Brimmond Hill

22 July 2012.

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Brimmond Hill, 266m/874', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 38, NJ 856091

It was a bit of a change for Ben's morning walk- at home its along the pavements to the newsagents but today it was up Brimmond Hill on the outskirts of Aberdeen before we headed back down the road. There was a bit more cloud than on the previous two days, it was breezy and the forecast was for rain later but the visibility remained good. On the previous occasion that I climbed this hill I approached by a path from the west so today I drove round to the car park to the north. This must be one of the easiest of the Marilyns in Scotland, there is even a tarmac track up.....

So it didn't take long before I was approaching the summit, which was actually a bit of a mess with various radio masts and an untidy cairn with a flagpole stuck in it.....

The weather was much better when I was last up here in July 2009 so I am posting a couple of photographs that I took then; firstly a view to the city and then a view across rural Aberdeenshire to Bennachie.....

These were taken at a virtually identical date and it was really noticeable how far behind the growth in the fields was today, presumably due to the lack of sunshine in recent weeks. Anyway, that was the short break over and I drove home via the Cairn o'Mount road to join the main road at Brechin.

Pressendye

21 July 2012.

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Pressendye, 619m/2,031', Graham, Map 37, NJ 490089

Pressendye is the most easterly Graham north of the river Dee; it rises above the farmland north of the village of Tarland.....

The sun was out when I set off although it looked as though there were a few showers about. I had read that it was possible to park at the farm at Petts but there was a big sign saying no unauthorised vehicles and I couldn't find anyone to ask so I drove back down to the B9119 and parked at the entrance to the farm road. I then walked back to the farm, through the farmyard, and on to a track that continued all the way to the summit. From the farm, there was a good view back across the farmland of Cromar to a distant Mount Keen, the most easterly Munro......

The first bit of the walk was through an old forest, the trees were well spaced out and there was an occasional view to Morven to the west.....

There were lots of signs saying that walkers were welcome and also a few of these......

I am not sure what the route was an alternative to but the marker posts served to keep me on the right track! Leaving the forest behind, it was just a case of following the track straight uphill through the heather to the substantial cairn and a trig.....

I was really impressed with this hill; although of the spacious variety, the views were excellent and I spent a fair bit of time at the cairn. Morven dominated the view to the west.....

The Buck was prominent to the north, it's one that I must do again sometime, my only previous visit was a quick dash to the top to avoid stalkers.....

This is looking north west in the general direction of Glenlivet, I wasn't able to identify any of the hills but it was a great view anyhow.....

I met a few other people on the hill; they had all come up from Tarland and it seems that there is a good route from there starting at a car park. One to investigate for a future visit as I am sure that this is a hill that I will come back to some day.

Hill of Fare

20 July 2012

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Hill of Fare, 471m/ 1,545', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 38, NJ 672028

The forecast was for a couple of reasonable days before the weather once again deteriorated so I took the opportunity to go back to Aberdeenshire to do a couple of hills that I had not yet done. I like this part of the country with its mix of hill and farmland. Although the hills are of the lowish variety, they tend to be isolated and provide good, wide views. Hill of Fare is the highest point of a big area of moorland just to the north of Banchory; this is a view of it from the east.....

I opted for a route from the south, starting just west of a road that led to the hotel at Raemoir. There was space to park a few cars at the entrance to the track, which took a circuitous route round some buildings before arriving at this gate at the entrance to a forest.....

I was glad that there was a track on this hill; the going underfoot would have been awful otherwise with thick heather and bracken between the trees. This is looking across the Dee valley to another sub-2k, Kerloch, which I climbed a couple of years ago.....

The track emerged from the trees and skirted Craigrath from where the views started to open out; this is looking south to the distinctive tor on Clachnaben with the Corbett of Mount Battock to its right...long time since I've been up there.....

Just past that, I reached the moorland and a view of my objective to the west, still a fair bit away. In fact it was the best bit of 5 miles from start to summit.....

I knew that there was a small cairn not far off the track but it was not easy to spot where exactly it was in the thick heather especially as all ot the ground round about seemed to be the same height! As I reached the approximate area, another walker appeared coming in the opposite direction and although he wasn't going to the cairn, he did have a large scale map with him and I was able to work out from that roughly where it was. And here it is, less than 50 yards from the track, just where it takes a bend to the left. The hill in the distance is the Mither Tap of Bennachie.....

This hill would probably be better climbed in a month's time when the heather was out, everything was a bit uniform brown colour today. Nevertheless, it was a good walk and although the sun never quite came out, it was bright and I got this rather atmospheric shot (zoomed) of Clachnaben and Mount Battock on the way back down.....

The Amulree Grahams: Meall nan Caorach and Meall Reamhar

14 July 2012

Participants - Just me
Where - Meall nan Caorach, 623m/2,045', Graham, Map 52, NN 929339 and Meall Reamhar, 620m/2,035', Graham, Map 52, NN 922332

It had been awful weather and the forecasters were promising much more of the same. So when a half decent day came along, I had to take the opportunity. It was fairly grey but there was some blue sky and the atmosphere was very clear. Meall nan Caorach and Meall Reamhar are not the most exciting of hills which is probably why I had never climbed them before! There was nowhere to park at the start of the track that passes between the two hills so I left the car in the car park at Amulree village hall which meant about an 800m walk along the road at the start and finish of the day. The whole walk could be seen from the car park, Meall nan Caorach is on the left and Meall Reamhar on the right.....

I followed the track past the cottage at Girron and on up the glen, gaining height gradually.....

