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Section 7 - South East Grampians, Glen Shee to Cairn o'Mount Mountains
Section 7 - This section refers to the hills and mountains of the South East Grampians between Glen Shee and Cairn o'Mount and includes Lochnagar and the Angus Hills.. They cover the Corbetts, Grahams and Munros that I have climbed in this area since 2003.
Index to Hills in this SectionLochnagar - Cac Carn Beag25 December 2007
Another Christmas Day so another opportunity for a winter ascent of one of my local Munros, Lochnagar. I set off from my home in Aberdeen in frosty conditions and on passing through Aboyne the car thermometer showed -7C, although it was slightly warmer further west in Ballater. Although the skies around Deeside were clear Lochnagar was cloud covered which was a bit of a disappointment as I was hoping for a third consecutive Christmas day of sun and clear skies. I drove up the Glen Muick road to the Spittal of Glenmuick car park where there were already a few cars parked. A couple set off for Loch Muick and a lady and her dog headed along the Lochnagar track. I followed the lady passed Allt na-giubhsaich and up the vehicle track to Clais Rathadan. At the large cairn I left the track and followed the path to the bealach south of Meikle Pap. En route I met a chap who had turned back due to the cold and wind and another couple who had been to the summit. They were obviously out early to return in time for their Christmas dinner. I passed the lady at the bealach and was of the opinion that she wasn't sufficiently well equipped to go much further as it was now rather cold and windy. I climbed up the path to above the corrie but the conditions here were rather wild with a strong wind which blew me about a bit and some ice on the path and rocks. The lady was now a bit behind me and I soon lost sight of her as I walked round the corrie where the wind was less of a problem. On heading for Cac Carn Mor I saw another couple slightly further west and the cloud that was covering the summit was coming and going. The underfoot conditions here weren't too difficult and I eventually reached the summit trig point of Cac Carn Beag with its covering of ice and snow. There was no sign of the lady I had passed so I presumed she had retreated back to the car park, which was confirmed later when I returned to my car. I took a few photographs from the summit including a brocken spectre as the cloud blew around me. However despite these conditions I managed to find a bit of shelter for my lunch facing into the sun, although there was no heat benefit. The conditions later began to deteriorate again so I set off back to Cac Carn Mor and on towards the Glas Allt. I had planned a longer walk taking in the Dubh Loch but I decided to get a bit lower and out of the cold wind. The new path up the Glass Allt isn't ideal for winter walking. The stone steps were ice and snow covered and it was easier to walk in the drainage ditches at the side as had other walkers. Once lower down the path was clear and I followed it down passed the Glass Allt Waterfall to Loch Muich where there were a number of people walking along the lochside. I returned along the north side of the loch noticing that the Royal Estate had installed an experimental low deer fence known as an Alnwick Fence. I also encountered a light snow shower so in the Loch Muick area it did snow on Christmas Day. On reaching the car park at the Spittal of Glenmuick all the cars that were there earlier had gone but several new ones had appeared so not everyone sits at home on Christmas Day.
Driesh and Mayar16 December 2007
I have climbed Driesh and Mayar several times but always from Glen Clova to the north so I decided on this occasion to ascend these Munros from Glen Prosen to the south. Glen Prosen is reached from Kirriemuir, initially taking the same route as for Glen Clova and thereafter following the road signs. Later on, it is necessary to ensure you are on the south side of the Prosen Water, unlike myself who ended up at Balnaboth and had to drive back to a nearby bridge before crossing the river. The road was eventually followed to just west of Glenprosen Lodge where there was limited parking beside a forest track. We set off west along the road, which soon became a vehicle track, passed Runtaleave and to a red roofed shed opposite the south end of the Glenclova Forest. Another vehicle track, shown on the map as a path, headed along the west side of the forest which we followed till the track turned towards the Cairn Baddoch/Lick ridge. At this point there were traces of the path shown on the map but it became quite difficult to follow as it went through some deep heather and bog. Eventually we reached another vehicle track which took us onto the Lick. There was a cold breeze blowing with hazy visibility and the higher hills were cloud covered. There were also grains of snow blowing in the wind. Once over the Lick a path, was followed onto the Shank of Driesh which was covered in hoarfrost. The path followed an old fence and here we caught up with a couple, the chap I knew as he worked for another guiding company. By this time we were now into the low cloud and we walked together following the line of the old fence before leaving it for the short walk to the summit trig point. We left the other couple to have lunch at the windy and freezing summit and descended on a bearing to the bealach between Driesh and Mayar. A worn path them led to the summit of Mayar but it was still cold and windy with no views so we returned towards the Driesh/Mayar bealach. At the Shank of Drumwhallo we headed down this ridge, which is also known as the Kilbo Path, and once lower down we had a late lunch. We didn't linger long though due to the cold and continued on the descent and eventually entered a forest where the path was rather wet and boggy in places and it was rather dark as we were walking through an arch of thick spruce trees. The path emerged from the forest east of the White Glen at the Kilbo Ruins and we walked the five kilometres or so east from there along a vehicle track to the start near Gleprosen Lodge, latterly in the semi-dark.
