The Coyles of Muick

7 August 2015

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: The Coyles of Muick, 601m/1,972', Sub-2k Marilyn, OS Map 44, NO 329910

 

The Coyles of Muick was on my list of "hills that I really want to do". It stands above the entrance to Glen Muick with an uninterrupted view to Lochnagar. I definitely needed a good, clear day for this walk and amazingly in this dreadful summer, one of those came along. It helped that it was cool for August, which sharpened the views, and there was a wee breeze, which kept the midges and most of the flies away. Looking at the map, I could see that there were routes through the forest starting from Birkhall which would have brought me on to the hill fairly close to the top. But a much better way looked to be starting on the B976 at the end of the track to Loch Ullachie and following it for about a mile onto the open hillside more or less at the start of the north ridge. I would then have a walk of about a couple of miles along the ridge free of all the forestry. So that's what I did and it turned out to be by far the best route.

It was a good track through the forest and we reached the open hill after about 30 minutes. I wasn't sure if it would be heather bashing from then on but in fact the track turned into a good path which followed the top edge of the forest all the way to the top at a gentle angle. And a lot of the trees up here turned out to be of the old Scots Pine variety rather than blanket conifers. Soon after arriving on the ridge, Lochnagar put in an appearance, in fact it tended to dominate this walk. An added bonus was that the heather was in bloom, providing a lot of colour to the moorland.

The ridge flattened out and our objective came into view. It is the twin peaked hill on the left, the hill on the right is Meall Dubh.....

 

Lochnagar again, with a lone pine.....

 

Ben leading the way on the path, heading for Meall Dubh.....

 

 

Good views were opening up all around. This is looking back down the ridge, over the valley of the Dee to the Corbett, Culardoch.....

 

 

and across the forest to another Corbett, Morrone.....

 

 

The views became more extensive as I got higher. The view of Lochnagar now extended to take in some of the hills above Glenshee.....

 

 

A zoom of Lochnagar, looking straight at its cliffs and gullies.....

 

 

As seems to have happened a lot this year, the sunshine had disappeared and the cloud had come over a bit as we got to the middle of the day. However, it looked as though the main Cairngorms were not faring quite as well as we were.....

 

 

The path steepened and came out at the dip between the two tops of the Coyles. It had only taken 2 hours from the car, at a gentle pace with lots of photo stops. I wasn't sure which was higher, they both looked about the same to me and anyway, I was visiting them both. I went to the south top first, where there was a small cairn. As usual, Ben got there before me. He now knows that when he reaches a cairn or trig, he has to sit to get his picture taken.....

 

 

The top of Mount Keen was visible to the south.....

 

 

And another zoom shot of Lochnagar, with the Corbett, Connachraig, in front of it.....

 

 

The cairn builders obviously had no doubt which of the two tops was the main one. The hill in the background is Morrone......

 

 

Ben got his photo taken again, with Glen Muick and Loch Muick in the background......

 

 

A zoom shot of Loch Muick.....

 

 

I was looking straight down the valley of the Dee from here with the distinctive top of Bennachie on the horizon and the town of Ballater in the foreground.....

 

 

Ben had a last look back at the other top with Loch Muick and Lochnagar in the background before we started on our way down.....

 

 

We made a short diversion to take in Meall Dubh but apart from a look back to the Coyles, it didn't add anything to the views that we had already had.....

 

 

This was definitely one of the best sub-2k's that I have climbed. Of course the weather, the colour of the heather and the good path all helped, but it is a hill that I would certainly climb again. And it's worth doing the longer route rather than following the forest roads most of the way.