A Den, two Paps, a Bunnet, and a Bower.

I've been itching to have a wee run in the Lomond Hills near Falkland in Fife for an age now. Today I scratched that itch, and to be honest my legs are not very grateful at the moment. Two defining attributes of my day have been snow and wind. There are two very distinctive summits in the Lomond Hills, which on the map are named as East Lomond Hill and West Lomond Hill. More romantically, these are also known as the Paps of Fife.

I'm starting late morning from the car park at the end of a little road called West Port in the village of Falkland. I have a good view of East Lomond Hill above, and it's snowing at the moment. I'm going to start the ascent on the path up Maspie Den, a little gem of a place.

Good view of snow clad East Lomond Hill from the car park

Entering Maspie Den

Easy going ascent at the start of Masipe Den

Maspie Den is lovely. There's a pretty bridge over with two arches, one for the Maspie Burn, and a smaller one for the footpath. There's a short tunnel, today the entrance has icicles. The footpath runs over a wooden bridge underneath a stone bridge. There are plenty of pretty small waterfalls, and the path goes behind one larger waterfall. This one is partially frozen and the icicles are fantastic. I had to duck low to avoid them! If you've done much caving, well, it's like trying not to bump into the stalactites, but with better light.

Double acrhed bridge

Wooden footbridge underneath stone bridge

Tunnel, with icicles, like vampire teeth!

Waterfall, partially frozen, duck to avoid the icicles

Wonderful display of icicles near the waterfall

Now the path leaves the pretty valley and the snow starts to get deeper, the run starts to get harder. I pass a group of walkers and soon onto the open hillside. The wind is very strong here and the snow is drifting. Sometimes the path is very runnable, sometimes not so much. While I've been wading through drifts the conical summit of West Lomond Hill have come into view. This is my first target, it feels like it's a long way away through this snow. Oh well, never mind, carry on.

Leaving Maspie Den the snow is deeper, the running harder ...

... soon leading to the open hillside where strong wind is drifting the snow

The conical summit of West Lomond Hill comes into view

I pass an area with large boulders on the ridge. These are marked as hut circles on map, relics of ancient briton habitation. I come to a dip, the bottom of which is usually soggy and boggy. Today the snow is drifting deep here. Well, anyway, nice view at the bottom.

Hut circles

Snow drifting in the dip ...

... it's knee deep ...

... but the view is nice.

It feels like it takes forever but I reach the base of the summit cone. I'm going to take the easy path which loops around upward to the right and then cuts back on the other side of the cone. Might not have been the best decision I ever made. The other side of the cone is in the lee and the steep snow drift here is even difficult to walk. The summit cairn, trig point and shelters are reached after some effort. Then snap a photo of East Lomond Hill, my next target, it looks so far away through all those snow drifts. The wind is fierce on the top here, I charge straight down the summit cone on rough ground, without thought of footpath, leaping and bounding in the snow. The run back from West Lomond Hill is hard. The wind is picking up and it's in my face. The gradient is gentle and this section should be fast but the snow drifts are slowing me and tiring me. I meet a small group of walkers and stop for a brief chat, and some mutual photographic assist.

Approaching the summit cone of West Lomond Hill

Steep deep drifts in the lee  ascending ...

... the summit cairn, trig point, and shelters are reached.

View to East Lomond Hill

Running from West Lomond toward East Lomond

The route from West Lomond to East Lomond descends to cross a high level road near a car park and picnic area. There's a short steep section and then a longer section of gentle ascent. I had hoped to have a good fast run along this section but the snow drifts are deeper here, above the fence tops in places. I pause to look back along this section and I'm starting to wonder why I'm doing this today. The base of the summit cone of East Lomond Hill is approached and I'm thinking to myself, no way these legs are going to let me do that today. Well, sometimes it's a case of mind over matter. The viewfinder on the summit comes into view. The trig point is not on the summit of this hill, it's below me.

Deep drifts here

Looking back near the summit cone of East Lomond Hill

Approaching the summit cone of East Lomond Hill

The summit viewfinder comes into sight ...

... the trig point is below.

I pause in the summit area to take a couple of pictures. I like the view over the village of Falkland. My descent will take me through the forest to the north. The wind up here is even more fierce than before, a couple of strong gusts have nearly knocked me over, I want down from here. I have no other thought in my head, and follow the track to the south-east. Yet another less than brilliant decision, the course correction has me running across rough tussocky grassland at times landing almost waist deep in the snow. Luckily it's only a handful of minutes before I find the correct path, and the entrance to the forest.

View of Falkland from East Lomond Hill

I should descend through forest to the north, left of picture ...

... but I take the wrong path and must cross rough ground

The entrance to the forest

The steep stepped path through the forest offers stunning views. The steps are snowy and slippery and I must concentrate on footwork. I startle several deer but they are gone before I can be ready with camera. Leaving the forest I have about 500m through the village back to the car park, and then a short drive to the start point of Part 2 ...

Descending snowy steep steps through the forest ...

... lovely views here.

... Part 2 is a short trip to the Bunnet Stane and Maiden's Bower underneath West Lomond Hill to the north. The view of the steep craggy north side of West Lomond Hill is impressive, the going underfoot less so with more deep drifting snow. The Bunnet Stane is a curious natural rock formation. The Maiden's Bower is an un-natural cave in the same outcrop.

Views of West Lomond Hill on approach to Bunnet Stane ...

... the going underfoot is less wonderful

The Bunnet Stane

The Maiden's Bower

The Bunnet Stane

I have a short jog through the deep snow back to the car from here, and then I'm done for the day, and about 45 minutes drive back home. It's been an, err, umm, interesting and challenging day.Some of the sights have been very special, the waterfall and icicles come to mind. Most of the running has been wonderful, the snow drift wading, well, not so much, and there's been an awful lot of snow drift wading.

I've done about 2:45 of running/wading, covered a little over 18km horizontal, climbed a bit more than 700m, and my legs are tired, very tired. I can see a session on the foam roller for me this evening ...