Lochnagar – Cac Carn Beag4 June 2007
I met Louise and her mother Sandra in the car park at the Spittal of Glenmuick which was accessed from the South Deeside Road near Ballater along several miles of the unclassified road through Glen Muick. The plan was to climb Lochnagar which had been an ambition of Sandra’s for over 40 years. She had been a regular visitor to the Deeside area of Scotland for family holidays and during these trips she often walked round Loch Muick but had hoped one day to climb Lochnagar. From the car park we followed the vehicle track to and around the north side of Allt-na-giubhsaich before passing through a wooded area and onto the track that headed towards Balmoral. Half way up this track we entered the cloud base and at the high point in the track took the path that headed to the bealach south of Meikle Pap. Once at the bealach we followed the cliff edge round to the summit of Lochnagar, Cac Carn Beag. At the summit we had lunch before heading across to Cac Carn Mor and the track to the Glas Allt. At the top of the path we met a couple who were lost in the mist so I gave them some instruction on how to get off the mountain. Lower down we came out of the cloud and continued descending the path to the waterfall and subsequently to the Glass-allt Shiel where we had a short break sitting at the side of the loch. The final section of the walk was along the shore of Loch Muick back to the car park a route Louise and Sandra had walked numerous times before.
Circuit of the Loch Muick25 December 2006
It was another frosty morning when I set off from my home in Aberdeen heading for Royal Deeside. Passing through the town of Aboyne I noted the temperature at -9 degrees centigrade. Further west as the sun rose Morven, near Dinnet was a reddish tinge. The start of the walk was the car park at the Spittal of Glenmuick several miles south of the village of Ballater. Access to the Glenmuick road is from the South Deeside road around a mile west of Ballater. I wasn't the only one out on the hills this Christmas Day as three other cars were already parked in the car park. It was sunny but a bit chilly when I set off from the car park and crossed the Carse of Muick towards Allt na-giubhsaich. Here a signposted diversion through a small forest avoided the habitation and joined the vehicle track that headed for Balmoral. I followed this track to its highest point before taking the path towards the col south of Meikle Pap. Here I passed a couple of guys who were also headed for Lochnagar. Just before the col there were a few pockets of snow but it was avoidable and I climbed more steeply towards the corrie of Lochnagar. There had been some work here on creating a path since my last visit. Once it levelled out I kept close to the corrie edge with some snow hanging in the corrie. I was surprised at the lack of snow as I had my ice axe and crampons and was expecting to use them. I spotted another couple of walkers who were heading off the hill. I eventually left the corrie edge and climbed to the summit of Lochnagar, known as Cac Carn Beag where there is a trig point and a viewfinder. There was a bit of a breeze but visibility was good. I had views of the Moray Firth and the Cairngorms and I could see the cloud out over the North Sea and a cloud inversion away to the south. The tops of the Ben Lawers range of mountains could be seen above the cloud. I sat at the top for a while and had something to eat while taking in these views. My initial plan was to return to the Spittal of Glenmuick by the Glas Allt but the weather was too fine to leave the high tops this early in the day so I decided to extend my walk. From the summit of Cac Carn Beag I headed over to Cac Carn Mor where I saw the two walkers I had spoken to earlier. They were in fact the last people I saw that day. From Cac Carn Mor I followed the path that passed to the south of The Stuic but from the lowest point in the path I headed directly to the summit of Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach where once again I had some good views. I rejoined the path on the south side of Carn an t-Sagairt Beag with a plan to descend to the Dubh Loch and back to my car. However the sun was still out and it was such a glorious day I still didn't want to leave the high tops with their awesome views. I was aware that another change of plan would inevitably leave me walking along the shores of Loch Muick in the dark but I felt it would be worth it. Deer were feeding nearby but obviously they didn't consider me a threat as they continued with lunch. From the path I climbed to the summit of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor with views into Glen Callater and the Glen Shee mountains. I then headed for Cairn Bannock which was a relatively easy and short walk and here I had another break for some food while looking at the surrounding scenery and noticed the cloud still engulfed the south of the country. The continuation to Broad Cairn was relatively easy and this would be my last hill of the day as time was getting on and the sun, which had shone all day was getting lower as sunset approached. I descended east off Broad Cairn and out of the sun which was still shining on other hills around me but their colours were changing to a reddish tinge as was the sky. My only regret was that I was headed east and wouldn't see the sun set. Lower down I noted the vehicle track above Allan's Hut had been removed and filled with heather but there were still a number of paths to follow. I reached Allan's Hut and decided to stay on the vehicle track rather than take the path down to the west end of Loch Muick as I thought it would be easier to follow in the dark. The track eventually descended to Loch Muick but by this time it was dark and I needed to be careful as there were patches of ice to contend with. I had a head torch but could see reasonably well without it as the moon was out and later on the sky was filled with thousands of stars. I also saw a few cars headed out of the glen from the car park as I walked along the shores of Loch Muick. It was a fairly long walk back to the start but the day had been worthwhile as the weather had been exceptionally fine. On my arrival at the car park my car was the only vehicle left there. I headed home and returned through Aboyne where the temperature was warmer at -6 degrees centigrade.
