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Section 7 - South-East Grampians, Glen Shee to Cairn o'Mount
This section refers to the hills and mountains of the South-East Grampians between Glen Shee and the 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 - Section 7
Trip Reports - Section 7
Creag Leacach and Glas Maol29 November 2009
I met a hill walking friend at the Cairnwell Ski Centre, the highest point on the A93 Perth to Braemar Road where we left a vehicle before heading south for around two kilometres to a parking area on the east side of the A93 at NO139757 where we parked the other car. There was a light covering of snow in Braemar village and around the Ski Centre. It was cold and windy as we set off down to the Allt a’Ghlinne Bhig where only a couple of planks of wood now exist from the old bridge. However the water level wasn’t high so there was no problem crossing this stream. In spate conditions things might be a bit different. A path was followed above a tributary of the Allt a’Ghlinne Bhig where we disturbed a roe deer that was obviously sheltering from the wind. A couple of tributaries had to be crossed before we could commence the ascent towards the col between Meall Gorm and Creag Leacach. This ascent was initially over wet grassy vegetation until just east of the col where we came to the snow line. The wind was now rather strong and it made for a difficult approach to Creag Leacach's South-West Top so we walked round to the south-west side of mountain to try and get a bit of shelter. A mountain hare ran off into the spin drift, . We ascended the South-West Top although it was a bit difficult getting to the two summit cairns due to the wind. I’ve no idea which cairn was the highest point hence the reason for visiting both. A stone dyke with old metal posts on top, which were covered in ice, was followed as it descended slightly before we climbed towards the summit of Creag Leacach. The ground was rocky but the drifting snow lying against the dyke was quite firm and made for easier walking, well with the exception of the wind. The sun occasionally tried to break through the cloud and gave some interesting lighting effects with the spin drift but there were no views of the surrounding mountains. We reached the summit of Creag Leacach, which was a cairn on the dyke, before continuing along the side of the dyke as we descended north-east with a rocky drop to our east. Lower down, in addition to the stone dyke, there were parallel fence posts. However this all came to an end just before the ‘Cairn’ marked on the map at NO159758. The wind had made for quite a difficult morning but from here on conditions deteriorated. The wind had strengthened, visibility was now poor and it was snowing or it could just have been spin drift. Working on a compass bearing we continued on our ascent of Glas Maol where there were a few metal posts but they were spaced too far apart to be of any use. I was aware that they didn’t go to the summit and that finding the trig point wouldn't be easy in these conditions. The summit plateau was reached and after a short search the trig point appeared out of the cloud. My walking partner was having trouble coping with these wild conditions and was being blown around as we tried to get a bit of shelter behind the cairn surrounding the trig point. Once I obtained a bearing to get off Glas Maol we headed for the ridge leading to Meall Odhar but the wind was buffeting us around with visibility for a while down to a few feet before it cleared slightly and I could see the ridge that would lead us off the mountain. On the descent of this ridge my walking partner was blown over and had to slide down the hill side. I could now see Meall Odhar but the direct approach wasn’t possible due to the wind strength so a slight diversion west was necessary before trying to get back onto my bearing. The wind was still fierce and probably at its strongest for the day as we made our way below Meall Odhar. I did make an attempt to summit this Munro Top but was blown back down the hill so gave up that idea. Once beyond Meall Odhar we came to the skiing paraphernalia but here it was less windy and we now made better progress as we descended the side of the icy vehicle track. Lower down a walker’s path took a short cut through the heather where we saw a couple of mountain hares. This walker’s path later rejoined the vehicle track just before the car park at the Cairnwell Ski Centre where it was windier than when we left the vehicle earlier that day.
