Home » Hills » Southern Uplands » Culter Fell
Culter Fell Circuit
The rolling grass and heather covered Culter Hills lie just south of Biggar and are easily accessed via narrow roads and tracks.
The highest peaks (and the only Grahams in the circuit) are Culter Fell and Gathersnow Hill - vast heather and grass covered lumps.
Navigation is fairly easy as most of the crests have well-maintained fences to follow.
Main route summary
Starting from Culter Allers Farm in the heart of these hills, a steep continuous climb leads up onto vast and wide heather clad crests.
Terrain then is delightful underfoot, following for the main part, lines of well maintained fence.
Recent wind-turbine construction has added new tracks which make for easy navigation, but spoil what was previously a fairly remote area.
| Grahams |
Culter Fell (748m)
Gathersnow Hill (688m)
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| Donalds |
Hudderstone (626m)
Hillshaw Head (652m)
Chapelgill Hill* (696m)
*See 'Alternative Routes' below
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| Ascent |
1000m (3,300ft)
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| Distance |
19km (12m)
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| Time |
walk : 6:30hr*, run : 2:15hr
*Naismith's rule : 4km/h distance + 600m/h ascent
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| Start/finish |
Culter Allers Farm
(grid ref : NT031312)
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Profile
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Maps
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Which map to choose ?
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Downloads
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| Terrain | | easy |
 | difficult |
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| Navigation | | easy |
 | testing |
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| Effort | | stroll |
| long day |
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| Scenery | | ok |
 | stunning |
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Route detail & map »
Getting there
- From Biggar, head south on the A702 towards Coulter, as you approach the sharp turn in the village, turn south and take the unclassified road past the school for 3km to a junction by Culter Allers Farm.
- There is limited roadside parking for a few cars by a large wheelie-bin, alternatively there is verge parking 1km up the road, near the hill-route end.
Culter Fell
- Leave your car in the lay-by, then hike left up a private road.
The road passes some forestry, sheep pens and crosses a burn.
- Immediately left
, a rough track heads uphill around some more forestry - take this for a bit, then look for a faint path off right, aiming directly uphill through the heather.
- Follow this faint path which becomes more obvious further up.
- The path passes a few grouse butts and is followed over Fell Shin to Culter Fell's summit
.
There are fine views to be had from the trig point, particularly over to Tinto and towards the Pentlands.
Gathersnow Hill and Hillshaw Head
- A fence-line which crosses Culter Fell is followed south (right).
The ground can be slightly wet, but generally easy going underfoot and very runnable down to Holm Nick
.
- Upon reaching this col, there is a track which climbs gently following the fence-line up Glenwhappen Rig.
Either take this track, or alternatively just cross the burn and head directly uphill.
Either way you'll end up on Gathersnow Hill's summit
.
- Follow the fence-line westwards to a small heathery nick, from where the fence continues to Hillshaw Head, taking a slight detour as it approaches the summit
.
- The wind-turbine farm has now encroached onto these once fairly remote hills and there is a turbine standing very close to this summit.
Try and ignore these turbines and there are some lovely views to be had.
Return
- From Hillshaw Head's summit, head due north-west, dropping a bit of height. The track for the wind-farm is reached
, turn right (north-east) and follow it towards Dod Hill.
If in mist, there are signs, look for wind-turbine 212 !
- Once wind turbine 212 is reached
, just below the summit of Dod Hill, the track ends. Leave the track behind and follow the fence-line and faint ATV tracks over Dod Hill and up to Hudderstone.
- On this summit, cross over the fence to the west side and then on a path, start descending Hudderstone.
- The path joins a track
, which is followed over Cowgill Rig, past some forestry down to the road 1km south-west of route start.
Photos of route »
Woodycleuch Dod
Culter Fell from Culter Allers Farm
Tinto from a grouse-butt on Fell Shinn
Looking to Tinto on way up Culter Fell
Chapelgill from Culter Fell
Gathersnow Hill from Culter Fell
Culter Fell from Hudderstone
Wind farm on Dods Law
Culter Fell from Dods Law
Holms Waterhead below Gathersnow Hill
Runners descending the Chapelgill Hill Race
More photos are on Flickr !
Alternative routes »
Other hill routes nearby »
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Northern Pentland Hills
Many starting points and tracks everywhere make these hills so accessible and create endless route possibilities.
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Broughton Heights and Trahenna
Grassy covered crests giving a delightful hiking or running circuit above Broughton
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Tweedsmuir and the Moffat Hills
The three Corbetts to the east of the River Tweed source sit amongst quiet farmland and forestry
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Durisdeer and Lowther Hills
Easily accessed, but feeling remote, the rolling green Lowther Hills sit west of Moffat and the M74 (coming soon).
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Tinto
A fabulous hill sitting alone above the Clyde. Stunning views for very little effort
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Accommodation & food »
Forecasts & other useful info »
Guided days on these mountains »
We don't have any guided events in this area currently on our calendar of regular events.
