Binscarth Woods, Hills of Firth 28/01/19Snow showers forecast but I couldn’t resist going out with the dog over a low range of hills to the north of Finstown - new territory for me.
After parking in Finstown, next to the best burger van in Orkney, I walked up through the village and then took a snow covered track across a field to Binscarth Woods. This is the best patch of woodland on Mainland Orkney, planted in the mid 19th century (More details
HERE). The woods are a haven for birds and are delightful in spring time with masses of flowers, which appear in succession. The snowdrops were just coming out, but were rather lost in the snow!
Binscarth WoodsA path branches off the main stony track to the left - this follows a burn up through the woods, and is recommended in the summer, but it was a quagmire so I avoided it on this occasion. No matter - the main track up through the woods is very pleasant, but all too soon it joins the gravel road flanked by wind twisted trees leading to Binscarth House. After a few hundred yards, where the road takes a sharp turn to the right. a path continues straight ahead: this leads below a gorse covered hillside to the Loch of Wasdale. Instead of taking the path, I followed the road around the bend, and then went through a gate to the left just before the road enters the grounds of Binscarth House. This track climbed pleasantly up through rough grassland, zigzagging up the hillside, fine views unfolding as I climbed. There are a number of small quarries marked on the 1:25000 OS map - once I reached the start of the ridge I traversed off to the left to investigate a line of these small scale excavations. The only thing of interest was a carefully built conical cairn perched on top of one of the spoil tips.
Leaving the cairn, I struck out directly uphill and soon regained the crest of the ridge, which was easy going over short grass at this stage. The Hoy Hills looked very dramatic.
Hoy from Cuffie HillI passed a trig point just below the summit of Cuffie Hill, and soon afterwards entered the heather - this was short at first but soon the going became tough, a mixture of heather, moss and wiry moorland grass that ‘gave’ every time I stepped on it. No choice but to plod on, but the ground got even worse, and it started to snow, which gave the moors a very remote feel. No sign of any path whatsoever, and I enjoyed the feeling of being well off the beaten track, despite the hard going.
Tess enjoying the snowEventually I reached the top of Burrien Hill, disturbing a couple of grouse on the way, and then followed a line of fence posts to Rowamo, the snow easing. More rough ground led me to an ice fringed pool named Verigens on the OS map; a delightful spot in the middle of nowhere.
VerigensIt was downhill from here on, and I was looking forward to an easy descent to the minor road crossing the Lyde, but as I descended the enigmatically named Braes of Aglath, the heather got deeper and deeper, at times up to my knees. Again, no option but to keep plodding on. The vegetation changed, with first sedge and then dwarf willows appearing, quite a lush feel to it. After having to climb in and out of an old peat bank, I struggled across a bog and finally gained the road - what a relief!
Descending the Braes of Aglath to the Lyde road. Very rough going lower down!I turned eastwards and the road soon began to drop down to Rendall. My route back to Finstown was along the quiet Redland Road, an easy and pleasant few miles running beneath the Firth Hills that was not without interest - quite a lot of tree planting has gone on here over the years, and there were good views across the Bay of Firth towards Wideford Hill.
A fine tree A fine beastThe Bay of Firth with Wideford Hill beyondI was on a bit of a mission now as I wanted a lunch time burger; sadly I was to be disappointed, as the burger van was shut!
9 miles, tough going in places.
Note that the heather moors will be vigorously defended by Bonxies during the nesting season.