Meall Alvie

22 September 2013

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Meall Alvie, 560m/1,837', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 44, NO 203919

I was heading for the north-east again and stopped at the car park at Keiloch just past Braemar to give Ben a walk. I hadn't intended to go up a hill today but the weather had turned out to be so good that after walking up the track for a bit I decided that I just had to get higher! I had climbed Meall Alvie before, in March 2012. From a distance, it looks like a tree clad monstrosity but on closer inspection, the trees are fairly well spaced out and the underfoot conditions are reasonable.....

There was a good view of Lochnagar from the path just before we started up the hill.....
 

 

I took exactly the same route as I had the last time; starting the climb at the whitewashed cottage of Felagie and following an old wall up the hill. There was some heather but it was mostly grass underfoot. I couldn't claim all round views but there were some breaks in the trees; from about mid-point I got this view north to the Corbett, Culardoch.....
 

 

The trees were more thinly spaced out at the top but I still had to look for the cairn, even although I had been here before. It is hidden between some young trees. In a few years time when the trees on the summit area have grown a bit the views might not be so good but for now they are still there, even if you have to dodge about a bit to see them all. This is looking to Lochnagar.....
 

 

and to Culardoch....

and to Morven, a Corbett north of Ballater.....

and there was just a glimpse of the corries of Beinn a'Bhuiridh in the main Cairngorms.....
 

 

It really was a glorious day, Scotland at its best. The colours at this time of year are really deep. And the forecast was the same for tomorrow, when I was intending to do two new sub-2k's.