Broad Cairn and Cairn Bannoch8 November 2009
A sunny day was forecasted so I decided on an ascent of the Munros, Broad Cairn and Cairn Bannoch but from Glen Clova instead of my usual starting point, the Spittal of Glenmuick. The car park in Glen Clova, reached from Kirriemuir, is run by Angus Council who at the time of this visit charged £2. It was sunny but frosty when I left the car park, walked back to the bridge over the River South Esk, and headed north up the Glen. The Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 44 doesn't name the Glen but I have always presumed it to be a continuation of Glen Clova so could reasonably be called Upper Glen Clova which I have used on my photos. According to an internet search it has also been called Glen Moulzie obviously after the farm that I passed on my walk up the Glen. Beyond the farm wooden slats, covered in frost, were crossed and this led to a footbridge across the River South Esk and the vehicle track on the west side of the river. Occasionally there was a roar from the stags so the rut wasn't over yet. Beyond the footbridge the track turned to head west before a gradual climb to Bachnagairn. At Bachnagairn the track became a path as I walked along the side of the Bachnagairn Gorge to another footbridge, the Roy Tait Memorial Bridge, erected in memory of Roy Tait who died on Lochnagar. I crossed this bridge and followed the path that zig zagged up to meet the paths that rose from Loch Muick just west of the stables, which I know as the Allan Hut. I then followed the path towards the summit of Broad Cairn where the old vehicle tracks had been filled in with heather and rocks. The final climb was through some boulders and from the top I had good views including down to Loch Muick and across to Mount Keen and the distant Bennachie. I descended west from Broad Cairn towards a col then cut across to the Munro Top, Creag an Dubh-loch where close to the crags I could view the Dubh Loch and the waterfall on Eagle’s Rock. Thereafter I returned to the col and climbed Cairn of Gowal, another Munro Top, visiting both knolls. The south knoll has the more substantial cairn but the north knoll is shown as 8 metres higher. Now it was time to head the short distance to the Munro, Cairn Bannoch. En-route a couple of mountain hares, in their semi-white coats ran off while another one seemed unconcerned about my presence and I was able to take its photo. On arrival at the summit cairn of Cairn Bannoch I stopped for lunch and it was pleasant sitting in the early afternoon sun looking at the mountains I had summited the previous day. After lunch I headed over to the Munro Top, Fafernie where I disturbed some young stags who were resting in the sun. From Fafernie I descended north to the Knaps of Fafernie where the area was rather wet, boggy and icy in places. Beyond this area I joined Jock’s Road and followed it to its high point with a slight diversion to ascend another Munro Top, Crow Craigies. The Jock's Road path was followed as it descended to Davy’s Bourach, marked on the map as a Shelter. Thereafter the descent was a bit steeper before the final drop into Glendoll Forest. During the walk through the forest I heard the sound of the roaring stags in the hills above me. The path later joined a vehicle track and it was a short walk back to the car park.
Carn an-t-Sagairt Mor, Carn a’Choire Bhoidheach and Lochnagar7 November 2009
I have climbed Lochnagar over twenty times but never from the north. A study of the map gave me an idea that I could start at the bridge over the River Dee east of the minor road to Keiloch, around 3 miles from Braemar, and follow tracks through the Ballochbuie Forest to the open hillside. It was a frosty morning as I headed west from my home in Aberdeen and as dawn broke the sky was cloud free and I observed that the top of Lochnagar had a covering of snow. I arrived at the white painted metal footbridge over the River Dee and found it barred by a locked six foot gate with spikes on top. As it was frosty I didn’t fancy clambering over it in case I ended up in the river, which was reasonably high. I then drove to the car park on the minor road leading to Keiloch where another car was already parked. The parking fee was £2.50 but I didn’t mind as the fees go towards maintenance of the estate and paths. I left my car and returned to the main road and walked a short distance west to the old Invercauld Bridge which is presently under repair. On the opposite side of the bridge I followed various vehicle tracks through the Ballochbuie Forest, part of the Balmoral Estate, with the noise of the ‘Royal Stags’ roaring on the hillside above. The route past close to the Falls of Garbh Allt and I took a short diversion to get a few photos but the metal bridge was rather slippery with the overnight frost. On returning to the track I continued through the Caledonian Pine Forest and eventually reached the open hillside. Once clear of the trees there