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This was a last minute hill if there was
any. In the afternoon I'd climbed Barone Hill and three Tops surrounding
it. The Barony remains one of my favourite Bute hills, but the ground
was energy-sapping. I got back to Rothesay and phoned the parents to
discover that they were out and that the house was empty. I didn't want
to go to an empty house - could I fit in a last top? I checked the map.
Birgidale Hill fitted the bill. It's amazing how hidden reserves appear
when you want the energy. This was one of those moments.
Birgidale Hill is not a 'hill' as such. It isn't marked on the map as
being called a hill - this is the name given to the high point of ground
above Birgidale, a small collection of farms beside Loch Quien. It also
has a completely different atmosphere to any other area of Bute, and it
was the only Top where I felt as if I wasn't on an island, I guess
because the expanse
of moorland cuts off sea views. It is also a very solitary Top and would
be useful if I could climb it sooner rather than later.
I cycled out of Rothesay and turned off the main road onto the West
Island Way at Lochend (farm). I guess the loch in question is Loch
Ascog. I don't know how I would have approached Birgidale Hill had this
not been a signposted, public path. Access was made uncomplicated here
and the track is of variable quality. I enjoyed it a lot. Gradually,
height is gained and I came out on top of the moor, waiting for a sharp
right-turn to take me to Birgidale Hill. A couple of houses are up here,
and sheep decorate the driveways. More than a few insisted on being
chased down the track and they hadn't learned better by my return
journey. I located my right-turn easily and cycled the last distance to Birgidale
Hill.
Up here, I saw some kind of bird of prey (?). It took off once and
glided away silently. I didn't get any pictures. It landed by the track
ahead and this time I knew better: camera out, I cycled forward waiting
for it to take off. I don't know what type of bird it is - the
photographs are there and if you know, my email address is on my home
page. I'd like to know.
Birgidale Hill was so convenient because you can cycle to within 200m of
the summit. There is a southern top marked with a trig point and a
northern one unmarked by any cairn. My map identified the north top to be two metres
higher than the south, but some maps claim they are the same. They look
it, too. But I went to both - who knows? (And who cares!?)
The ride home was in building darkness. Steve (brother) phoned me on the
way back. He planned to come over to Bute from Glasgow, but this never
happened in the end. I got in the door at 10.30pm. It had been a tiring
afternoon, but five more Tops were complete. These Bute Tops were hard
work!
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