Mona Gowan

3 June 2011
Participants - Same as yesterday
Where - Mona Gowan, 749m/2,456', Graham, Map 37, NJ 336058

I had had my eye on Mona Gowan, one of the highest Grahams but one of the easiest to climb, for a while. It is on the fringes of the Cairngorms, a part of the country that I like. It was even hotter than the day before, already above 20C when we started walking. I had checked the map beforehand that we would be passing a number of streams so that Ben could cool down. There was a big lay-by beside a green painted fence over the Allt Glas- choille, a few hundred yards south of the start of the track which passed the a ruined cottage at Glenfenzie. From here, Mona Gowan looked a long way off- the bump in the far distance.....

After about a mile, we came to a junction of tracks and a decision needed to be made- up Cairnagour Hill and across the plateau or follow the main track for a bit more to a col immediately south of Mona Gowan. With the heat there was only one decision that could be made- take the shortest route, so it was on to the high col. Mona Gowan looked a bit closer now.....

The area was obviously managed grouse moor and there were a lot of grouse about. Ben raised a few and chased them for a bit but fortunately soon returned. It is a bit nerve racking walking with an excitable springer spaniel, never knowing when he will dash off after something of interest and wondering if he will be sensible enough to stop the chase before he forgets where I am. However, despite several times when he was away and out of sight for two or three minutes he always came charging back. There was a newish fence on the south ridge and we followed that to the summit over mostly short cropped heather.....

Although we were well past the streams by now Ben found a few pools in which to cool off.....

There was a huge cairn on the summit, apparently built for Queen Victoria's Jubilee.....

This is looking north.....

and south to a distant Lochnagar.....

and east to Morven.....

I sat in the sun at the cairn for a bit then we simply reversed the route. On a cooler day I would have traversed west over Cairnagour Hill and Scraulac to meet another track heading south to the A939 but today it was so hot that I wanted to get Ben down to the burns again so he could cool off. While he was playing in the water, I noticed this trap over the burn and similar traps at frequent intervals. To trap stoats or rats maybe to protect the grouse?

Back at the car the temperature gauge said 28 C. A long time since we've had that!