were deer on either side of me. At the Stables the vehicle track became a path which was icy in places, one of the hazards of winter walking. A frosted planked bridge over the Feindallacher Burn was reached but due to its angle I gave it a miss and crossed the stream further up. I was now heading away from the stream as the path led to beyond the 727 point where I was expecting it to end as per the map. However it continued to the col between Carn an t-Sagairt Mor and Carn an t-Sagairt Beag. En-route I encountered some grouse, a mountain hare and a couple of ptarmigan. From this col I climbed onto the summit of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor passing some wreckage of an aircraft including a wing. There were two cairns on the summit so I visited both although I thought the northern one was the highest. On the summit I met the only person I had seen all morning, a chap from Edinburgh, who had ascended from Glen Callater. There were some fine views from the summit plateau, including the snow capped Cairngorm Mountains, so after a short break I returned to the col, climbed over the Munro Top, Carn an t-Sagairt Beag and headed for the snow covered The Stuic, where I took some more photos. I then made a direct ascent of the Munro, Carn a’Choire Bhoidheach, although personally I don’t think it deserves such a title. As I climbed this Munro the cloud, which had already engulfed the snow covered Cairngorms and the nearby Glas Maol, was now floating around my hills. I didn’t linger on Carn a’Choire Bhoidheach but headed for Lochnagar, across a mixture of bog and ice, although I was still above the snow line. A short climb took me to Cac Carn Mor followed by a few metres of descent before an easy gradient onto Cac Carn Beag. On my approach to Lochnagar's summit I saw the second individual of the day, a chap who climbed out of the Black Spout. We met and had lunch at the summit and he reported a bit of verglas on the route he had taken. During the lunch stop several other walkers arrived at the summit. After lunch I descended, fairly steeply at times, north-west then north from Cac Carn Beag to a col and climbed my second Munro Top of the day, Meall Coire na Saobhaidhe. The earlier cloud had disappeared and I was back in the sun, well when not in the shade of the mountains. My next destination was the Corbett Top shown on the map as a 830 metres hill, although on the TACiT Tables as Lochnagar Point 830. It was an easy ascent and a short distance further north-west was my second Corbett Top, Cnapan Nathraichean. From Cnapan Nathraichean I didn’t have a real plan for my return to Invercauld but decided to head west to the Allt Lochan nan Eun, where I hoped to find a path. On the descent I disturbed a couple of stags and on approaching the stream I came across more deer who didn’t know where to run, maybe it was the awkward tussocky ground that was their problem. It was definitely a problem for me. There was no path as hoped for, so I crossed the Allt Lochan nan Eun and soon came to a deer fence but fortunately found a gate lower down which gave me access to the Caledonian Pine Forest. Once through the gate there was still no path but knee deep heather with hidden hollows. This made for slow progress as I struggled through the trees and came to the Feindallacher Burn and another stream crossing. More deep heather was floundered through before I reached the track used earlier that day. I then returned to the start using the morning’s route spotting a roe deer. It was a fantastic day and a good route to get onto the mountains around Lochnagar. However the descent through the forest wasn’t great and I wouldn’t want to do that section again. If I descended Cnapan Nathraichean on a future trip I would probably descend its north-west ridge avoiding the rocks or north-east to The Prince’s Stone, and use the tracks and paths through Ballochbuie Forest to return to Invercauld Bridge. previous ascent Carn an t-Sagairt Mor and Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach
Glen Isla2 and 3 April 2009
The weather was forecasted to be fine for just a couple of days so I took the opportunity for a short backpacking trip. I had previously been in Glen Isla but never walked beyond Auchavan so this was my opportunity and it wasn’t that far from home. Auchavan is located at the end of the public road accessed from the B951 Kirriemuir to Spittal of Glenshee Road. A short distance further north, along a rough track, there was parking for several vehicles beside the River Isla. I walked north along the west side of the River Isla briefly on a track but then on a path. Just beyond the bridge leading to the property at Dalhally I saw a weasel. It had a yellowish chest and was initially running towards me but soon about turned and disappeared. The path joined the vehicle track that ran up the west side of the River Isla passed Tulchan Lodge. Signage near the Lodge indicated that the preferred route to the