previous ascent of Cac Carn Beag Connachcraig21 May 2006
This Corbett was a short day out from the car park at the Spittal of Glenmuick, which was very busy despite the cold wind. From the car park I walked towards the houses at Allt na-giubhsaich and took the Lochnagar path, which later merges with a vehicle track, to the highest point on the track. Here Lochnagar bound walkers headed west while I took a path east through the heather and to the summit of Conachraig. Some small granite tors can be found on the summit which had a light covering of fresh snow. There was a cold wind blowing with some light snow flurries so I headed over to Caisteal na Caillich for a better view of Deeside. However the cloud was lowering on Lochnagar with some more snow showers so the views weren't as good as I had hoped. I headed south-east from this summit through heather and bog before reaching the road north of Allt na-giubhsaich and the short walk back to the start.
Ben Tirran6 April 2006
On the north side of Glen Clova is the Corbett, Ben Tirran, also known as The Goet. The starting point was the west end of the Adielinn Plantation on the north side of the River South Esk. A track took us from the small forest up towards Loch Wharral with its snow covered crags. We then followed a path onto the south ridge of Ben Tirran. Here the hill was covered in hard packed snow and it was very windy so they final climb to the summit trig point was a hard battle against the wind. However the benefit was some fantastic clear views of the surrounding snow clad mountains. The wind was picking up all the time so the plan to walk round the head of Loch Wharral was abandoned and we commenced the return fighting to keep upright. Once off the ridge the wind was less fierce as we followed our route of ascent back to the start.
Creag nan Gabhar4 April 2006
The start of this walk was the A93 Braemar to Perth road just south of Auchallater Farm. We followed the track up Glen Callater for a short distance before climbing onto the south ridge of Creag nan Gabhar. The map shows a path but it is actually a vehicle track and this can be followed almost to the summit. It was sunny and warm lower down but immediately we ventured onto the ridge we were met by a cold blast but at least the views of the surrounding mountains were clear. There was also a light covering of snow in particular higher up. From the summit cairn we descended steeply south, avoiding areas of rock, to the stalker's path that led back to the A93 beside the trees near Baddoch where we had left a car.
Broad Cairn12 November 2005A lady residing in Aberdeen contacted me a few weeks ago requesting a walk in the higher hills around Deeside. Once she had purchased some suitable equipment for the walk, I decided upon Broad Cairn as it had plenty of variables. I met up with this lady, who originates from Malaysia, and we drove to the Spittal of Glen Muick car park. Some trees, blown down during the night in the gale force winds had blocked the road but they were cleared by the time we arrived. We passed a couple of Mountain Rescue vehicles that were returning to base, but it appears that they were out training as there was no record on the web of any rescues in the area. On the arrival at the car park I paid the £2 parking fee. Apparently this money is ploughed back into path maintenance in Upper Deeside so I don't mind paying this charge. It was dry but windy as we set off but we only reached the Information Centre when the rain started. It was a good test for my client's new gear. A group of blokes were heading for Lochnagar, all bar one were wearing jeans. Jeans are totally inappropriate for mountain use, in particular in these wet and later wintry conditions. We walked along the south shore of Loch Muick and spotted some deer higher up. On reaching the bridge over the Black Burn I took a photograph of this stream in spate. However it was my only photograph of the day due to operator error. From the bridge we climbed steeply up the zig zags where the climb was a fitness test for my client. Once above the zig zags we came across patches of snow, as we headed west high above Loch Muick, which my client enjoyed. The track eventually took us to a animal hut, known as Allan's Hut, where we sheltered for a few minutes before heading back out into the rain and later sleet. We climbed up the track towards Broad Cairn through some very wet snow but higher up the snow was a bit drier. At the end of the track there are lots of boulders so it was a slow process working our way up through them as any gaps were hidden by drifting snow, some of which were knee deep. Eventually we reached the summit where it was very windy but my client was very pleased as she had been thinking earlier of giving up and heading back downhill. We didn't stay long at the top but returned by our ascent route to Allan's Hut where we took shelter and had a late lunch. We were later joined by a chap we had passed earlier on Broad Cairn. He had climbed up from Bachnagairn to the south. Once lunch was over we ventured outside again and descended the Streak of Lightning to the west end of Loch Muick and followed this path to the Black Burn. The weather hereafter started to improve slightly and as we walked back along the track used in the morning. We got reasonably close to three stags which allowed my client to get some photographs. The flash from the camera startled one of the stags but they didn't run off till we got closer to them. As we headed east there were lots of deer descending the hillside as daylight faded. We eventually reached the car park at the Spittal of Glenmuick and the end of another wet and windy day in the mountains. I later received confirmation from my client that she enjoyed her day.
