Auchinstarry Quarry

Auchinstarry Quarry is a central belt Dolerite quarry near Croy, that has been landscaped to provide a pleasant enough venue. Has the benefit of being close to a main line train-station, making it easy to reach for those in Glasgow or Edinburgh without a car. For those with a car, parking is very close - one of those belay from the car venues.

Directions & Approach

This crag is easily accessible by public transport. Get the Edinburgh/Glasgow Queen Street train and alight at Croy. From here it is about 15min walk. From Croy Train Station the bus numbers 349 and 43 pass the quarry from the bus stop outside the train station. The buses take about 2 minutes. Regular services from 7.43am until early evening.

Car Park Area:

The area you can belay from your car in. Descent is by following the path round to the left (as you face crag).

1.First Footer E1 5c **

2.Access Route Diff ***
Ascend to the left side of the smooth slab

Slab E2 5c
Head directly up the slab without using holds in either Access Route or scream.

3.Scream S 4b
Ascend the right of the smooth slab

4.Anarchist VDiff
Head up the broken groove

5.Tar Severe

6.Knock Back E1 5b **

Follow slinky lizard to where it cuts right around the overhang, at this point take the left wall up the crackline and over the awkward bulge

7.Slinky Lizard HS 4b *
Route can be a little sandy at times

8.Cats Whiskers E2 5b

sneaking right onto the arete of Death is... before the final headwall drops this down to E1 5a

9.Death Is The Hunter E4 6b ***
Do the first few moves of Cats whiskers and lean right across to pre place gear to protect lower section, then downclimb. Balancey moves up the blunt arete leads straight through the scoop

10.Nijinski E5 6a ***
Balance up the arete to the prominent good hold, traverse the scoop and fill the small crack with 2-3 small wires before heading back up the arete

Used to feature on the cover of Lowland outcrops - fancy your chances as a cover star?

Promontory

Area just to the right of the carpark area

1. Blade Runner E4 6a **

Up the start of promontory direct to place gear, step down then traverse left below the overlap the obvious rockover. Can be taken direct at E5 6b

2. Promontory Direct HVS 5a ***

3. Spirogyra VS 5a

Main Amphitheatre:

1. Cracked Arete VS 4c **
2. Caftan HVS 4c
3. Bazaar HVS 4c
4. Mastaglia VS 4c *
5. Higher Beginning VDiff
6. Stir Crazy HVS 5a
7. Lion Cub VS 4b *
8. Lion HVS 5b **

Mascarade Buttress

1.Roll Up VS 4c

2.Soft Machine E2 5c

3.Maypole HVS 4c

4.High Dive E3 5c *

5.Surface Tension E5 6b ***

6.Mascarade E1 5c

7.Whiplash E1 5b

8.Red Lead VS 5a ***
There is a video of someone soloing this climb here: [1].

9.White Slab HS 4b
10.Demons and Dead Lizards HVS 5a

Trundle Slab

1. Replicant E3 5c
2. Trundle VS 4c ***
3. Walk On The Wild Side HVS 5a ***
4. Midas Touch E1 5b ***
5. The Gold Bug E3 5c
6. Gold Rush E1 5b ***
7. After The Gold Rush E2 5a
8. After The Grave Dig E1 5a **

External links

• UKClimbing.com logbook for Auchinstarry Quarry
• metcheck.com weather for Auchinstarry Quarry
• Youtube clip 1 of Auchinstarry Quarry
• Youtube clip 2 of Auchinstarry Quarry