The walk Tinto and Lochlyock Hill

Saturday 9 February 2013

Location: South Lanarkshire

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Tom Prentice

Map: OS Landranger 72 (GR953344)

Distance: 10 miles (16.5km)

Time: 5 hours

Terrain: road, track and path

Unsettled weather conditions can make venturing into the high hills a feat of endurance in the face of snow, rain and high winds, and at times like these walkers turn to less frequented routes on accessible lower-level classics.

Such a route is the traverse of Tinto and its western outlier, Lochlyock Hill. It's a surprisingly long route for such a small hill and while some of the walking is on quiet country roads, it's an enjoyable and satisfying outing with tremendous views. Whether you tackle the traverse from east to west or west to east is a matter of choice.The former gives a steep ascent to the summit of Tinto, and the option to descend straight away if the weather turns foul, followed by a gradual descent over Lochlyock to the road and back to the car park.The latter gets the road over and done with at the start, followed by a steady ascent over Lochlyock to the summit of Tinto and a steep descent to the car park. This is my preference as it avoids hitting the tarmac with tired feet at the end of the day, but it does commit you to pressing on if the weather deteriorates halfway. From the large car park at Fallburn, off the A73 at the foot of Tinto's north-east ridge, walk back to the road and follow it west between fields and pasture passing a No Through Road on the left to Lochlyoch Reservoir. Continue on the main road down and right through Lochlyoch farm to a T-junction. Go left and through conifer woodland to the end of the road at Howgate.Beyond this a track ascends to Howgate Mouth, the narrow pass between Howgate Hill and Lochlyock Hill. Near the top of the pass at a metal gate, cross over the wooden fence on the left to gain the broad ridge and follow a wall and fence, initially beside a conifer plantation, to Lochlyoch Hill. A descent to a small col gains Tinto's main west ridge which leads steadily to the trig point and the large summit cairn beyond an intersection of fences.It is possible to descend north from the summit straight down to the car park at Fallburn, but a short detour is worthwhile to take in the eastern top of Scaut Hill. From Tinto's summit, descend northwards on the main path to gain a track on the right and follow it through a gap in the fence to reach the cairn on the top of Scaut Hill.Return to the gap and either climb back up to meet the main path, or follow a less distinct path north through the heather, to gain the main path lower down and continue the descent over the lower hump of Totherin Hill to Fallburn.

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The walk Tinto and Lochlyock Hill

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