnton to the Glen Sherup woodland car park (about a mile after Glendevon village), already at 230m. The forecast had 30-40% chance of showers most of the day, but we were lucky to stay dry throughout the walk, although at times it looked wet not far away. We started with an ascent through the forest, most on a good forest road, to emerge on open hillside with good views to the south and south-east, as we ascended south-west to reach Innerdownie (611m, a Donald) about 1hr 40 after the start. There was a westerly wind at the summit, so we found a stone shelter just after the summit for a late coffee stop. There was not much reascent as we continued south-west to Whitewisp Hill, then west to Tarmangie Hill (645m, another Donald), where we found a sheltered spot just below the summit ridge for lunch about 3 hours into the walk.
After lunch, we passed two small cairns on the ridge, taking photos at both, and we were probably correct in thinking that the second was the Tarmangie Hill summit. The path then dropped down to cross the head of the glen, where we saw a small flock of sheep, then ascended slightly to start down the north-west side of the glen, giving views back to Tarmangie Hill and Innerdownie that looked more impressive from this angle. After a while we also got views to the north-west, including the Glendevon reservoirs. As we approached Ben Shee the hill became more impressive, and we all agreed to take the path for the final 100m ascent to the summit, rather than an alternative going round it. The descent was more gradual, and we opted to stay on the waymarked path that added 0.5km, rather than take the steeper descent to the reservoir road. We headed back up this road to cross the dam, then briefly ascend steeply to rejoin our outward route. In total 16.5 km with 600m ascent completed in 6 hours, just too late to get to Powmill for refreshments, so we headed home after enjoying some strawberries.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/glen-sherup.shtml

26/06/2026

On Friday 26th June we debated whether to go ahead with the planned first hill walk of the summer in the Pentlands, as there was a forecast of possible thunderstorms all day, and an actual thunderstorm in NW Edinburgh around 8.30-9.00. However the local forecast said that light showers were more likely, so we decided to go ahead, and it turned out to be dry throughout our walk. Five of us gathered at the public car park at Swanston, and set off just after 10am. We went past Swanston village and headed up the hill, initially in warm sunshine. We turned left to climb above the top of the ski lift, getting a view of the new route of the Alpine Coaster. As we climbed higher, low-level clouds drifted across, sometimes hiding the views, and it was cooler.
Just over an hour from the start, we crossed Caerketton Hill from where there were some views. We descended after the higher summit above Caerketton Crags with better views, then climbed past Highland cattle up to the view indicator of Allermuir Hill (493m) from where there were no views. We decided against adding Castlelaw Hill (extra 2km with 120m ascent), so we dropped down to a path junction and went straight over, heading up into the cloud again to ascend Capelaw Hill, again with no views from the summit. We decided to take the steeper direct descent north to Bonaly Reservoir, where we stopped for lunch. From the top of the wood, we headed north-east through the fields above Dreghorn, pausing at the stone seat, then continued east to Swanston. A total of about 10km with 450m ascent in 4hr 15. After unloading at the cars we visited the Brasserie, and light rain finally arrived about 3pm.

20/06/2026

On Friday 19th June six walkers with one dog travelled to Birnam Arts cafe. We all arrived slightly earlier than planned, which meant that we had a 15 minute wait for scones fresh from the oven, but they were appreciated. Two others had called off because of the Met Office forecast of heavy rain, but it turned out that the morning weather was better than all forecasts with only occasional drizzle. We walked through Birnam and Little Dunkeld, past the Royal School, the small statue of the fiddler Niel Gow (1727-1807) and the community orchard. We crossed the bridge over the Tay into Dunkeld, and continued north to the Atholl car park. From there we followed signs for the Fiddler's Path, passing to the north of the cathedral, viewing the Mother Larch and other big trees on our way to the River Tay. We continued close to the river, taking the recommended scenic alternative with grotto rather than the waymarked route, then passing Dunkeld House hotel. The surfaced path beside the river turned north, eventually reaching the Jubilee Bridge that carries the A9 over the Tay. We had a loop beyond it to get up to the path beside the road, crossed the bridge, then turned right, joining a route taken in September 2024. We went under the railway and A9 onto the riverside path, soon finding a log for our lunch stop.
After lunch it started to rain more steadily, but the trees provided some cover along the path beside the Tay, so we rarely needed to put hoods up on our walk south to Niel Gow's Oak, where two other walkers had claimed the carved bench just before our arrival. We continued beside the Tay until just before the River Braan joined it from The Hermitage, and walked south to an underpass under the A9. The footbridge over the Braan was washed away in 2023 and not yet replaced, so there is an extra loop of about 1.3 km past the Forestry base at Inver to cross the next bridge, and this section was more exposed to the rain. After going under the A9 again, we opted for a path to the right that gave the most direct return towards Birnam. With the rain easing off, we chose an alternative path through Little Dunkeld and we were soon back at the start for another visit to Birnam Arts cafe. A total of about 12 km in 3hr 30. The return journey to Edinburgh was slower, with a breakdown on the Inveralmond roundabout north of Perth causing long queues on approaches.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/larches.shtml

