Cairnsmore of Fleet - a game of two halves

I had long been itching to do this Graham, the most Southernly and one which had a significant memorial stone at the top. More than 20 airmen have died on this hill since the 1940s and each and every one is accounted for. I parked near the A75 and began the gentle stroll through the farmland, stopping to chat to a bloke who appreciated my not parking behind his house - again, the guide book says to do this. Perhaps it needs updating. I found the walk through the forest quite depressing as there is little to see and the track was a muddy bog. I took my first bacon sandwich just as I emerged from the forest at about 400m. From here, I could see the sun splitting the skies over the South but to the North, Cairnsmore of Fleet was shrouded in cloud. Typical.

The path was excellent from here and zig-zagged up the mountain. Wild goats emerged from the gloom but ran away as soon as they heard the unzipping of my...camera sac. Once I reached the plateau, it was a pleasant amble over to the memorial stone whereupon the sad fate of those airmen was written in history. I was surprised by the lack of snow at 700m but was glad for the large shelter, where I took lunch and pondered life and its whims. I ventured over to the crags on the NE face but with poor visibility, I could not make these out very well. I am sure that this is a nice hill on a summer's day but I found it a a little depressing in such conditions. In saying that, the memorial put everything into context, particularly with the relatively recent loss of Captains' Seagren and Spalding of the United States Air Force on 28th March, 1979.