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Long Mynd
Location: Shropshire
Hills
Grid Ref: SO
4155944
Height: 1693 ft (516
m)
Status: Marilyn
Notes: The Long
Mynd is an impressive and extensive heathland plateau, part of the
Shropshire Hills, laying immediately to the west of Church Stretton
near Shrewsbury. A moorland road passes within a quarter of a mile of
Pole Bank, the highest point, but to drive to the summit would be to
miss the delights of the area as a whole. There are a number of
possible approaches from either side but for the best experience walk
up from Church Stretton by the path south of Town Hollow and return by
Cardingmill Valley which boasts some of the best ravine scenery in
England. The top is just 90 minutes' walk from the town and the whole
plateau is superb, easy walking country. Wales is only a few miles to
the west and the view extends to the mid-Wales hills and the Becon
Beacons, while in the other direction the panorama includes Wenlock
Edge and the Wrekin.
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Long
Side
Location: Lake
District,
Northern Fells
Grid Ref: NY
248284
Height: 2408 ft (734
m)
Status: Wainwright,
Hewitt,
Nuttall
Notes: The central
top of the subsidiary ridge that lays to the southwest of Skiddaw's
summit, Long Side is dwarfed by its lofty parent yet is a delightful
excursion. It can rarely be climbed in its own right, but is a useful
diversion from Skiddaw itself along with its neighbours Carl Side and
Ullock Pike. There's an easy path from Skiddaw to Long Side via the
Carl Side Col. The Long Side ridge is airy without being in any way
daunting, and has fine views over both Derwentwater and Bassenthwite. |
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Lonscale
Fell
Location: Lake
District,
Northern Fells
Grid Ref: NY
285271
Height: 2346 ft (715
m)
Status: Wainwright,
Hewitt,
Nuttall
Notes: Lonscale
Fell is an
eastern outlier of Skiddaw. Its pleasant, grassy and almost flat top is
easily reached from the main Skiddaw path by turning off right at the
top
of Jenkin Hill. It boasts one of the best views of Derwentwater. The
fell
itself has few interesting features apart from its shapely east top,
which
overlooks the Glenderaterra valley. A cycle track winds around the
lower
slopes of the fell en route for the Skiddaw House youth hostel.
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Looking
Steads
Location: Lake
District,
Southern Fells
Grid Ref: NY
245101
Height: 2543 ft (775
m)
Status: Nuttall
Notes: A top of
Glaramara,
laying some 800 metres to the south of its parent fell and, thanks to
the
rocky nature of the local terrain, qualiofying as a Nuttall in its own
right. The summit cairn is roughly sixty metres to the east of the main
ridge path. The ascent from the south, the usual route from Allen Crags
to Glaramara, is a slightly tricky clamber and requires care. The views
are rougly the same as from Glaramara.
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Mam Sodhail
Location: Scottish
Highlands,
Affric
Grid Ref: NH
120253
Height: 3875 ft (1181
m)
Status: Munro, Murdo
Notes: Britain's
fourteenth
highest mountain, and the second highest north of the Great Glen, Mam
Sodhail
(or Mam Soul, its Anglicized form) is surprisingly easy to ascend. The
nearest road access is just a handful of miles away at the end of the
Glen
Affric road from where you take the footpath along the north side of
Loch
Affric, turning right into Coire Leachavie and following a stalkers'
path
up to the col. The summit of Mam Sodhail is a short stroll from here up
the last couple of hundred feet. The summit picture to the left is the
view down into Gleann nam Fiadh from the top, which features a massive
pepperpot cairn. The view is excitingly crowded and includes much of
the
North West Highlands.
