Devil's Burden Recce 1/01/09
Ascending Bishop HillWhat better on New Year's Day than a long run over the Lomonds of Fife to check out the course for the Devil's Burden Relay Race held later this month. Scott, Amanda, Mary and I met at Scotlandwell car park (the change over point between leg 2 and leg 3) with the idea that we'd probably check out leg 3 then return to our cars. Mary and I have done this before and its a hellish run back along the road after you come off the hill at Strathmiglo. Especially if you're wearing off-road shoes with minimal cushioning.
The third leg is the most tricky of the four for navigating and if there is low cloud can test your skills. I have run it in a horizontal blizzard - white out conditions - and wouldn't have taken the right line had it not been for Ian, my running partner being more familiar with the course.
We were following the maps published here but still had trouble locating exactly the likely checkpoint positions around Bishop Hill which we summited. The checkpoints are not on the top. It was a good reminder of the Bishophill Race which we did last March. On the ascent we bumped into Jocelyn Scott and a pal out doing a similar recce and hoping for fog on leg 3 as it would be to the advantage of the locals.
The weather today was brilliant all morning and most of the afternoon: athough cold and frosty where the suns rays couldn't reach, the sky was blue for almost entirely the whole day and made the run a delight.
At the top of Bishop Hill there is a big white sphere on a platform I don't recall seeing before. It acted as a good reminder of where we needed to return to and was visible for most of the route. After Bishop Hill we headed along the path which isn't terribly straight or obvious in the general direction of West Lomond. As you get closer you leave the path and have to wade over heather then up the steep side of this sizeable hill.
Top of West Lomond. East Lomond in the background.From the top of West Lomond we headed down to find the small path that leads down a very steep shoot and past the checkpoint before you contour along to the woods. We didn't continue down this way as the fourth leg of the route is fairly straightforward and since it would have been in the shadow of the hill we decided to stay on the plateau and run along to East Lomond which we climbed.
On the horizon is the structure at the top of Bishop Hill - our start point.
Checking the map on East LomondIt then made sense to return to Scotlandwell by following the remainder of leg 1 then leg 2. This would take us back round the lochs and complete the circuit. Leg 1 doesn't really require a recce unless you are going to be leading the running as everyone just follows the folk ahead.
However today we had to check the map a couple of times to make sure we went the right way. I had run it a long time ago and parts came back, although I couldn't remember how to link them. There also seems to have been improvements to the loch side path making it easier going.
Leg 1 becomes Leg 2 at the Scottish Water Plant. Again I think the trail beyond here may have been widened and flattened, but was quite hard going on tired feet as it continually rises, gradually at first then toward the top of the hill quite sharply.
Leg 2 - heading for the notch in the trees on the horizon
Back to Bishop Hill - happy new year!After the long haul up to the top of the hill passing a farm - hello Mrs. Pig, an alsation and a labrador very pleased to see us - you turn left and keeping close to the fence come across Bishop Hill again. We then retraced our steps back to the car park. The sky was just beginning to cloud over but much brighter than the views across the Forth where it seemed to have been overcast for much of the day.
Back down off Bishop Hill
Amanda and Scott had rented a pizza delivery van complete with pizza. We all raced back to Edinburgh and did our best to replace the calories spent up the hill. Great day out. 14+ miles 3hrs+ running.
Report and photos pb
