Cammo Estate, and more Trails on the Riverbank

Just a week ago today I have a lovely lunchtime run around Cramond Island and River Almond when I ran past Cammo Estate and was thinking to myself, nice off road running there, come back another day. I have a  free afternoon today and despite less than wonderful weather, winds and drizzle, I'm in the mood for about an hour of off road running. Easy decision to head out to Cammo Estate and combine with some more exploration of the riverside trails upstream of Grotto Bridge.

This afternoon I'll start at the car park for Cammo Estate on Cammo Walk heading along an easy hard tree lined path upwards.  I leave the path to the left across dry mud on ploughed fields to explore Cammo Tower and the little "hill" ahead. Among the trees on the "hill" it's delightful and the views are better than I had expected. I return across the fields to the trees with the decaying ruin of the estate stables in front of me, and shortly to my left the remains of the piggery.

Tree lined footpath away from the car park

Crossing fields to the tower and "hill"

Nice among the trees on the "hill"

Good view to the tower below ...

... across yellow farm fields ...

... and the Pentland Hill in the distance

The remains of the stables ...

... and the piggery.

I have some more delightful running through the tress and I reach another ruin, the estate house. Taking a left here I find a blooming colourful tree and soon a pretty wildflower meadow. I'm leaving the estate now at Cammo Road on a path which will take me back to the River Almond. The path here is through woodland high above the river and the flowers are gorgeous. In a few minutes I pass Grotto Bridge with the river crashing over the rocks far below me.

Beautiful running through the trees here ...

... and here as the trails are smaller ...

... to another ruin, the remains of the estate house.

Blooming beautiful tree.

Pretty wildflower meadow.

Footpath down to the riverside trails ...

... where the woodland scenes are enchanting.

Passing Grotto Bridge ...

... water crashing over the rocks far below.

I am now exploring new paths for me, always a special pleasure. To begin I continue through the woodland and more enchantment. The river seen through the trees is deep, wide and slow here. Then the trees are behind me and running on a narrow path through the undergrowth I reach a railway bridge. I had planned to turn back here, but the trails are calling me and I decide to continue a little further. I'm running on a narrow strip between the river and the perimeter fence of the airport, and it's really noisy. I was prepared, I have my media player pumping hard trance anthems, but the sounds or airplanes arriving and departing blast through anyway. The trail starts to break down, over grown, I'm thinking it's getting to be time to turn back, but first creep over to the fence and take a few snaps of the action at the airport.

Upstream from Grotto Bridge the woodland wonder continues ...

... the river through the trees, wide, deep, and slow.

The woodland behind me, a railway bridge.

I should turn back but the path entices me to continue ...

... until the path is almost lost in the undergrowth.

Airport action .. landing ...

... bump, touchdown.

Here I turn around and backtrack to return to Cammo Estate. The river scenes are a delight for my eyes. I spy what looks like a basic footbridge on the opposite back, perhaps there is some kind of footpath there, hmm, interesting, for another day. To my left is a small side trail, irresistible. This might lead nowhere, a dead-end, a track used by the river fishers, who knows, let's go explore, happiness.  Turns out to be a great call, I enjoy some "technical" running (i.e., hazards), sublime woodland scenes, and the river is divine. Just before the path turns up to meet route one, a great view of Grotto Bridge from below.

Returning the views over the river are a delight.

Looks like a footbridge on the other bank, more to explore, another day

Liking the look of the side trail to the left ...

... good decision, this is really beautiful ...

... and the river is so peaceful ...

... then a great view of Grotto Bridge from below.

I'm very soon back at Cammo Estate and at "Home Field" I'm running down to see some more abandoned buildings, I think this is the farmhouse, and then back up the field. There are some very fine old trees here.  I find myself back at the remains of the estate house, and then along another wide tree lined path back to the car park.

Back at Cammo Estate, Home field.

The farmhouse, I think, abandoned.

Some wonderful old trees here ...

.... really liking these trees.

Suddenly I'm back at the remains of the estate house ...

... and then on a wide tree lined path back to the car park.

Yay! That was a lovely easy bank holiday monday afternoon of trail running in such beautiful varied and interesting surroundings. Life is good. I've been out for a bit over one hour, about eleven kilometres, and apparently the total ascent was about 120 metres (so says garmin). Lots of dogs!

Enjoy!

Tinto Hill, Revisited, Sunshine!

I'm on my revisit round job this weekend after the crazy snowy weather in March/April. Last Sunday I was back in the Lomond Hills and it was foggy. Today I'm back at Tinto Hill and it is sunny, yay! I was here on Sunday, March 17 in deep snow and mist and at times near to white-out conditions. Today I can share with you the beauty of Tinto on a clear day.