hills was further north and not up the side of the Lodge and into Glen Brightly. Further north the marked Monega Path headed off to my left but I continued up Glen Isla. The condition of the path started to deteriorate and there were lots of frogs and spawn in the pools of water. I came to ‘Bessies Cairn’, which was constructed to commemorate a female stalker who frequented the area. Beyond the cairn the area around the River Isla was low level with some wetlands so there were lots of bird noises, none that I could identify though. I reached the ruin at the entrance to Caenlochan Glen where I thought of camping. However it was still early evening so I decided to take a walk into Canness Glen which was still in the sun. I joined a vehicle track which took me passed a small waterfall and into the corrie where there were numerous rabbits and lots of deer. My plan was now to camp in this corrie but the noise from the water rushing down the rock faces was too loud to get a peaceful night’s sleep so unfortunately I had to return to the ruin near the entrance to Caenlochan Glen and pitch my tent there. I noted that on one of the stones of the ruined house was inscribed ‘ML 1887’ so I presume that was when the house was constructed. It was initially quite noisy with the birds, including some grouse, but once it was dark things quietened down and I lay and read some of my TGO magazine. It was a cold night with a touch of frost but I was warm in my down sleeping bag. In the morning the clear star covered sky soon clouded over which was a bit of a disappointment. Once I had tidied up I commenced the climb of the north ridge of Caderg looking for the path shown on the map but it wasn’t obvious. I had views into Caenlochan Glen with its moraines and lots of ancient tree routes. A couple of dead trees were still upright at 680 metres above sea level which is quite unusual in Scotland. Higher up I found the path as it headed onto Caderg. At the top of the path there were a few snow patches so I wandered around them and headed towards the summit of the Munro Top, Druim Mor, as the cloud was lifting. From the summit cairn of Druim Mor I had views into Caenlochan Glen and across to Cairn of Claise. The summit of Glas Maol, my next mountain, was still in cloud. I walked to the ridge between Cairn of Claise and Glas Maol, again avoiding most of the snow patches, as the cloud on Glas Maol was lifting. Once on this ridge an All Terrain Vehicle Track (ATV) headed towards Glas Maol and joined up with the Monega Path. I followed this Path for a while before leaving it and climbing to the summit trig point of Glas Maol. My plan was to continue onto the Munro Creag Leacach but I decided firstly to divert to the Munro Top, Little Glas Maol. On the descent I met a young chap, who stayed in Glen Isla. He was the only person I saw all day. From the col I had a view across Caenlochan Glen to my first hill of the day, Druim Mor, before a short climb took me to the summit cairn of Little Glas Maol. I returned to the col and traversed round the south side of Glas Maol to the ridge with Creag Leacach where there was a stone dyke and some fencing. The dyke was followed along the north ridge of Creag Leacach which narrowed for a bit before I climbed to its rocky summit where there was a mountain hare. Here I found some shelter, from the cool breeze, to set up my stove and have some lunch. After lunch a short rocky descent took me to another col, where there were a couple of ptarmigan, followed by a short climb to the summit of Creag Leacach’s South Top which was marked by two cairns. I descended the south ridge of this Munro Top still following the stone dyke and climbed Carn Ait. From this summit I changed direction and headed east to climb the Corbett Top, Mallrenheskein, with herds of deer feeding at either side of the hill. From Mallrenheskein I had views back to Creag Leacach and across to the upper reaches of Glen Brightly. I descended to the col with Black Hill where its north ridge was full of peat hags. An ATV track wound its way through these peat hags which made things a bit easier and I climbed to the twin summits of Black Hill. A descent to the Clack of Glengairney followed with a climb of 199 metres to the summit of the Corbett, Monamenach . Higher up on this hill I thankfully came to a water spring as I had been looking for water for some time. I could have descended at various points to a stream but put that off hoping to find some running water on the ridges. The summit cairn of Monamenach was at the junction of fences. I descended this hill and picked up a vehicle track between Monamenach and Craigenloch Hill, the higher section of which wasn’t shown on my map. The track took me to the holiday cottages at Auchavan, and finally a short walk back to my car. I finished reading my TGO at home and, unknown to me beforehand, one of their ‘Wild Walks’ was this route except they used the Monega Path from Glen Isla to Glas Maol.
