Sublime Sunset, Snow

The Sun has been shining here at last (happy feelings) and the snow on the Pentland Hills has started to melt now (mixed feelings). I had a super  early morning run in the hills on Monday morning at sunrise. I've been noticing from afar the light on the snow covered hills around sunset, and I've been wanting to get up there for a piece of that action. Looking at my schedule, today is the day, so clear the decks for the evening, and off goes me ...

I'm starting from the car park at Boghall just off the A702, and here indeed the snow has melted. We'll have lovely little lambs in the fields here before long. I'm starting to climb on the stepped footpath through trees along the Boghall Burn. The burn is flowing fast with the melt water. The path leads up to the Castlelaw area, but I want to run along the track up Boghall Glen, so I cross back over on a small wooden bridge. Coming up the steps away from the stream, pretty little snowdrops catch my eye.

From the car park at Boghall, the snow here has melted away already

Ascent on steps through trees along Boghall Burn ...

... the burn is flowing hard with melt water.

Crossing the burn on a wooden bridge, and more steps ...

.... pretty little snowdrops!

The route here crosses some fields and then turns through the trees to a farm track up into the Boghall Glen. To the right are a couple of radio aerials that remain from the Second World War. These were designed to receive high frequency transmissions from South Africa. To the left a weather station. The track here can be muddy in the wet, and with the snow melt today is no exception. At the large stile it looks like the going might get better. The footpath is a slushy muddy affair for a while, but as I ascend the remaining snow gets crisper, and deeper at the next stile. I'm heading up to the bealach ahead, charmingly named "Windy Door Nick" and then a left up to Allermuir Hill.

World War II radio masts to the right ...

... and a weather station to the left

The track is very muddy with the snow melt

Looks like it could better going after this stile

Further up the snow gets crisper ...

... and deeper at the next stile.

I reach the summit where I stop a short while to chat with some walkers and realise I've got the timing all wrong. I had wanted to be here a little before sunset, but I've been too eager. It must be about another hour before sunset. I'm not going to sit around here for 45 minutes, I'd freeze, so I decide to have a little romp over nearby Capelaw to pass some time and keep me warm. On Capelaw the Sun is now lowering in the sky, I'd better dash back to Allermuir. From the bealach between Capelaw and Allermuir I can see that the snow is just starting to reflect the colours of sunset. This is what I've come up here for this evening. I'm soon back on top of Allermuir and the orange coloured snow scenes are coming along well. I'm heading back down to Windy Door Nick and then along the ridge to Caerketton Hill now.

From Capelaw, sunset approaches.

The sunset colours of the snow start to develop

Back on top of Allermuir the sunset is getting good

The orange sunset colour of the snow

I'm heading along to Caerketton Hill from here

Heading along the ridge, the going isn't always good, there has been quite a bit of drifting here, but it's mostly runnable, I'm happy. I reach the summit of Caerketton and turn to run back to Windy Door Nick with the splendour of the last few minutes of sunset in front of me. I have a brief stop to chat with another group of walkers and some mutual photographic assistance. The sun is soon down, I reach Windy Door Nick, and make left to return to the slushy muddy descent of Boghall Glen. The A702 is not far below me but I do not hear the traffic noise, I hear the sound of my feet sloshing and squelching into the ground below, the sound of my breathing, and best of all the splendid symphony of evening birdsong.

Sun setting as I return along the Caerketton ridge ...

... just a little is below the horizon now

Small descent on the undulating ridge.

The sunset is almost done ...

... and now it's down.

Back down the slushy muddy glen in the twilight.

Happy little me, I got what I came here for this evening, absolutely lovely. I've run a bit further than expected due to over eager timing error, I've covered 10.5km and climbed about 500m. I've been on the go, with a lot of snapping photos, and a bit of chatting with friendly walkers, for 1:33:35, and I've had a great time. I've got some very muddy running shoes to wash now.

Enjoy!