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Mam Tor
Location: Peak
District,
Derbyshire
Grid Ref: SK
127836
Height: 1695 ft (517
m)
Status: Dewey
Notes: Mam Tor is
a magnet to
visitors to the Derbyshire village of Castleton, from where it can be
climbed
in around 50 minutes. The highest point of the ridge between Castleton
and Edale, it's a favourite spot for hang-gliding. The south face
features
bedding planes of gritstone and shale, and is remarkably steep. The
best
approaches are via the col of Hollins Cross to the east, or via Mam
Nick
to the west. Mam Tor is also known as the Shivering Mountain, on
account
of the occasional landslips on its southern face.
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Maol
Chinn-dearg
Location: Scottish
Highlands,
Kintail
Grid Ref: NH
032087
Height: 3218 ft (981
m)
Status: Munro, Murdo
Notes: The fourth
of the seven
Munros of the South Kintail ridge. 2km and about an hour's walk from
Aonach
air Chrith. The east ridge is complex with a couple of shapely minor
tops,
which can be bypassed. The summit stands at the apex of a bend in the
ridge,
and it gives splendid views along both aspects of Glen Shiel and the
mountains
either side. To the south, Loch Quoich and the surrounding hills are
well
seen, and there's also an inviting view into the remote Knoydart area.
If you're not continuing along the main ridge, a good path all the way
down the north ridge will get you back down to Glen Shiel only 2km from
the Cluanie Inn.
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Meall
a'Buachaille
Location: Scottish
Highlands,
Cairngorms
Grid Ref: NH
990115
Height: 2657 ft (810
m)
Status: Corbett,
Marilyn
Notes: The highest
top of the ridge to the north of Loch Morlich, Meall a'Buchaiile is a
popular climb. The standard route takes the forest track from Glenmore
through the Pass of Ryvoan to Ryvoan Bothy, from where a
well-maintained path goes up the eastern ridge of the hill. It is a
fine vantage point for Cairn Gorm and its ridges and corries, and also
overlooks the Rothiemuchus forest to the south and the Abernethy forest
to the north. There are glimpses of high tops beyond the Great Glen,
and of those either side of the upper Spey valley around Newtonmore and
Dalwhinnie.
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Meall
Chuaich
Location: Scottish
Highlands, Drumochter
Grid Ref: NN
716878
Height: 3120 ft (951
m)
Status: Munro, Murdo,
Marilyn
Notes: Meall Chuaich stands at the northeast corner of the group of
hills surrounding the Drumochter pass and overlooks the upper Spey
valley. Access is easy, there being a good waterworks track from
Chuaich, near Dalwhinne, to the adjacent loch and then a moderately
graded hill path to the summit. The only slight obstacle is a boulder
field surrounding the summit dome. Views are extensive and include the
Cairngorms, the Mounth, the Glen Tilt hills and the rest of the
Drumochter hills, as well as the Ben Alder group to the west and the
Monadhliath to the northwest. Newtonmore, Kungussie and Aviemore can
all be seen. The vast emptiness of the Gaick forest stretches for many
miles to the southeast.
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Meall
nan Sleac
Location: Scottish
Highlands,
Cairngorms
Grid Ref: NN
868944
Height: 2625 ft (800
m)
Status: Corbett Top
Notes: Meall nan
Sleac is a northeastern outlier of Mullach Clach a'Bhlair, and is just
a five minue diversion off the ascent path to the latter from Glen
Feshie. The best feature of the view is that the summit stands on the
southern lip of the ravine-like Coire Garbhlach. The huge bulk of the
western Cairngorm plateau shuts out any view to the east, but westwards
several stretches of Glen Feshie are in view as well as the wild
country beyond, over towards Glen Tromie, the Gaick Forest and
Drumochter.
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Meikle
Pap
Location: Scottish
Highlands,
Mounth
Grid Ref: NO
259860
Height: 3215 ft (980
m)
Status: Munro top,
Murdo
Notes: Meikle Pap
is a top of Lochnagar, and the first one reaached if you approach by
the usual route from Spittal of Glenmuick. It's a mere 200 ft of ascent
from the col below the main summit plateau, and the diversion from the
main path takes a mere ten minutes. It's worth the visit, for the Pap
is a superb viewpoint for Lochnagar's northern cliffs and corries.
