Be thankful for the Wind Farm approach track.

As I was in the area on 8 June 2015 completing my revised Local 100 I decided to also visit Stranisk. Fore-armed is forewarned and in this regard I was fortunate to use (and would recommend) Sandman's starting point at the entrance to the Screggagh Windfarm Screga (H43879 56868) on the left (W) side of the B122 from Fivemiletown to Fintona. The good track led me up W, then S and then W again to Turbine 6 A (H42958 55967). Once past the turbine it was a short climb up the bank and out onto the broad heather covered swampy moorland to gain the unmarked high point of the hill. The walk up by the track was 2.5km. On my way back I decided to test the open ground and return directly from Turbine 6 across the moorland to Turbine 1, saving some 700 metres in distance over the trip up along the track.. Using this more direct approach up and back would therefore reduce the walk by some 1.5km. However be warned that the open ground is very rough and boggy, with patches of high heather. I would suggest, this is a walk where walkers will be glad to see and use a wind farm access track.. This is a low but very broad hill covered in high heather and bog so the track up makes for very easy progress. In all a walk of 5km up and back by the track or 3.5km if the more direct approach between Turbine 1 and 6 is taken. From the top there are expansive views to the high Sperrins, Slieve Beagh and Cuilcagh. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1128/comment/18161/

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A Forest Of Windmills

My third and final small hill of the day, from my local 100, and the weather was getting progressively worse - not dramatic, stormy weather, which would have been preferable, just dull, grey skies and intermittent drizzle. Its hard to judge a hill under these conditions as nowhere will look at its best. To be honest, Stranisk probably needs all the help it can get, as it falls away gradually from the summit, with no spectacular views on ground far below. It is also completely dominated by windmills - I can't remember encountering so many on any other hill. It was almost a spectacle in itself. I used the resulting access road to get almost to the summit, and it led directly under the blades of several - always a slightly disconcerting experience I find, but on this occasion I was glad of the mild excitement it provided! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1128/comment/18502/

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Windmills of your Mind

There are two windfarms situated in this area Lendrum Bridge and Screggagh the summit is situated in the latter adjacent to turbine 6 .Therefore the better parking option is at the entrance to Screggagh Screga (H43879 56868) where you can view the site map and walk on site roads to T6 and a short ascent will then bring you to the heather covered summit at B (H42845 55879). Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1128/comment/15931/

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Windy top

Take the B122 south of Fintona drive up hill until you get to the entrance to Lendrum's bridge wind farm ( Lendrum (H43762 54548)). The High point is on the wind farm.

Always ask landowner permission to cross land, never ever damage fences and beware of livestock. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1128/comment/15881/

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