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!

Morrone

2 June 2011.

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Morrone, 859m/2,819', Corbett, Map 43, NO 132886

After a month of poor weather, it had suddenly turned fine so it was a chance to do some hills further away from home. So I headed to the north-east for a few days where I still had some new Marilyns to visit. I wasn't sure what to do on the way up- something around Braemar that would not take too long- and as visibility was excellent I wanted a good summit view point. Driving down Glen Clunie, Morrone caught my eye as one that would fulfill the criteria.

On previous occasions I had used the Braemar approach so for a change I decided to use the tracks up the south side of the hill. There was plenty of room to park the car at the start of the track just off the old road to Braemar in Glen Clunie (almost opposite Achallater).  This picture is from the track near the start with the summit of Morrone over to the right.....

The views soon started to open up- this is looking back down Glen Clunie to a distant Carn Aosda which I was to climb a few days later in much different weather conditions.....

It was certainly hot today but the track made for easy walking; there are now so many tracks on these hills that they are becoming just part of the landscape and whatever you think of them, they do make the climbs easier, particularly if, like me, you are not as fit as you used to be! The track contoured across the hillside at a fairly gentle angle and the summit soon came into sight.....

As well as the phone mast and buildings, there was a substantial cairn.....

The views to the Cairngorms were excellent today; this is looking to the bigees of Cairn Toul, Braeriach and Ben Macdui......

with Beinn a'Bhuird further to the east.....

The ugly buildings served one useful purpose today- they provided some shade in which to sit and take in the views. But I still had a bit of driving to do so after about 15 minutes, we set off down again. Although it was the same route in reverse, the perspective was different; this is looking to the hills around Glen Ey- some remote stuff there.....

and then when the track swung to the east there was a good view to Lochnagar.....

Scaw'd Fell

19 May 2011

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Scaw'd Fell, 550m/1,805', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 78, NT 149028

I suppose that Scaw'd Fell must be the western outlier of the Ettrick Hills in southern Scotland. I approached it from Moffat, parking the car in a large parking area off the A708 immediately opposite the start of a minor road that goes down to Craigbeck. This is a part of the country that is firmly in conifer central; this is the view from the start of the minor road looking into the area where we would be walking.....

We followed the road for a short distance- as far as the bridge over the Moffat Water- before joining the route of the Southern Upland Way. Initially, the track went through a number of fields. There were cattle but they were at the opposite side of the fields to us so there was no problem. I don't like walking near cattle and I was certainly nervous having Ben with me. More about the cattle later! The path climbed steadily up hill and entered the forest, passing the house at Craigbeck Hope after about a couple of miles. The house seemed to be occupied, there was a vehicle parked at it when we were coming back and the gardens looked well tended. There were occasional breaks in the trees.....

but generally it was simply another forest walk. About a mile after the house, the track started to descend steeply; this was where the map said we should take another track that led off steeply right. This seemed to be newly surfaced and there was a large turning area at its end; maybe this stretch of the forest is to be felled soon. From the turning area, an old track led off left and very soon we were emerging from the trees and getting our first sight of the day's objective.....

There were faint tracks across the moor and it didn't take long to reach the summit. The highest point seemed to be one of the old fence posts that cross the hill at this point.....

There was a cairn a few yards away and about 1m lower; presumably it has been built where it is because it is the viewpoint looking to Dumfries and surrounding area. Here is the cairn, Criffel is the hill on the horizon.....

Views to the north west were of the distant variety.....

but there was a good view of some of the other Ettrick Hills including Croft Head as we went back down the path.....

Then it was back into the forest.....

Just as we were approaching the farm land again, I heard the noise of cows and saw with more than a little dismay that they were coming along the track in our direction. Ben was back on his lead by this time but I didn't fancy getting close to them. However, a saviour was at hand. The car that had been parked at the house sped past, the cows took fright, turned tail and went off at speed in the opposite direction leaving the track clear for us. Only one more field to cross but it also contained cows with calves which were lying quite close to the track as well as some sheep and a llama! However Ben behaved impeccably taking absolutely no notice of any of the livestock which fortunately also decided not to take a close look at us.

I doubt if Scaw'd Fell gets many visitors and if it wasn't on the Marilyn list it would get even fewer. Nevertheless, it was a good leg stretcher and gave me another tick in the book. I reckon that the walk was about 8 miles car to car.