Graham Bagging in Glen Isla6 November 2005
I had a weekend free and decided to have a day out in Glen Isla climbing the final two Grahams in that area. They were conveniently situated so I had only a short car journey between the starting points of both hills. I tackled Mount Blair first which is not named after Tony Blair. It means 'Hill of the Plain', and is located south of the short section of road linking Glens Isla and Shee. My starting point was the plantation on the Angus/Perth and Kinross border where I climbed over a gate topped with barbed wire and climbed up the side of a small stream. I immediately disturbed a pheasant, of which there are numerous in this area and several become road casualties. Next some roe deer, which were concealed in the rushes, ran off uphill. It was a bit wet underfoot in this area and as I gained height the rain commenced with the cloud lowering, reducing visibility. I had two further fences to cross, one fairly recently constructed and both with barbed wire on the top span. I don't see the need for barbed wire to keep sheep penned in and it makes crossing these fences a bit awkward especially when wearing waterproof over-trousers. I subsequently reached a third fence, which was older and barbed wire free, and I followed it in the mist to the summit trig point. As well as this trig point there was an Orange telecommunications tower and a viewpoint indicator. The name of all the hills on a 360 degree radius were named thereon and it claimed that you could see over thirty Munros from this point, but I unfortunately I saw nothing as visibility was around 50 metres. In the inner sections of this viewpoint were three brass memorial plaques. Recently there has been some discussion about removing memorials from the mountains but I think this one will remain as it is on a properly constructed and fixed plaque. There is also a large pile of stones here which according to a book has a suicide's grave below. I followed a vehicle track down the hill and as I descended the cloud began to break up and I could see some of the adjoining hills including my next Graham, Bandanun Hill, the top of which was in the cloud. On returning to my car I drove the short distance to just north of Delnamer in Glen Isla where I parked my car and walked along the track to Fergus. At this farm I headed uphill on a vehicle track through a small wooded area and onto the open hillside. There were numerous ravens circling the hill Fore Brae. The map shows the vehicle track changes to a path at 440 metres but this is not the case. The vehicle track now continues to near the summit of Craig Lair and onto and possibly beyond the next hill, Mid Hill. It was therefore a reasonably easy walk to reach the summit of Craig Lair, only the last few metres was across some heather. The summit afforded views of the cloud covered Munros in Glens Clova and Shee and south-east towards Kirriemuir. I returned to the vehicle track as I had spotted another track not marked on the map that took me to the Craig Lair/Badandun Hill bealach. A few hares were spotted here, their coats slowly turning white to blend in with the forthcoming snows, if they arrive. This track continues over the north-east shoulder of Badandun Hill and I presume it joins one shown on the map to the south. Another track, which hadn't been constructed and had churned up the heather in places, headed towards the summit of Badandun Hill. Here I spotted some more hares and disturbed several grouse, which I had been doing most of this walk. I eventually reached the trig point marking the summit of Badandun Hill but it was too cold and windy to eat lunch so I walked across to a nearby stane dyke which afforded me shelter for my break. Afterwards it was a direct descent back to Fergus and the completion of all the Grahams in this section.
