When we were in the Pentlands in August, we stayed in a lovely Airbnb right on the edge of Baddinsgill Reservoir. We love a walk from the door when the setting allows it, and our hosts had helpfully provided a series of walk suggestions in the information book. The walks varied in length from very quick outings to full days: the one we decided to do was a ninety minute hike up Mount Maw. Sam, however, felt that this was too short for the lovely weather forecast, and decided to extend it with an out-and-back to the neighbouring The Mount. I think there’s a reason the suggested walk stuck to Mount Maw…
Walk Summary: Mount Maw
- Distance: 6.8 miles
- Route type: Hill
- Time: 3.5 hours
- Parking: Walked from holiday cottage, nearest parking Baddinsgill Farm, ///acrobatic.hobbies.stacks
- Dog friendly: 2/5
- Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Having no need to drive to the start, we set off bright and early. Baddinsgill is home to a small fold of Highland cattle, who I’d spotted on the hill when we arrived. Sipping my cup of tea, this time I spotted them all the way on the other side of the reservoir. I started getting ready a lot faster after that! ‘Hike while the cows are far away’ is my new version of ‘strike while the iron’s hot’. Boots on, we set out down the road – the Thieves Road, that is.
Hike while the cows are far away
Historically a droving route, the Thieves Road earned its moniker due to ambushes by cattle rustlers in this remote and mountainous area. Not in recent years, I hasten to add. Our cottage was right on the road – the views from inside were, as you’d expect, incredible. A short way along the road our route turned off to walk along the edge of Baddinsgill Reservoir. There were ‘no access’ signs on the gate, but the workmen there confirmed we were fine to pass through. Early navigational argument avoided!
The route we were following was hand drawn on a map with a highlighter, so I’m afraid I haven’t been able to find an online equivalent. If you want to climb it, Walkhighlands has a route up Mount Maw and nearby East Cairn Hill. This is however a longer outing and quite different to the walk described here. I suspect, however, that the general terrain and views will be similar.
Not quite tussock clutching
Immediately after crossing the reservoir, the gradient steepens. I’m never sure if paths like this are as steep as they feel, or if my brain equates rough grassy tracks with high difficulty. Either way, I was soon lagging behind as Sam powered up the hill – situation normal. At least there were nice views down over the reservoir as I stopped to catch my breath. Reassuringly, the cows remained tiny specks in the distance. Then, after a false summit (joy), we were at the top.
Overall it took less than an hour to get up there. A sweaty climb, but not a long one thankfully. Happily, the gradients ease significantly from this point on. Mount Maw stands at 535 metres and has a trig point at the top. We took the obligatory ‘dog on trig photos’ (Merry only, there’s no way I was getting Coal up there) and enjoyed the views. There are good views in all directions, particularly to the south over Upper Tweeddale. We’re definitely eyeing up that area for a trip at some point in the future. Turning north, we continued on with Sam’s addition to the route – an out-and-back up The Mount.
The Mount – optional extension
Mostly, this is pretty steady walking. I’d call it ‘gently undulating’ rather than hilly. What turned me off it a little, is that it was fairly rough going. I’m the type of walker who likes a surfaced path: Sam is the opposite. He was therefore in his element with the marshy, boggy sections on this section of the walk. I was just thankful it had been so dry all summer! My top tip for paths like this is to aim for the heather. Heather likes drier ground and therefore you’re less likely to sink completely – this is definitely not a foolproof method though. The path is indistinct, disappearing completely at times, but navigation remains easy as you stick by a fence line all the way to The Mount. Great until said fence is completely blocking the route to the summit…
Feeling slightly grumpy after a good deal of pathless trudging, I decided to let Sam continue up to the top on his own. I just did not fancy getting covered in bog water hauling two dogs over the fence! Initially I intended to wait for Sam to come back and then take a turn up to the summit, but the flies. The flies! Having stood still for approximately eight seconds, soon I’d gathered a small cloud around me. No thank you! Movement always works best to keep them at bay, and so I decided I could look at Sam’s photos later on. The view, I was happy to sacrifice.
Sam reported good views across to Scald Law and the Kips from the top, as well as a good view of Edinburgh. Similar to our hike up Scald Law the day before, we couldn’t believe how quiet it was despite being so close to Scotland’s capital. The only people we saw were some wild campers coming off the hill first thing, and a local dog walker. That’s it! We did wave to a few planes taking off from Edinburgh airport, but I don’t think that counts.
Catch me if you can
Eventually Sam caught back up with me when I was about halfway back to Mount Maw. I think he was enjoying his dog free walk – both were on leads due to livestock on the hill. A little past the summit of Mount Maw, on our way down the other side, we spotted a gate. I think potentially you could pass through here and then turn left for The Mount to avoid the fence – no promises though.
Descending from Mount Maw towards Faw Mount, the path gets rougher but not too steep. It’s possible to detour up Faw Mount but we decided not to bother, continuing down to drop back onto the road in next to no time. Then, a quick walk back up the Thieves Road. Cows avoided, no stiles and not too hot – a very successful outing all round. I’m still not sold on the extension to The Mount, but Sam was glad we did it, and it was his turn to choose the walk!
Dog Friendly Rating: Mount Maw
Dog friendly rating: 2/5. Similar to my take on The Cheviot, I’d describe this as a hike you can do with your dog rather than a dog walk. It’s stile free and quiet, but those are the main wins. There’s no water other than a few boggy puddles on the top. Expect to see livestock throughout – sheep for sure, cows perhaps.
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