Get Lost Mountaineering

Dumyat via Burnwarroch Gap from Blairlogie Orchard returning via Dumyat Farm

Start/Finish

Blairlogie Meadow car park. This is on the A91 road from Stirling to Alva and St. Andrews. The car park is about 2 miles from the roundabout intersection with the A907 road from Stirling to Alloa. The car park is well signed, on the north side of the road, with space for about 10 cars although it is rough and likely to have puddles after rain!

Distance/Time

4 km.    About 2 – 3 hours.

Peaks

Dumyat, 418 m, NS 835 977.   OS Explorer 366: Stirling & Ochil Hills

Introduction

Looking at the map suggests that Dumyat is a low outlier of the Ochils. Despite it's modest height, Dumyat punches well above its weight with steep crags and thick gorse (shorts not recommended!) on its south flank. There is a memorial to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on its summit, a trig point and a basket on a plinth which is a beacon. In clear weather, there are views to the main Ochils over to the east and the meandering River Forth to the south.

Route

(1) Walk out the back of the car park and go through a gate to reach a path. Turn right and follow the path for a short distance until the path splits. Take the left fork (signed). Follow this path which undulates gently. Soon the prominent gap of the Burnwarroch will become apparent. Not far before reaching the burn, pass an overhanging oak tree followed by an overhanging horse chestnut tree. Just after this, a faint grassy path heads uphill. If you miss it and reach a bridge over the burn then turn back to find it. The path is, essentially, narrow trodden grass and is steep in places. Higher up, it drifts left before picking a way through the gorse. At times, it can feel like one is in a gorse tunnel. Once through the gorse, the path drifts back towards the Burnwarroch gap and ascends up the left hand side before going up the middle. Higher up, the angle eases and the crags on either side start to run out. When the ground becomes almost level and the gully is left behind, soon find a path going right towards the summit. You may see the beacon from here which resembles a standing stone from this distance. Soon this path forks and one can either go left or right. The left option is longer and gentler and soon reaches the main “tourist” path from the west. The right option is shorter and steeper. On the summit is a low memorial, a beacon basket and a trig point which is the summit of Dumyat, 418 m.

(2) Descend down a fairly obvious path going roughly E. Lower down it becomes a grassy track. Just before it joins a compacted track (look slightly left and down), a grassy path goes off right which cuts a corner. Follow the path to an irn fence then follow the fence down to the track. Turn right and walk down the easy track. Just before the track goes through a gate, a path forks off right. Follow this. It rejoins the track after a cottage. Continue on the track and leave it for another path just before the track descends left into a wood. The path soon crosses the Burnwarroch by a small bridge then continues easily back to the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 8^th October, 2018.