Auchnafree Hill

30 July 2011.

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Auchnafree Hill, 789m/2,589', Corbett, Map 52, NN 809308

A refusal at the first fence! There is a three step style over the fence at the Loch Turret dam and Ben couldn't get over it. As usual, he was in very excitable mode at the start of a walk and it was clear that I was not going to be able to hold him still long enough to get him over. So it was back to the car park, over the cattle grid, through a hole in the fence and a contour over some rough ground to reach the track along the north shore of the loch. Fortunately it represented a diversion of only a couple of hundred yards.

The tops of the hills were in cloud but it was one of these days when you knew that it was going to clear. It's a really nice walk along the loch side with Ben Chonzie in the distance; and the heather was in bloom- autumn must be on its way!

While Ben Chonzie is always in view, Auchnafree Hill keeps itself hidden and we were well along the loch side before we got a view of it (the rounded bump in the middle).....

This is a very easy walk in the sense that there is a good track all of the way. After passing the head of the loch, the path splits and the right hand branch contours up and across the east slopes of Auchnafree Hill. There is a good view back to the loch from here.....

Nearing the top of the track, Ben shot off up the heather in pursuit of a hare. The hare won.....by several lengths. Grouse were next to have a go, they won as well. I spotted a Ring Ouzel.

Where the track started to level off, we reached another junction and turned left; this took us all the way to the top. There were two cairns, the smaller eastern one seems to mark the summit but the bigger, western cairn is the better viewpoint.....

There were other people on the track along the loch side but they must all have been heading for Ben Chonzie and we had the Corbett to ourselves. The earlier cloud had by now lifted off the tops and the views on the way back were much clearer.....

Auchnafree Hill is not the most exciting of the Corbetts but I rather like it, especially in winter when a bit of snow gives it more character. The walk back along the loch side always seems a bit interminable though!

To finish, here's a pic of Ben and me taken earlier in the year from the other side of Loch Turret. Auchnafree Hill is the third bump from the right and you can just see the track slanting up its ridge. Gives a bit of an idea of the length of this walk.....