Mount Battock30 October 2005
I met my client in Brechin and we drove to Milden in Glen Esk parking beside the telephone kiosk there. It was dry at this time with a slight breeze and there was some cloud around the tops of the hills to the south. We set off along the tarred road and as we passed Mill of Auchleen, about five minutes walk from the start, it commenced to rain. Just beyond this old mill and house the tarred road ended and we followed the farm road to Blackcraigs then through a gate and onto a vehicle track that headed uphill. It was now raining fairly steadily and we came across a caterpillar vehicle that had sunk into the peat and had toppled over earlier that morning. The driver, who looked very pale, was trying to right the vehicle with the use of a digger. We followed this vehicle track, which had recently been upgraded, as the rain got heavier and heavier and the wind stronger. Fortunately at this time it was at our backs. The cloud had lowered and visibility was around 50 metres. We disturbed lots of grouse and there were numerous shooting butts at the side of the track. I can only presume that the track improvements were to enable estate clients easy access to these butts. We also spotted what we thought was a snow bunting and disturbed a hare. The map actually just shows a path so once higher up and through a gate we left the track and headed for the summit of Mount Een reaching the summit a few minutes later. We rejoined the track and followed it onto the next hill, Bennygray. The track here hadn't been upgraded and as it changed direction we were lashed by the rain and buffeted by the wind. The track headed towards our next summit, Wester Cairn, but appeared to peter out although in the poor visibility it may have headed off downhill. We continued uphill to a relatively flat but very windy summit before descending slightly and heading to our target hill, Mount Battock. As we fought against the wind and rain we came across a fence which we followed to the summit trig point and mass of rocks. It was too wet and windy to stop here so we about turned and retraced our steps to Wester Cairn and headed south following traces of the tracks from an all terrain vehicle. This track eventually merged with the vehicle track shown on the map. At this point the cloud started to break up and the rain eased. For the first time in several hours we were actually able to see more than 50 metres and we stopped to look around. We spotted a hut lower down the track and thought that it might be a convenient spot to stop for a late lunch. The hut did give us some shelter from the wind but it was open at one end with an opening at the other, possibly for shooting. The hut contained some trestle type tables which were stored on their ends and a small wooded fence prevented sheep access to the hut. It was a fine shelter for lunch, albeit a bit windy. We were joined by a wren who briefly came into the hut before returning to the heather. From the hut I could see the next obstacle, the burn, which I had been concerned about due to the amount of rain that had fallen. It was definitely in spate. Once lunch was over we followed the track to the Black Burn, where obviously in normal conditions it would be easily crossed, but it was flowing rather fast, and was a dark peaty colour. The White Burn, which joined the Black Burn just beyond here to form the Burn of Turret, wasn't so wide so we managed to cross it. although I got one foot wet. The next obstacle was to cross the Burn of Turret. There was a few planks of wood nailed to logs but it was on a slope and one plank was broken. However I decided to cross this so called bridge but once on it found it to be like an ice rink with the damp moss making me slide off the bridge. However with the assistance of my poles I managed to stop the slide and eventually reached the other side. The client then had to negotiate the bridge and the easiest way was on hands and knees using the higher end of the wooden planks as a support. This worked fine and would have looked very strange to anyone else on the hills that day. Fortunately we were the only ones on Mount Battock. Once across the bridge we followed the track over the south-east shoulder of Allrey as the cloud started to break up. Once lower down the sun actually came out and the last mile was quite pleasant in the sun and we started to dry out. We observed in the distant ridge that the caterpillar unit had been re-righted. The final obstacle was crossing the Hazel Burn but the bridge was in a better state of repair and had a hand rail. The track then took us back to Mill of Achleen and the short walk to the car.
Glen Isla23 October 2005
It was a short drive from the Spittal of Glenshee, where I had been walking in the morning, to nearby Glen Isla where I parked just beyond the end of the public road at Auchavan. The start of the walk was passed the holiday homes at Auchavan and onto the track heading west to the south ridge of Monamenach where I followed a fence to its summit. It started to snow as I arrived so the views were restricted. I headed for Craigenloch Hill but navigation was easy as a fence went all the way to the summit. This fence marks the boundary between Angus and Perth and Kinross. A hare darted across in front of me, its fur had started to change to white for the winter. I descended the south-east ridge of Craigenloch and spotted a lone stag wandering about. It then lay down, probably exhausted from the rut but its rest didn't last long as it soon spotted me, got up and ran off. I continued to follow the county boundary to the head of Glen Beanie where I spotted another two hares. The ground here was rather boggy, churned up by the deer, before I commenced the climb of Duchray Hill also known as Mealna Letter. Route finding couldn't be easier as in addition to a fence there was an auld stane dyke and my ascent route was between the two. Initially the climb was fairly steep but it eased off higher up. The fence and dyke changed sides and another fence headed down the south-east ridge. The summit cairn of Duchray Hill, was located slightly to the west of the wall and after taking a few photographs I headed off down the south-east ridge. Lower down I dropped into Glen Beanie where I followed a vehicle track for the short walk back to Glen Isla.