Carn an Tuirc, Cairn of Claise and Glas Maol24 January 2009
Yet another weekend with poor weather forecasted for the Sunday, so I decided to set off for Glen Shee on the Saturday and climb some of the Munros on the east side of the A93 Braemar to Perth Road. I left my car in the parking area on the north side of the A93 before it climbed to the Cairnwell Ski Centre at the bridge over the Cairnwell Burn. The grid ref for those interested is NO145806. I crossed the bridge on foot and took the path marked Glen Isla. This is misleading as there is a long section on the north-east side of Sron na Gaoithe where there is no path and it is a fairly steep ascent. It is not a route for those without navigation skills as it passes close to crags and climbs to about 960 metres. After 750 metres my route took a left turn at an old military bridge and I followed the north side of the Allt a'Gharbh-choire. The path was concealed below the soft snow so I followed bootprints which were probably made the previous day on a return from Carn an Tuirc. Beyond where the stream turned into the Garbh-choire I continued in the direction of the path but the soft snow conditions made it hard work so I decided to make a more direct approach onto Carn an Tuirc. As I gained a bit more height the snow became firmer and I searched for the best route which actually took me round the south-west side of the mountain. The summit area was a bit icy but I made it to the cairn where I had a coffee break. I had expected other walkers, whom I had seen below me, to reach the summit but no one else appeared as I headed for the col with Cairn of Claise. The weather had been bright and once I was higher on Carn an Tuirc I was in the sun but on approaching the col the cloud lowered and the ascent of Cairn of Claise was initially in limited visibility. However nearer the summit the cloud did break a few times to give me some views, including where I had been the previous Saturday. Prior to reaching the top I came to old fence posts, rimmed with snow, and followed them to the summit cairn. It was now quite windy here with some spin drift so once I had taken a few photographs I headed south-west still following the fence posts. Here the wind was forcing the snow out of the Garbh-choire up over the cornice and skywards. Visibility deteriorated and I now started to come across other walkers and cross country skiers going in the opposite direction. My compass and GPS now had to come into use as I headed for Glas Maol with the occasional snow covered post appearing out of the white wilderness as well as a couple of groups of walkers. I reached the summit where I stopped for lunch trying to shelter from the wind and snow that had started. While there a group of walkers and cross country skiers arrived at the summit from different directions but once they had taken new compass bearings they left. A compass bearing took me off of Glas Maol to the ridge between Glas Choire and Garbh-choire where the cloud started to fragment and I was able to see my route to Sron na Gaoithe. From this outlier of Glas Maol there were good views north down the A93 to Glen Cluanie. The descent from Sron na Gaoithe was initially quite steep on firm snow before the gradient eased and the snow became softer as I headed for the Cairnwell Burn. Here I crossed a bridge, not shown on the map as it appeared fairly new, which took me to the west side of the stream before I re-crossed it, after it merged with the Allt a'Gharbh-choire, by the Old Military Bridge mentioned earlier . I then followed the path back to the car as it started to snow again.
Tolmount and Tom Buidhe17 January 2009
The weekend weather didn't look very good but a break during daylight hours on the Saturday enabled me to get out for my first walk of 2009. I decided on another attempt to reach the Munros, Tolmount and Ton Buidhe, which I had set out to climb the previous month but due to the wind and underfoot conditions had to abandon. I left the car park at the head of Glen Clova, which was still free as the ticket machine was out of order, and headed off through Glendoll Forest following Jock's Road making good progress as I was sheltered from the elements. Once the path left the forest I was exposed to the wind which seemed to ease a bit as I gained height and passed Davy's Bourach, a shelter as shown on the Ordnance Survey Map, south of Cairn Lunkard. Beyond the shelter there were some old patches of snow and a thin covering of fresh snow as I gradually climbed towards Crow Craigies before descending slightly and heading for Tolmount. The cloud base varied a lot, sometimes engulfing the summits and at other times clear enough to see the route ahead. As well as using my map and compass I was trying to use the waypoints I had programmed into my GPS from Memory Map. As said elsewhere I have had both products for several years but recently I have been trying to learn how to use my GPS other than just for obtaining a grid reference. I found using all three rather awkward but maybe with practice I'll get used to it. On reaching the summit of Tolmount there were no views so it was off to the col with Ca Whims then across some peat hags to ascend Tom Buidhe. Again there were no views from the summit cairn so I descended its south-east ridge before dropping down to Jock's Road and Davy's Bourach, where I had a late lunch. Afterwards it was just the sake of re-tracing my route down Glen Doll and back to the start.
