The Sidlaws

 

I went up Black Hill this morning - it's the third time I've been there in the last week or two, which might sound like I'm not 'progressing' the summer project, but it's not really the case.  It's allowing me to find my legs and also to have a good look around at what's up there.  The wildflowers are amazing at the moment and I got quite caught up taking photographs of them. I also love the stunted hawthorns and willows on the north side.  I thought about walking on to King's Seat but I didn't feel like it today - that will be a full day out for me, at some future point, and an early start.  I just sat at the back of the hill and watched a kestrel and ravens and listened to the skylarks.   I also walked over to the second cairn.   

Wildflowers.  Lousewort, blaeberry, butterwort, tormentil, milkwort, chickweed wintergreen.  

The 2nd cairn.  Overlooking Dunsinnan. 

Looking over to the King's Seat 

skirting round Dunsinnan.  

Gorse is amazing just now and the scent as you went up the hill was wonderful 

  There's a lot of interesting history to the Sidlaws,  it was a strategically important area for the Romans and earlier peoples and it's full of forts, castles and prehistoric remains which I plan to learn more about.   I won't bother writing about much of that because it's all been done before.  It occurs to me that it's pointless writing anything at all about exploring the Sidlaws because , well, same reason.  I could chunter on about what it's like walking on my own, as a female,  but that's pretty much been done to death as well.  I also realise, having just viewed this on my laptop, that I should use my camera for blog photos because phone photos don't translate well.  Onwards.

Pole Hill 

On Pole Hill

From the bluff on Pole Hill. 

Black Hill, living up to its name

I reckon I now know the western Sidlaws pretty well, and the Braes of the Carse.  Kinpurnie is as far east as I've gone.  Some hills tend to get a bit busy with cyclists and dog walkers, and with cattle and horses.  I can't really add anything further except to advise reading David Dorward's excellent book (parking is now impossible however in some of the places he suggests, due to farmers blocking areas off) and a blog called The Oikofuge: A discursive blog on various topics of minor interest where there is a very thorough and detailed recent account of an exploration of the Sidlaws.