Lochnagar20 July 2005
This walk was booked by a lady from New York who was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1935. She had climbed Lochnagar when she was 19 years of age and wanted to make a return visit. We set off from the car park at the Spittal of Glenmuick and followed the track towards the Allt na-giubhsaich. The mountain tops were covered in cloudy and it was fairly windy. The client started at a fair pace even once we had commenced the climb up the track west of the small forest plantation. However her bronchial problems later took over and she had to slow down, which was fine by me as she was going too fast for a lady of her age. Once at the head of the col we took the path that led towards the col south of Meikle Pap. It was very windy initially but once we got some shelter from the shoulder of Meikle Pap we stopped for a break. The cloud by this time had cleared the summits and it looked like the client was going to be fortunate and get some views. We continued up the path and then climbed what is known as 'The Ladder' to the summit ridge with good views of the Loch and Corries of Lochnagar. The client kept stopping to take photos of the mountain and the surrounding views. We followed the rim of the corrie round before climbing to the actual summit of Lochnagar, known as Cac Carn Beag, where we again had good views, especially to the south, where we could see mountain ranges probably in the region of 100 miles away. It was windy on the summit so we headed for Cac Carn Mor, which is lower, despite Mor in Gaelic meaning higher, and then down to the Glas Allt. Once we were a bit lower and sheltered from the wind we had lunch and the sun came out. The descent later continued as we passed the Glas Allt Waterfall to the Glas-allt-Shiel, which is a royal residence built in the times of Queen Victoria. It is located at the edge of Loch Muick, which was sparkling in the sun. The return to the car park was along the north side of Loch Muick, as far as its east end before cutting across via a path to the track on the south shore and the short walk back to the start. It took us seven hours. That's not bad for a 70 year old. My client who was very lucky with the weather, wasn't able to recall any parts of her walk over 50 years ago.
Glen Uig27 February 2005Yes, it is in the County of Angus and nowhere near Uig on the Island of Skye. I hadn't heard of this glen myself until I was doing the planning for this walk. I think it is a little used glen but it is only about 10 miles from Kirriemuir so maybe I should keep this glen a secret! It was sunny but cold when I parked at the end of the public road near Wester Lednathie. Parking is a problem here but the farmer seemed to be happy where I left my car as he acknowledged my presence as he drove passed en-route to feed his stock. The first section of the walk was a bit awkward as I had to pass through the farm buildings, which I didn't particularly like, as a felt I was intruding. A sign just before the bridge indicated that the paths are not 'Rights of Way' and that walkers use them at their own risk. I thought that was the case on all paths walkers use! However there were no anti-walking signs which was a good sign. Once across the bridge the path shown on the map goes across grazing ground to a small wood. The wood, as with several others in the area, are obviously used to rear game birds so the Estate has something to shoot. I couldn't find the path through the wood so I had to make my own way through the trees avoiding numerous fallen pieces of timber. On reaching the other side of the wood I disturbed a roe deer, which ran off onto the open hillside. I found the track I was looking for and followed it up to Monthrey. Here I turned and climbed Cat Law and followed a fence, which has recently been upgraded, to the summit. There was a thin covering of snow on the hill with some ankle deep patches, which could be avoided, but it couldn't really be classed as a winter climb. The hares were fairly obvious in their white winter coats as they ran from one snow patch to another. The summit of Cat Law has a trig point and three cairns and despite it being cold on the summit I stopped for a break and took in the views down towards Kirriemuir and onto the River Tay and the North Sea. I then set off back to Monthrey before following a track to Cormaud. A herd of around ten stags, which had come out of Glen Dye ran off on my approach. I continued towards the Quharity Burn and decided to take about a kilometre off the walk and cut across the hillside before descending to the Burn. I don't think it was much of an advantage as the heather was rather deep and made walking a bit tiresome. On this descent I had spotted another track that went up the south shoulder of Cairn Corse and I headed for it. It was still sunny and was warm in the glen and on the climb up to Cairn Corse where I disturbed several brace of grouse. Higher up the track disappeared but the heather was short enough in places to make the climb easy enough. From Cairn Corse I headed for Corwharn and on approaching the summit I was surprised to meet a couple leaving the top as the area isn't popular with walkers. On reaching the summit cairn it was difficult to say if it was positioned on the highest point due to the peat hags, but I suppose the top of the cairn might be the highest point around. I sheltered behind this cairn while I ate my lunch, taking in the surrounding views. I then headed down the hill following a fence, across some frozen peat bogs, to meet another track, not marked on the map. This track is obviously used to access the shooting butts on the Hill of Ardenaich. This descent of this track took me back to Glen Uig and a pleasant walk down the Glen to my car watching all the game birds flying off and getting a noisy reaction from the farm dogs in their kennels.
