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East Lomond hill walk

This morning we walked up East Lomond Hill in Fife. It was a pretty short walk from the Carpark but it started snowing just as we arrived and that combined with an Artic wind made it feel like we emerged from the car and into a blizzard. I think there are probably magnificent views up there on a clear day but here’s how it looked for us.

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Visibility declined as we got higher while the wind and cold became more intense. It was really just your typical Scottish hill walk 🙂

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The kids complained for much of the way up with Daniel worried about getting frostbite and Elizabeth fearful she might fall off the side. Elizabeth’s concerns were not so unreasonable because we really couldn’t see where the side was. Everything was white, even the air.

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At the top is an iron-age hillfort which was once a very important place of power. It didn’t seem a very enticing place to us and we were all very happy to make a hasty descent.

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We returned to the Pillars of Hercules for lunch in the café. Ben and I both had the vegan bean burger which was delicious.

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Daniel had the vegetable curry.

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After a hearty lunch and with all fears of frostbite behind us we made our way back to Aberdeen.

 

 

 

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Comments

13 responses to “East Lomond hill walk”

  1. E. Avery Harden Avatar
    E. Avery Harden

    I continue to enjoy your post and travels around Scotland.

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Aww thank you! That makes me happy to hear.

      Reply
  2. Katrina Avatar
    Katrina

    Haha – kids DO like an invigorating walk, don’t they? NOT – lol! Is Elizabeth not a Vege?

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Neither of the kids are vegetarian but we eat only vegan at home and when we go out they get to choose whatever they want. That said, she did have a vegetarian meal but it was just a toasted sandwich so I didn’t bother to photograph it. Plus she’d already started eating it before I got the chance. They were “starving” after the adventure in a blizzard 🙂

      Reply
  3. Denise Avatar
    Denise

    Vegan burgers are very nice. There is a vegan burger cafe at the end of my road and I feel very lucky to have it there. On the other hand, we don’t have snow so close by, as you do, although that is a good thing for me as I feel the cold. I can just enjoy your pictures instead!

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      You are lucky to have a vegan café at the end of your road! How wonderful. The snow was only at the top of the hill. It wasn’t in the valley which is where we were staying.

      Reply
  4. Over Soil Avatar
    Over Soil

    I wonder what the climate was like back then when they built the hillfort?

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      It wasn’t all that long ago so I don’t think the climate was so very different from today. Probably the challenging weather up there made it a good place to defend because your enemies will have had a difficult time attacking from below in those conditions.

      Reply
      1. Over Soil Avatar
        Over Soil

        Hold the bus Beloveds, I recall someone on something archaeological program on the telly saying something about it being warmer during the time of stone circles in Orkney. Not quite sure when the hillfort was in action, so I could be wrong in thinking. All we need now is a Time Team member turning up on the post and giving us a decent comment, to tell us their theory. Who knows?

      2. Over Soil Avatar
        Over Soil

        p.s. I totally want to try the vegetable curry, pass the mango chutney and I’m in.

      3. Rachel M Avatar
        Rachel M

        You may be right. I haven’t looked into it. If it was warmer then it would definitely have been more pleasant at the top 🙂

  5. Heather Kirkbride Avatar
    Heather Kirkbride

    I live near this hill and walked it many times – in the snow, fog and on clear days. On clear days the views are amazing and with a carpark almost at the top of the hill its one of the easier walks to do in Scotland. Highly recommend this walk if anyone plans to come to Fife.

    Reply
  6. East Lomond Hill and Maspie Den walk – rachel.blog Avatar
    East Lomond Hill and Maspie Den walk – rachel.blog

    […] years ago we walked up East Lomond Hill in a blizzard. It was December. It was cold and visibility was very poor. We couldn’t see far beyond the […]

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