Birnam Hill

14 May 2011

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Birnam Hill, 404m/1,324', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 52, NO 032402

Made famous by Shakespeare in Macbeth, Birnam Hill is a pleasant short walk, best appreciated by doing the full circuit which is about 3 miles. I have climbed this one a few times, always in winter which I would say is the best season to do it as the views are a bit obscured by the foliage at other times of the year. I parked in the station car park and did an anti-clockwise circuit which meant that most of the steep stuff was on the ascent. There had been a lot of path reconstruction work since I was last here; in my view it is a bit excessive as the new paths are at least twice the width that they need to be and spoil the hill a bit. Still, they have eliminated all the boggy bits.

The walk is a bit shut in initially but there are breaks in the trees from time to time so there are some views down to Birnam and Dunkeld.....

The best of the views in this direction are from a large rock at the start of a flat area just before the final climb to the summit; the foliage obscured things a bit today so here are a couple of pictures taken from there on a previous early spring visit, firstly a zoom shot of Dunkeld and the river Tay and then a view to the Loch of the Lowes.....

There is a large cairn at the top and plenty of handy boulders for sitting on to admire the view.....

Schiehallion dominates the western horizon (zoom shot).....

There was a steep section not long after leaving the top but the path improver's have put in a wooden staircase here. This shot gives an indication of the type of path that they have built.....

I made a slight diversion to a viewpoint on an old bridge- the Stair bridge- so I could see the view to the south-east; I wonder why that particular bit of track was so important in years' gone by as to justify the building of a substantial stone bridge?

 Lower down still, the path swung east and we were facing the even more heavily wooded slopes of Newtyle Hill which we had climbed earlier in the year. The thick vegetation would have been a more daunting proposition today.....

Birnam Hill is handily placed for a stop if travelling on the A9 and is well worth the little effort required. A quick up and down the northern slopes from the station would take les than an hour.

Binnein Shuas

Participants - Neil, Steven and Ben

Where - Binnein Shuas, 746m/2,447', Graham, OS map 42

We were staying at Laggan for a couple of nights so I had a big choice of hills to do. Binnein Shuas looked to be a good one; in my Munro bagging days I must have passed it a number of times and not paid it much attention! Time to rectify that! It was a glorious sunny day- here is a view of the hill from Loch Laggan.....

The starting point was the lay-by at Luiblea and it was full! Fortunately there was another lay-by a couple of hundred yards further on and I got parked there. A lady that we met on the hill told us that it was someone in her clubs' final Munro that day so that explained why it was so busy. The first mile or so was along an excellent track; the same one that's used if doing Beinn a'Chlachair and its neighbouring Munros. The hillside when we took to it was quite rough lower down, lots of tufted grass but at least it was dry underfoot.....

The walking got much better when the angle started to increase and the views opened out behind us. The next pictures are looking back with the Grey Corries in the distance......

The view of Loch Laggan got more impressive as height was gained; this is a view down to it with the Munro of Beinn a'Chaorainn beyond.....

High up there were lots of rocky areas but these were easily by-passed. Ben went on to his lead at this point; it was no place for an over active spaniel to be running about. I wandered about taking a few photographs; when I got back to the cairn and we were ready to start down, Ben was let off his lead. He is very inquisitive and immediately shot off to where I had been which just happened to be at the edge of a cliff! Fortunately, on this occasion he responded to shouted commands so no harm done but he went back on the lead until we had left the rocky area behind. Must send him on a mountain walking course!! Anyway, here are some of the pictures. The summit looking west.....

Loch Laggan and Beinn a'Chaorainn.....

Loch Laggan and Creag Megaidh.....

To the neighbouring Graham of Binnein Shios between Loch Laggan and Lochan na h-Earba.....

We went back the same way. There was a good view to Beinn a'Chaorainn just before reaching the track.....

And here I am with Ben at the bridge over the River Spean with our hill in the background.....

It had been a hot day and I think that Ben was glad to get back into his temporary home in the car.....

I can highly recommend this walk.

Ord Ban

29 April 2011

Participants - Neil and Ben

Where - Ord Ban, 428m/1,404', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 36, NH 892085

Ord Ban sits immediately above the car park at Loch an Eilein, south of Aviemore. I had walked round the loch in the past but that was before I was climbing the Sub-2,000' Marilyns so I had never got round to climbing the hill. There was a stile over the fence at the back of the visitor centre/toilet block but Ben was never going to get over that. Fortunately, the fence was loose enough to enable us to get him through it at its foot. A path headed off to the right but we just went straight up the grassy slopes through some nice birch trees.....

Higher up, the grass gave way to heather but by that time we had located the path again and the going was easy. This next picture is looking to the Corbett, Meall a'Buachaille and the one after is looking towards the Glen Einich hills.....

I think that it only took about 20 minutes to reach the trig; here is Ben getting his now traditional summit picture taken with Cairngorm in the background.....

On the way down, there was a nice view across Loch an Eilein......

and Ben enjoyed a dip in it when we got back down.....