Glen Lee23 January 2005I was looking for something new to climb near to my home in Aberdeen. I came across the Graham, Hunt Hill, so early this Sunday morning I set off for Invermark in Glen Esk. Munro Baggers will be familiar with this location as it is the starting point for Mount Keen, if approached from the south. The route from the car park crossed the Water of Mark before passing a ruined castle and church. The gravestones in the churchyard are very close to the edge of Loch Lee and it is here that the tarred roadway changes to a track. I followed the track along the north shore of Loch Lee into a strong bitterly cold head wind with occasional fine snow showers. At the west end of the Loch several swans were paddling about as I crossed the bridge and headed for Inchgrundle. A lone white pony watched me as I passed. A small footbridge took me across the steam, that flowed down from the Shank of Inchgrundle, and I followed a zig zag track through a small copse which afforded me some shelter. Once beyond the tree line it was again very windy and the track was icy where running water or melted snow had frozen over, so care was needed to avoid a slide. As I gained height I had better views of the rocky corrie above Carlochy and my route ahead. On reaching the highest point on the track I walked to the small summit cairn of Cairn Lick before continuing in a northerly direction over snow covered heather and peat bogs to Point 683 and the ascent of Craig Maskeldie. This is a very rocky summit and has similarities to Glencoe - well a miniature Glencoe. Recently I was told by a chap from the south-east of England that the Cairngorms weren't very interesting hills. He obviously hasn't walked in this part of the Highlands. From the summit of Craig Maskeldie I continued round the top of the crags peering down the couple of steep gullies. I then needed to descend and cross the Water of Unich. I started my descent as I had spotted a route through the crags on the opposite side of the burn. However as I descended I noted that the water was running fairly high and fast and I wasn't keen on crossing it, firstly as I wasn't sure if that was possible with some of the boulders covered in snow and ice and secondly I didn't want to get wet in this bitterly cold wind. I decided to go further south and look for a better crossing point. Water from the Falls of Damff was being blown out of the burn and forming large sheets of ice. Beyond the Falls I spotted a small footbridge and was delighted to make use of this crossing. Once on the other side of the burn I crossed more snow covered heather and peat bogs and headed to the foot of Hunt Hill. The sun came out but it wasn't any warmer as I climbed the south ridge to the summit of Hunt Hill. I quickly took in the views of the surrounding hills, as the wind was still very strong, before heading towards Glen Lee. The next obstacle was the crossing of the Water of Lee but once again fortune favoured me. I spotted what appeared to be a bridge but as I got closer I saw that it was just a steel beam with a warning sign about its use. However wading the river was to get wet and cold for the long walk back so I opted for the steel beam which didn't collapse under my weight. I now headed down Glen Lee but required shelter for lunch. In a small wooded area, part of which had been demolished by man and nature I spotted a small bothy where I was able to eat my lunch away from the strong wind. A note inside the bothy indicated that the Mountain Bothies Association were considering taking over responsibility for it. On finishing lunch I ventured out into the cold wind again and continued down Glen Lee. I also saw that there was another small footbridge where the Lee and Unich joined so I will have to remember that in case I am back in this area. Maybe someone would like to pay me to take them round this route - I've done the recce! The final section of the track took me past the road leading to Inchgrundle, which I used in the morning, and back along the shores of Loch Lee watching the wind whip up the water of the loch into a spray. Kept the mind active as I walked the last few miles back to the car. An interesting day on the hills on my own without meeting or seeing anyone and with reasonably good views just a bit cold but what do I expect in January?
Glen Esk19 September 2004From Millden Lodge in Glen Esk we crossed the River North Esk by a private footbridge and followed the track westwards on the south side of the river. On reaching the Burn of Beag we took the track on its west side which led us onto the open hillside. It was a windy day and as we gained height the predicted cloud from the west engulfed the hills and then us. On reaching the north-east ridge of Hill of Wirren we followed a fence that led to the summit trig point. The final few metres involved crossing a section of wet peat and a fence to get to the actual summit. Although this hill is not very high, in the misty conditions it was fairly bleak. We did not linger here but about turned and headed back to the tracks we had used on the upward route before crossing the River North Esk further west and walking the few metres back to our cars.
Glen Clova15 August 2004It was a nice sunny morning when a friend and I set off from Wheen in Glen Clova to climb Beinn Tirran, the Goet. However within a few minutes my enjoyment was spoilt when I was stung by a bee. A couple of beekeepers were working at hives on the open hillside close to the track and several bees were swarming round the area. One unfortunately stung me on the thigh. This surprised me as I didn't think insects could sting through clothing. The track was followed up the east side of the corrie containing Loch Wharral before it petered out and an easy climb took us to the summit trig point. We had lunch naming the various mountains but the cloud was building from the south-west as the sun disappeared. After lunch we headed round the Craigs of Loch Whirral during a shower before the sun reappeared and we headed down the track on the west side of Loch Wharral and followed it back to the start. The beekeepers were still working at the hives so I made a quick dart for the car and managed to avoid being stung again.