I'm starting again from the car park near the tea room and today I can see all the way up Tinto Hill. The car park is almost full today. The tourist route here is dry mud. So much easier running than the slush and snow I found in March. I'm not going to spend long on the tourist route, with this excellent visibility I'm exploring alternatives. Just before the iron age fort there's a gate and a fence to the left. I'm off the hard mud onto the soft rough ground along the edge of this fence for a about a mile. There are lots of folk walking the tourist route as usual on a fine weekend day. Here it's just me and the sheep and the rough and wet ground. I reach a farm track which will take me up toward a patch of forest above me. In front of me is Scaut Hill, my first target today, and to my right Tinto Hill, the main event of the afternoon.

Starting from the car park near the tea room on a fine clear day

The tourist route is hard dry mud today.

Leaving the tourist route and following this fence ...

... on good rough ground ...

... often nice and soft .underfoot ...

... to a farm track ascending, Scaut Hill in front, Tinto Hill to the right.

I'm leaving the farm track and heading along sheep tracks toward the corner of the forest. The views up to Tinto Hill are enticing and I'm tempted to change route, but I persist and descend through the heather to a pretty little stream which I have to cross.

Leaving the farm track to the left here, and what's this thing ahead?

Enticing views toward Tinto Hill, looks like another nice path, one day, ...

... but today descending through the bone dry heather ...

... to a pretty little stream below ...

... and a convenient crossing.

I ascend a little from the stream and traverse along sheep tracks and rough ground crossing a few more delightful little streams until I pick up the farm track ascending Scaut Hill. I remember, I am going up Tinto, I should take a stone. The ascent is relentless, at first grassy, and then often rough and stoney. The views to the summit of Tinto are great and I can see the track from Scaut Hill to Tinto Hill, navigation is a breeze today. I could do with some breeze at the moment, I'm getting really hot now, overheating a little. Reaching the summit of Scaut Hill I find piles of stones. I also find a welcome breeze and a very welcome little bit of descending to the saddle between Scaut Hill and Tinto Hill.

Traversing toward the next patch of forest ...

... crossing some pretty little streams.

The track up over Scaut Hill ...

where I remember to take a stone.

The ascent is relentless ...

.. and becomes rough and stoney.

Great views to the summit of Tnto here

Piles of Stones on top of Scaut Hill ...

... and a little bit of welcome descent to the saddle.

I am soon at the low point of the saddle where there are puddles and ahead of me some more relentless ascent to Tinto Hill with more stones. I step off the track onto the grass at the right and pause to take a swig of coconut water and look behind over Scaut Hill. I can hardly believe I was there just a few minutes ago and I feel great, recharged, full of energy now. Passing through a gate I know I am near to the tourist route and the summit, but I don't know what these iron boxes are all about. I'm back on route one and the summit is just ahead of me, one more short hard pull and I'll be there.

Puddles at the saddle, and relentless ascent ahead ...

... looking back over Scaut Hill ...

... avoid the stones on the grass to the right

Not a clue what these iron boxes are all about

Route one regained and the summit is near

Today I can see the trig point and the top of the cairn is clear. The young chap here kindly takes a photograph and we exchange a few words, he seems a little bored, but perks up as he sees his mum and his
dad get up ready to move off down again. I take a moment to admire the views from Tinto, on a clear day these are simply wonderful.

The trig is easily found today ...

... and the cairn above the trig is clear

Yours truly ... 

... admiring the views to the north ...

... east ...

... south ...

... and west.

I have one more thing to do here, it's the stone I've stowed in my waist pack. Alright, it's a feeble little stone, but, come on, give a break, I've been running. Time to descend and soon a fork in the path ... left or right ... I'll go left, it's more fun that way. The path leads around the top of steep sided Maurice's Cleugh. I have a little play in the scree (camera stowed, natch) then when it gets very steep a careful traverse to the heather and grass slopes. I am in the sun and in the lee now and I am overheated, so a pause to swig coconut water and tie the t-shirt around the straps of the waist pack. The remainder of this run will be bare chested. I have a much cooler steep descent on the grass and burnt heather toward a pretty clump of trees and then turn left into the cleugh for a photo-op.

Leaving my small contribution to the Tinto cairn ...

... and now to descend.

Hmm, left or right here, I'll go left ... 

... along the top of Maurice's Cleugh ...

... steep scree, a little scree play here then ...

... back to the heather and grass.

The cleugh ... beautiful.

I'm heading back to route one and the car park now on sheep tracks, scraps of ATV tracks, and rough ground. The tourist route comes into view with families of walkers and in a jiffy I'm up among the rings of the iron age fort taking photographs of sheep (again, well, I am a Welsh boy, fair enough). Through the gate near the fort and a canter on the dry mud back to the car park where some walkers take a photograph.

Sheep tracks back to route one ...

... look like the tourist route ahead

Sheep among the rings of the iron age fort

Through the gate and a canter to the car park

Hot and happy at the ending

Well that was a really enjoyable outing for me today, hard work for sure, but that's the way, ah ha, ah ha, I like it ... I've been going for just over one hour and three quarters, just under twelve kilometres distance, and just under six hundred metres total ascent. Fingers crossed, I'll have started to get a bit of a suntan at the same time. Now time to head back to Edinburgh, grab a spot of late lunch, and a brief meet up with some folk running in EMF tomorrow.

Enjoy!