| Here
the marked trail is clear but further in it was blocked by
fallen trees. |
| Large
areas of Screel's lower slopes are now cleared of timber. |
|
Screel Hill -- the initial stages of the ascent
(The photos here are from three separate visits.) |
The
lower slopes of Screel are heavily forested with pine,
spruce and larch. Access to
the hill would be extremely difficult but for the fact that
'Forestry Enterprise' (formerly called the Forestry Commission)
have provided roads for vehicles employed in
timber extraction and for walkers and mountain bikers. The
later use marked trails through the trees and some go on
to the summit onto to
the summit.
The
ascent to Screel summit, at 1126 feet above sea level, is a pleasant leisurely climb.
The ascent to the cairn can easily by achieved in under an
hour.
Screel is probably one of the easiest hills to climb in the whole of Dumfries and Galloway.
But
don't let that put anyone off the idea. Children will probably enjoy the initial scramble
through the forest, but watch out for mountain bikes, they share the same forest trails.
This easy climb is often done safely in good weather by walkers in strong shoes but proper
walking boots are
always best. Especially after rain, trails can get very
muddy and rocks are slippery. |
| The
wind storm of Boxing Day, 1998, devastated large areas of
forest all over southern Scotland. Dumfries and Galloway
forests suffered extensive damage. Two years on, during a
visit in January 2001, and after a fair amount of work by 'Forestry
Enterprise', we were able to walk a fairly clear
route through the forests and on to
the open hillside. |
|