09/06/2026

On Tuesday 9th June ten walkers with one small dog travelled to the south end of the Forth Road Bridge (FRB), most on the 43 bus then walking up to the bridge, noting that the east walkway is open at present. We walked over the FRB, with good views back to South Queensferry, across to the rail bridge, then later forward to North Queensferry. We descended steps to reach the road into North Queensferry, and at the crossroads decided to leave the Fife Coastal Path (FCP) to visit benches at the Battery Road car park under the rail bridge for our morning coffee stop.
As we were about to leave there was the threat of rain, but it came to nothing, and we were soon back at the crossroads and rejoining the FCP to head up the track towards Carlingnose Point. We visited a viewpoint looking over the Forth, with bumblebees on the cotoneasters, then continued to our picnic lunch spot above Port Laing beach. After a while our route became a rough road and turned left towards Inverkeithing, and we took the parallel path to approach the metal recycling site. It was not far from there to join Ferryhills Road and then left along the main road to Ferrytoll Park & Ride. A total of just under 8 km (5 miles) in 2hr 45 including stops. We waited a bit longer than expected for one of the Stagecoach X buses to get us back to Edinburgh. The weather had been better than forecast, dry with sunny intervals.

30/05/2026

On Saturday 30th May nine walkers with two dogs travelled to Falkland Estate (Stables car park), planning to do a walk that had been scheduled for February 2023 but altered when the path up Maspie Den was closed. Rain was forecast from around 1pm (although it turned out that we only had one shower around then), so we wanted a prompt start, and only two walkers got refreshments from the cafe. The walk started as in 2023, passing a pond opposite the car park and then the Crichton Stewart Memorial Chapel, then across fields to pass behind Falkland House (now a school for children with additional support needs) and descend to Maspie Burn. We took the path upstream, climbing many sets of steps, crossing several bridges and passing a small waterfall, on the way to the Yad Waterfall where the path went behind the falling water. When we climbed up the far side, Callum opted to return to the cafe, leaving Dougie with us to continue the walk. The path continued to climb, but more gently, on the way to Craigmead car park where we were pleased to find the picnic tables free for our lunch stop.
Refreshed, we started back on the same path, but soon took a left turn towards West Lomond, then a right turn to cross moorland where the path was sometimes indistinct, heading north-west towards Maiden Castle, a prehistoric earthwork fort (age unknown). The only shower of the outing arrived as we crossed the moorland, so we opted not to do the extra out-and-back to the top of the low hillock, but we still had views to East and West Lomond. We then headed for a gap between pine and spruce woodlands where there was a gate arrangement that the walk description said was "easily climbed", but we found it tricky, especially getting the dogs over. We then had to step over a fence and descend steeply, to get onto a good path heading towards the Tyndall Bruce Monument. Six walkers with one dog did an out-and-back walk to the distinctive monument with good views, then we all regrouped and decided to take a short-cut back towards the Stables, omitting the loop including the Temple of Decision that was in the walk description. On the way back we went through the dark curved tunnel in the lower part of Maspie Den, then passed close to Falkland House. A total of 3hr 50 including stops.
Our walk was a slightly shortened version of the "Without East Lomond" route in "Best of Falkland" on Fife Walking (blue then red on map), shown as 8.4 km total, but we reckon our shorter version was around 9 km (5.5 miles).
https://fifewalking.com/find-a-walk/central-fife-walks/best-of-falkland/

Cramond Walkers

23/08/2026

15/08/2026

05/08/2026

22/07/2026

11/07/2026

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