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Middle
Dodd
Location: Lake
District,
Eastern Fells
Grid Ref: NY
397095
Height: 2146 ft (654
m)
Status: Wainwright
Notes: Middle Dodd
is really
no more than a slight rise on the north ridge of Red Screes as it
descends
to Brothers Water, but nevertheless it's a pleasant place to be. The
views
down towards Brothers Water, eastwards to Stony Cove Pike and westwards
to Little Hart Crag and Fairfield are all excellent. It's easily
visited
from Red Screes, with minimal reascent, and the walk takes less than
fifteen
minutes. Curiously, Wainwright gives the height of the fell at 2106 ft.
Perhaps he regarded a minor bump further along the ridge as the summit.
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Minch Moor
Location: Southern
Uplands, Traquair
Grid Ref: NT
358330
Height: 1860 ft (567
m)
Status: Marilyn
Notes: A lonely
summit, a few hundred metres off the route of the Southern Upland Way
between Galashiels and Traquair. Minch Moor is a broad moorland top
surrounded by forest plantations and there is no immediate view, just
distant panoramas. The view to the south and west is especially fine.
The hill can be climbed from Traquair in an hour and a half.
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Morrone
Location: Scottish
Highlands,
Mounth
Grid Ref: NO
132886
Height: 2818 ft (859
m)
Status: Marilyn,
Corbett
Notes:
Morrone is one of the most accessible and easily ascended of Britain's
higher summits. Laying just two miles southwest of Braemar in
Aberdeenshire, its summit can be climbed from the town in just 75
minutes. The slopes are largely heather clad but towards the top the
terrain becomes more rocky. A mountain rescue radio hut at the summit
is served by a rough track that leads south then east off the summit
and reaches the minor road opposite Auchallater - it can be utilised as
an alternative route of ascent or descent to make a visit to Morrone a
circular walk. Views southward are restricted by the Carn Aosda / Carn
a' Gheoid massif, but there are good views of the Mounth ranges to the
east and west and an excellent view of the Cairngorms to the north.
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Mullach Clach a'Bhlair
Location: Scottish
Highlands, Cairngorms
Grid Ref: NN
882927
Height: 3343 ft (1019
m)
Status: Munro, Murdo
Notes: A remote top,
not so much a peak as a gentle swelling in the huge moorland void
between the Feshie and the Eidart in the southwestern corner of the
Cairngorms. Access is relatively easy, however, by virtue of a
landrover track that comes up from Glen Feshie and crosses the moor
just three hundred meters north of the summit. The top can be reached
in just under three hours from the nearest road access at Achlean.
There is no foreground interest, and on the day I climbed the Mullach
it was blanketed in dense cloud so I had no view, but it would be
expected to include the Sgor Gaoith ridge end-on to the north, and the
twin bulks of Monadh Mor and Beinn Bhrotain to the east with perhaps
Cairn Toul and Ben Macdui overtopping them. To the south and southeast
are the wastes of the Feshie / Geldie watershed, beyond which An
Sgarsoch, Beinn Dearg and the hills of Glen Tilt would stand out.
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Mungrisedale
Common
Location: Lake
District,
Northern Fells
Grid Ref: NY
311293
Height: 2077 ft (633
m)
Status: Wainwright
Notes: Why did
Wainwright
count Mungrisedale Common as a fell in its own right? There are two
common
theories: he either included it as a joke to see how many of his
readers
would seek out the summit, or he was seeking to fill the pages of his
Northern
Fells book, which has a relative paucity of fells compared to the
others.
Whatever the reason, he was pretty dismissive of Mungrisedale Common,
likening
its shape to that of "a pudding which has been sat on". In his day
there
was nothing to mark the nominal summit but a small cairn now exists and
no less than seven paths converge on it. The common is a vast splodge
of
moorland forming the northwestern hinterland of Blencathra, and barley
rises above the intervening col; nevertheless it has its charms,
provided
that you visit on a sunny day. Best approached from the foot of Foule
Crag,
from where there's a path most of the way. The top image shows the fell
as seen from Blencathra; it's the grassy sprawl in the middle distance.