Angus Glens16 January 2004On a Friday in mid January I met Laila, Shauna and Fraser in the car park at the head of Glen Clova. The surrounding hills were snow clad and the cloud base was rising as the weather improved. A short walk past Glendoll Lodge, until recently a Youth Hostel, and a pleasant climb through the forest warmed us up. Once out of the forest we followed the snow covered path known as the ‘Kilbo Path’, which is an old Right of Way. I was pleasantly surprised to find the snow wasn’t too deep and it made walking up the path reasonably easy for a winter’s day. On reaching the col there were good views south to the River Tay, and the snow clad Lomond Hills in Fife stood out on the horizon. The views to the north were limited by low cloud so we were fortunate in the choice of mountains. From the col a short climb and a walk out to the trig point on Driesh took us to our first Munro of the day. We returned to the col and headed out towards Mayar. As we approached the final climb to the summit, Fraser disturbed a hare in its winter white coat. Unfortunately as we reached the summit the cloud came down and the wind was causing some spin drift, which restricted visibility. The return was via Corrie Fee and down the side of the Fee Burn. The snow was fairly soft so walking was reasonably easy although care was still required. Lower down, and just above the snow line, we came across four workmen constructing a path up into the corrie. The rest of the descent was along this path and back into Glendoll Forest and to the car park.
Lochnagar6 December 2003In early December Professor Hank Edmondson from Georgia, USA travelled to Aberdeen University to launch a book. This was his first visit to Scotland and he asked me to take him to the Scottish Highlands for a day walk. On a mild Saturday morning I collected Professor Hank from his residence in Aberdeen and conveyed him to the Spittal of Glen Muick, south of Ballater. We walked across towards Allt-na-giubhsaich and up the Lochnagar path. The deer were high up on the hillside due to the lack of snow and the grouse were noisily marking out their territory. Hank was happy, as well as a backpacker he is also a ‘birder’. On reaching the col above the Loch the top of the corrie was hidden by cloud but we were still able to view the climbing routes. We continued up through the boulders and along the top of the corrie where Hank took more pictures on his digital camera. Here there was some hoar frost and verglas (thin layer of ice) on the boulders so care was required. We then headed for the trig point summit of Cac Carn Beag and joined several other walkers. We were above the cloud level and took in the views of the Cairngorms and surrounding mountains while eating our lunch. Hank’s only complaint was that I hadn’t taken any coffee for him. It looks like next time I am out I will not only have to guide my clients but supply them with food and hot drinks. Maybe it is time to arrange maid service for breaks and lunch! On leaving the summit we stopped and chatted to an Aberdeen mountain guide I knew. He had climbed up the corrie instead of taking the walking route. The descent route was down the path at the side of the Glas Allt, past the waterfall and down to the Glas Allt Shiel. This is a residence built for Queen Victoria and there is unrestricted access to the surrounding area, unless a member of the Royal family is visiting. Hank took some more photographs and was going to do a video with me commentating but fortunately the camera wouldn’t work. A walk back along the shores of Loch Muick to the car park ended an enjoyable day for my American client. He now wants to come back to the Scottish Highlands, either himself or with some of his students, and expects me to organise the same good weather. On his return home he sent me an e-mail with favourable remarks about his trip to Lochnagar.
Grampians12 October 2003The previous day had been a lovely sunny day in Aberdeen so I decided that I should make the most of the good weather and head for the hills. I searched for a new route and noted that I had been on Mount Keen on three previous occasions, always approaching from Glen Esk, so I decided to attempt it from the north side on this occasion. An early start from my home saw me in Aboyne and onto the South Deeside Road before driving the short distance up Glen Tanar to the end of the public road. The trees, bushes and bracken were magnificent with their autumnal colours. I cycled up the track that runs to the head of the Glen, initially through miles of forest before reaching open hillside. After about six miles I abandoned my cycle and climbed up a bulldozed track which I presume replaced the old drover’s route known as the ‘Mounth Road’. Higher up the track became an eroded path that spread over a wide area of the hillside. At the same time I entered the cloud base with some light drizzle blowing in the wind, which was fairly strong higher up. On reaching the cairn I didn’t linger, there was no point, nothing to see but cloud. However I knew I wasn’t on my own as the roar of the stags kept me company. A quick descent back down the hill to collect my bicycle and the return journey down Glen Tannar was enjoyable as very little cycling was required on the slight decline. This allowed me to get back to my car by lunchtime.
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