Jock's Road7 December 2008
My plan was to climb the two Munros, Tolmount and Tom Buidhe, from Glen Doll in the east. However I was aware that strong winds were forecast for the afternoon so I hoped at least to reach Tolmount, and leave Tom Buidhe for another trip. The start of the walk was at the head of Glen Clova, reached from Kirriemuir, where there is a Pay and Display car park but on the day of my visit it was free. On leaving the car park I walked passed Acharn Farm, where the track was very icy, and headed up Glen Doll through the forest taking a right signposted route to Jock's Road. It was a pleasant and relatively easy walk through the forest on the snow covered path. On emerging from the forest Glen Doll became rather enclosed with Craig Maud to the south-west, Craig Damff to the north and Jock's Road winding uphill in front of me. The path was quite icy in places and it was obvious other walkers had been this way before me. As I headed west the path became steeper and there was more snow cover and progress became a bit slower especially where the path was concealed by snow drifts and a diversion across the snow covered heather was required. Eventually after winding my way between some cliffs following what appeared to be the route of the path I came to a shelter, which was marked on the map. The red doorway said it was Davy's Bourach, which was built by Davy Glen in 1966 and is now maintained by Forfar Hill Walking Club. I had a look inside but it was empty although fresh snow inside indicated that it had been used recently. I continued up the Glen but the path was not visible and the snow was rather deep. I followed some bootprints as it was easier to use them than make my own trail. I spotted two guys climbing Tom Buidhe and shortly thereafter some bootprints headed off in that direction. In hindsight I should have followed them but the plan had been to climb Tolmount first. However the snow was now quite deep and was obliterating any evidence of where the path headed. The bootprints I was following now headed off towards the Craigs of Loch Esk and it was easier to follow them than make my own way through drifting snow. The snow wasn't as deep now, the cloud was down and I lost the bootprints I had been following, although they were no longer of any benefit to me. I walked to the 851 and 874 points as navigational features before striking out for Crow Craigies. By this time the wind was now quite strong and I had set a time for being on the summit of Tolmount and my deadline was fast approaching. It was decision time. Do I struggle on for another thirty minutes or so to reach the summit of Tolmount or do I cut my losses and head back? The wind strength was also forecasted to reach 65mph later in the day so I decided to give up and come back another day. I returned to the 874 and 851 Points before heading south to join Jock's Road south-west of Craig Damff and followed it back to the start. The last twenty minutes or so was in the dark so although disappointed at not getting to the summit of Tolmount, I had made the correct decision as the wind was quite strong even in the shelter of the forest. Lochnagar – Cac Carn Beag6 December 2008
I have climbed Lochnagar on numerous occasions at different times of the year and in various weather conditions but this was one of those magical days on Deeside’s most popular mountain. The usual starting point for an ascent of Lochnagar is the end of the public road in Glen Muick at the car park beside the Spittal of Glenmuick. This road is accessed from the B976 South Deeside Road, west of the town of Ballater. The road up Glen Muick had a few patches of snow and was rather icy in places. On arrival at the car park I was surprised to see how many cars were already there, the occupants taking advantage of a beautiful winter’s day, blue skies, no clouds and good snow cover. The only downside was the car parking fee was now £3, an increase of £1, since my last visit, although apparently the monies accrued go to path maintenance in Upper Deeside. I set off from the car park with extreme care as the area was very icy, passed the properties at the Spittal of Glenmuick, before turning right to follow the vehicle track which crossed the River Muick and entered the Royal Estate at Allt-na-giubhsaich. I took the path round the rear of the property, through the forest, and onto the open hillside. As height was gained the snow cover was deeper but I was fortunate that others had been before me and had made a path through the snow. The sky was cloud free and there were good views back across Glen Muick to the snow covered Mount Keen. At the high point in the track I took the path that led to the col south of Meikle Pap. Initially the path was obvious but once out of the dip it was concealed by the snow. The early walkers had made a route through the snow covered heather which I followed. I heard a ptarmigan but couldn’t spot it amongst the snow and rocks so its plumage was doing an excellent job. I later spotted a group of fifteen climbing the ridge east of the Corries so was thankful to them for breaking the trail. On approaching the col the top of the Lochnagar Corries came into view so I headed to the edge of the col to get a better