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Mynydd Machen
Location: Ebbw Vale
Grid Ref: ST
223900
Height: 1188 ft (362
m)
Status: Marilyn,
Clement
Notes: Mynydd Machen
stands to the southwest of Risca, a few miles north of Newport. The
hill carries a prominent TV relay mast on its summit and can be seen
from most of the coastal plain between Cardiff and Newport. Both towns
figure prominently in the summit view, which also extends across the
Bristol channel to Somerset. The easiest access from the road network
is at Gelli-ffiniog farm at ST216907, from where a track goes right to
the top.
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Mynydd Twyn-glas
Location: Lwyd Vale
Grid Ref: ST
259978
Height: 1549 ft (472
m)
Status: Marilyn,
Clement
Notes: Mynydd
Twyn-glas (Mynydd Maen on some maps) is an extensive area of high
ground situated between Cwmbran to the east and Newbridge to the west.
It can be ascended from either, though the approach from Cwmbran is
quicker. Drivers can park at ST277979 and take the track to the
top; non drivers can get a bus as far as Upper Cwmbram at ST274969. The
ascent is gentle. The summit is a typical heathland plateau, though any
sense of wilderness is dashed by the line of pylons and two clusters of
radio masts. Newport, the Bristol Channel and Somerset are seen to the
south, the Abergavenny hills to the northeast and the higher tops of
the Brecon Beacons to the northwest.
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Mynydd y Lan
Location: Ebbw Vale
Grid Ref: ST
208923
Height: 1250 ft (381
m)
Status: Marilyn,
Clement
Notes: Mynydd y Lan
lays to the west of Crosskeys in lower Ebbw Vale, not many miles
northwest of Newport, a near neighbour of Mynydd Machen (q.v.).
Itfeatures steep slopes on most sides though the summit itself is
pretty flat and featureless, marked only by a boundary stone. The best
access is at ST218917 though the map is not terribly accurate in its
depiction of the path network; the route I found was initially along
the Two Rivers walk then an unmarked track up left through the forest
to the foot of Cox's Quarry, from where a sketchy path ran up the left
side of the quarry rim to reach a track hugging the side of the forest
for the rest of the way up. Cardiff and Newport both feature in the
view to the south, while the rest of the panorama encompasses many of
the heights between the Glamorgan valleys.
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Nine
Barrow Down
Location: Purbeck
Downs, Dorset
Grid Ref: SZ
007811
Height: 653 ft (199
m)
Status: Marilyn
Notes: One of a
handful of Marilyns whose status was discovered after Dawson published
his original list, Nine Barrow Down is the top of a downland ridge
laying to the soutwest of Poole Harbour. It stands above the coastal
resort of Swanage, from where it's a comfortable walk of just under an
hour. To make it a worthwhile expedition consider walking the whole
three-mile ridge from Swanage to Corfe Castle, or vice-versa. The
highest point is unmarked, the trig pillar having been removed, and
lays about 100 metres north of the footpath at a field corner near a
pair of masts. Poole and Bournemouth are seen to the north, the Ise of
Wight to the east and the Purbeck Downs and Corfe Castle to the west.
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Nine
Standards Rigg
Location: Yorkshire
Dales,
Swaledale
Grid Ref: NY
8250611
Height: 2172 ft (662
m)
Status: Marilyn,
Hewitt,
Nuttall
Notes: A sprawling
hill in the northern Pennines, Nine Standards Rigg lays on the route of
the Coast to Coast Walk. On the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National
Park and on the main watershed of England, it overlooks the town of
Kirkby Stephen three miles to the west, and it's from here that the
easiest ascent can be made. The origin of the nine "stone men" or
columnar cairns on the summit, is a mystery. |
