Droop Hill: I left my vehicle at the start of the access road leading to the wind farm, reached from the unclassified road north-west of Glenbervie, and walked up this track into a field which was muddy on passing the cattle shed. The cows were in a far corner and didn’t move. I passed the first wind turbine then crossed a field to the trig point although I also visited a couple of high points as the trig wasn’t the actual summit of this Tump. I returned by the upward route.
Knock Hill: This Tump was located south-west of Glenbervie and I planned to climb it from the unclassified road to the north. I looked at a couple of points, one near Glenbervie and the other beside Auchtochter but cattle prevented me from gaining access. I settled for a point midway between them, crossing a barbed wire fence and walking up the edge of a field. Another barbed wire fence and field was crossed then I came to an electric fence which I had to be negotiated to reach Knock Hill’s grassy summit. Nearby there were a couple of bulls so I didn’t linger although they never moved. On the return route I had to take a slight diversion as the cows had spotted me and were headed in my direction.
Herscha Hill: I left my car at a farm gate beside the access road to Mid Blairs, north-east of Auchenblae, and walked up this track then along another one that led to a new house. Beyond this property I crossed a field of rough grazing containing a pony and a stubble field where I walked up its edge to the far corner. Here I crossed a couple of gates and entered a grassy field to reach the summit of this Tump. The return was by the upward route although I by-passed the field with the pony and the track to the new house by crossing a stubble field to reach my car.
Leachie Hill: I parked at the rear of the houses at Chapelton, accessed from an unclassified road north-west of Glenbervie, and walked north up the Right of Way for Feughside passing West Bogton and entering the forest. Tracks were followed to the high point and here I left them and entered the trees. After wandering through the fir trees and crossing a couple of areas of open ground I came to a vehicle track running east to west beside a gas pipeline. The highest point of this Tump appeared to be ground above the pipeline. I also visited the trig point which was on open heathery ground to the east before returning to the pipeline track. It was followed west to rejoin the vehicle track used earlier, albeit a bit further north, then it was back to the start by the upward route.
- Total time – 4 hours.
- Total distance – 15 kilometres.
- Total height climbed – 460 metres.