view and some photographs. There was no sign of any climbers but I don't think the snow conditions were stable enough for going up the gullies. I left the col and climbed the boulder strewn east ridge which was a bit awkward near the top due to the snow filled gaps between the boulders. I could now see the frozen and partially snow covered Loch of Lochnagar. Thereafter I followed the head of the corrie with views across to the Angus Hills and the White Mounth, the name being appropriate in these conditions. I passed the summit of Cac Carn Mor and after a slight dip climbed to Cac Carn Beag, the highest point on Lochnagar which was marked by a trig point on top of a rock. The views from here were awesome, as they had been on my ascent, and included the Cairngorms and across to the frozen Loch nan Eun and The Stuic. My plan was to include the Munro Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach and possibly descend to the Dhubh Loch so I returned to Cac Carn Mor and set off for Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach but the snow conditions made it tough going and no one appeared to have been this way so breaking the trail was very time consuming. I decided to abandon that plan and headed for the route down the Glas Allt where I was able to follow a trail made by other walkers including the large group I had seen earlier who were out in front of me. The path wasn't obvious so it was good following other walker's bootprints especially when I could avoid the boggy sections that some had succumbed to. On reaching the bridge over the Glas Allt the sky started to change colour from blue to pink through to orange and then red as the sun set. At this point I wished I was higher up to get the best views and photos. However I did manage to get a few from my location of the Angus Hills, Broad Cairn and back up the Glas Allt towards Lochnagar. I continued down the path, which was now obvious but icy in places passed the Glas Allt Waterfall and to Queen Victoria's old abode, the Glas Allt Shiel. The final section of the walk was along the north shore of Loch Muick in the dark and my only regret was that I didn't put on my crampons as it was icy in places. At the old boat house I followed the path to the track on the opposite side of the Loch and then the short walk back to the Spittal of Glenmuick and the end of a wonderful day on Lochnagar.
Mount Keen30 November 2008
The last time I climbed Mount Keen was from Glen Tanar in the north so on this occasion I decided to approach it again from Glen Esk in the south. Glen Esk is reached from the B966 Fettercairn to Edzell Road on the north side of the bridge over the River North Esk. A large car park is located just before the end of the public road and at the moment it is still free, unlike another car park in the Angus Glens. I walked the short distance to the bridge over the River Mark and just before the bridge I took the signposted route to Mount Keen. It was a very cold morning, -7C when I parked my car, and as I walked up Glen Mark I had to avoid several sections of the track which were covered in ice. I visited the Queen's Well, which was built to commemorate a visit made by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The track then headed uphill firstly passing Glen Mark Cottage, which you could rent out for your summer holidays or a winter break. It was a steady climb until I was well above the Ladder Burn where the gradient eased and I now came to some snow patches, but I was expecting more snow cover. Higher up I left the track and was surprised to find that a new path had been laid although it was December 1999 when I had last used this route. It was an easy climb to a rather cold and slightly windy summit trig point. The area was covered in hoar frost and I had views across to Lochnagar, Cairngorms, Morven, and Bennachie. I had expected Lochnagar to have some snow cover but it appeared just to be frost although on the opposite side of the River Dee the Cairngorms looked to have a good covering of snow. I descended the east ridge of Mount Keen to a wide col and climbed Braid Cairn, which is classed as a Corbett Top. The summit was marked by a cairn with a large stone on which was engraved a capital 'B'. I saw a similar stone later on so I'm not sure what the significance of the lettering was although I have a few thoughts. I was taking a couple of photographs when I spotted some movement and saw a ptarmigan beside me, well camouflaged in the hoar frost. From Braid Cairn I continued east to Naked Hill and onto Hill of Gairney where I headed south and joined a vehicle track. This track took me over Hill of Saughs, as the sun was setting, and onto the Hill of Kirmy. The track had some ice and snow patches and as darkness fell it became harder to spot the ice. In the semi-dark I came to an electric fence with three wires which required opening before I could continue to the farm at Auchronie and a short walk in the dark to my car. The rest of the vehicles that had been there in the morning had gone.
Lochnagar - 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 previous ascent of Broad Cairn
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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