KYQ4: Meikle Bin

Tuesday, 26 January 2021

Meikle Bin

Carron Valley Reservoir from Meikle Bin

Monday, 25 January 2021

Ascent: 380 metres

Distance: 10.5 kilometres

Time: 1 hour 51 minutes

Meikle Bin 570m 58mins

Although the Meikle Bin in the Carron Valley Forest is only 15 miles from home and a Marilyn, I had never climbed it. After walking up the local hills every day this year, I needed a change of scenery and the cold sunny weather of recent days was still with us. I left home after lunch and parked at Todholes. next to the dam of the Carron Valley Reservoir on the B818 road from Fintry. The parking area was a sheet of ice and there were a dozen or so cars already there. As soon as I entered the forest trails beyond the entrance gate, the trails were snow-covered with a good grip. The stillness, crisp cool air and soft underfoot conditions made for perfect walking. As in any forestry plantation, there were numerous trails to follow but there was good signage to Meikle Bin.

I passed the bridge over the River Carron, a mother was walking her two young children and her daughter was attempting to walk on the ice-covered river. I was worried, the river is quite deep and I could see some holes in the ice where stones had been thrown in. I said hello to the girl as I passed and suggested that it was not safe to walk on the ice. Her mother heard me and called her not to walk on the ice but the girl continued to step further so I raised my voice and instructed her to come off. I put my phone and keys into my jacket pocket and was ready to whip it off, President Bartlet style when the girl turned around and skipped up the bank.

It is a steady climb up the 4 kilometres to the start of the final climb up the west flank of Meikle Bin. I passed another 6 walkers on their return before reaching the path that leaves the trail at the start of the 180-metre ascent to Meikle Bin. The path soon fizzles out and then it is a grassy, but snow-covered today, slope to the summit. There is the odd conifer and although the gradient was steep, my recent spate of hill walks meant that I could keep a good place to the trig point at the summit where four other walkers had arrived and were taking family photos.

On a clear day, the views were most impressive and I began to unscramble in my mind how the Campsies and Gargunnock hills were two separate ranges. The vast coniferous forest was spread out towards the reservoir and the range of distant hills in the Southern Highlands from the Arrochar Alps to Ben Vorlich were easily visible. I understood why Meikle Bin has been lauded as being one of the best viewpoints in the central belt. And it had taken less than an hour from the start at Todholes.

The soft snow made it ideal for running down to the main trail and thereafter I kept a good pace apart from a couple of photo stops. There were a couple of parties of walkers coming up the hill, a large husky came charging up to me but in a playful mood, it reached me and turned back to its owners without so much as a bark. They smiled and I was so relieved that I returned the smile whilst uttering "nice dog" as a sign of my relief. The snow was a lot softer on the lower ground and I was back at the car before 4pm and home before nightfall, the days are lengthening.