Meall Reamhar looked like it was the rougher of the two so I climbed it first. There was a barbed wire fence between the track and the hill that I had to cross, one of the the reasons that Ben wasn't with me (lots of sheep was the other reason). He is too heavy now to lift over fences. I joined the west flank of the hill and plodded on to the cairn, reaching it just as a shower came in. It was short lived however and it soon cleared up again, great as there were some good views to be had. This is looking west over distant Amulree to Loch Freuchie with the Glen Lyon hills in the background.....

and this is looking towards Ben Chonzie.....

The drop to the glen was just over 500'; a fence led straight down and then steeply up the second Graham, seen here from part way down.....

I had been going quite well but this next bit of ascent brought me to a stop, lounging in an arm chair watching Euro 2012 followed by a fortnight's watching the tennis is not really the best preparation for hill walking. Anyway, after a few stops I made it to the trig. On the way up there was a good view down the glen to Loch Freuchie with Carn Mairg and Schiehallion in the background.....

You can't see much of the Griffin wind farm when driving up the road to Aberfeldy but it is certainly well seen from here.....

I think that I made the right decision to leave Meall nan Caorach to last as the best of the view was in front of me all of the way down the west slopes back to the track.....

This was a longer walk than I had done for a while and my legs were feeling it when I reached the car

Sron Smeur

25 June 2012

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Sron Smeur, 511m/ 1,676', Sub- 2k Marilyn, Map 42, NN 452602

Both on the map and on the ground, Sron Smeur looks insignificant, a gentle rise in the general moorland. But its situation, above Rannoch station and on the eastern fringes of Rannoch Moor, was enough to persuade me that it should reap great rewards for little effort and was therefore a Marilyn that I should add to my list. I parked at the start of the track that goes to Corrour, just over a mile before arriving at the end of the road at Rannoch station. The hill was just visible from here and I suppose that it might have been possible to make a direct approach to it across the moor.....

but I decided to take the easy option and follow the Right of Way for just over a mile and ascend the hill via its western top, Meall na Mucarath.....

The views very quickly opened out, this is from the track looking across part of the moor to Beinn a'Chreachain and Beinn Achaladair....

Shortly after I took that photo the morning train to Fort William chuntered by.....

Gaining height, I could see back across the moor to Loch Laidon with the Black Mount Munros forming the background.....

The summer hill-walkers friend, the wind, was almost completely absent. So there were midges about, and flies, and clegs, but fortunately not enough to make things unpleasant. There was a good view of the long south ridge of the Munro, Carn Dearg from Meall na Mucarach......

and the actual top of Sron Smeur came into view for the first time, across an area of peat hags, which Ben enjoyed immensely, plenty mud to immerse himself in. Fortunately, there were also lots of clear water pools about which he also enjoys lying in so he managed to wash the mud off again.....

There was no cairn- maybe because this hill receives few visitors?  However, the highest point was obvious and there was a great view east to Loch Rannoch and Schiehallion.....

Beinn Pharlagain with its Corbett summit Meall na Meoig is immediately to the north.....

and by walking a few yards in its direction I was also able to see down to the glen that separates them and which contains Lochan Sron Smeur.....

Looking further north-east, I could see the deep trench that contains Loch Ericht with Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil towering above it.....

and to the west, the panorama was completed by the Blackwater Reservoir with the Glencoe hills beyond.....

I sat about the summit for a while before the midges got too much to bear. We almost bumped into a large herd of deer on the way down; fortunately, Ben didn't spot them, he was too busy sniffing interesting smells in the heather. Back on the track, I was looking across Loch Eigheach to the Munro of Meall Buidhe at the head of Glen Lyon.....

and of course no drive along Loch Rannoch would be complete without stopping to take a photo of the loch and Schiehallion.....

So an insignificant little bump had provided a memorable day out; highly recommended.

Rubers Law

19 June 2012

Participants - Just me
Where - Rubers Law, 424m/1,391', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 80, NT 580155

Rubers Law is one of these stand alone, see from miles around, little peaks of which there are a number in the Lothians and Borders. It is surprisingly rugged high up with cliffs around the summit and, as it commands a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside, has a lot of history associated with it. It contains the remains of forts and hut circles, it was a Roman signal station, was used by the covenanters, and much more recently, looked as though it had had a Jubilee beacon on its summit.

I found a space to park on the verge opposite Whiteriggs farm on the west side of the hill, the grass had been cut short here and there was room for a couple of cars.....

 A broad farm track led downhill initially then there were fields to cross before reaching the heather clad upper slopes of the hill. Just as well that I had decided to leave Ben at home, this walk included all the problems of the lowland sub-2k's, farm stock, electric and barbed wire fences, etc. The track went through a gate and up through a field; the problem was that there was a herd of bullocks in the field that charged towards me as soon as I made a move to get through the gate. They were probably only curious but I wasn't going to risk it so I quickly changed direction to the field next door which fortunately had sheep in it. The cattle followed me uphill on the other side of the fence. At least all of the fences had gates through them so I was able to avoid potential problems with electricity and barbed wire. I kept to the fields passing a strand of trees on its left hand side before going through another fence and out on to the moorland. This is looking towards the summit after leaving the fields.....

Visibility was good so I got the views. The Cheviot is the hill in the background in this pic.....

this is looking in a generally easterly direction over the border farmland.....

and this is looking back down to where I had left the car (near to the farm in the middle of the picture) with Hawick beyond.....

The hill still obviously plays a part in the life of the local community, I spotted this plaque set in the rocks near to the trig.....

I went back by the same route carefully ensuring before I did so that the cattle had not somehow changed fields!