Green Lowther surreality

I made a last minute decision to stop web-surfing and go walking. An hour's easy drive down the M74 saw me at purportedly the highest village in Scotland, Wanlockhead. It was distinctly colder at 470m. The oddity of this hill is that there is a tarmac'd road the whole way to the top. It thus makes for an easy if not slightly surreal ascent as I kept thinking cars were coming up behind me. Instead of making for the Graham itself, I took in East Lowther and the 2nd Donald of the day before making my way over to the trig point. I'm not sure I'm bagging the Donalds but I've done 19 of them so I suppose I should add them on. I do like the rolling aspect of the hills down here and the solitude is at times un-nerving especially when you sit below the artificial constructs and the wind whistles through. The drive from the M74 along to Wanlockead was delightful, a real driver's road. Nice wee afternoon stroll done in 2.5 hours with a drop down to the reservoir from Green Lowther to make a nice wee circuit.

Beinn na Cloiche after Staoineag bothy

This trip meant omitting the car for once and it was great to take the train with Craig. This hill would be the meat in the sandwich of my 200th Munro and William's Leap, a Corbett en route to the return train. It's a lovely wee hill from the bothy and the steep ascent at the start means you are nicely warmed up with fantastic views over to the Mamores and the Ben. There's quite a large loch about 1km before the summit and it could be very boggy. Fortunately, we were up early and the ground was still frosty. The cairn was tiny, a sure sign that not many people wander this way. It was a biting wind and we motored East and down to the Loch before our re-ascent on to Leum Illieum. In terms of isolation, it would be very hard to beat this.

At Cook's Cairn afore the Top Cook

Had delivered a wood turning lathe to my grandfather in Macduff for his birthday and we had had a couple of pints on the Saturday night. Before heading to mum's in Aberdeenshire, I wanted to take in this hill and had eyed a route from the road to Rhynie from Dufftown. Initially, this was through a forestry track but once out of that, it was a nice climb on to Scaut Hill. There were significant cairns on this one as well as trig point and great views over to Ben Rinnes and Tap o Noth. While ascending this hill, I came across what looked like a bomb - am I havering or is this really a relic from the war? The route over to Cook's Cairn from this hill was not easy and involved much bog hopping and it was a fairly uninspiring view. However, once I reached Cook's cairn, Lochnagar and Ben Avon came into view. Not taking my camera meant an iPhone montage, which lacks the clarity and light of the Canon. I didn't dally as I wanted to have a look round Blackwater Lodge on the way back to the car. It was quite an eerie building even from the outside and picking my way through the abandoned house, I found a number of items and decor, which made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Once I saw the wallpaper was upside down, I was out of there. It had a 'Day of the Dead' feel and I was glad to get out of it, although I felt quite sad at its dilapidated state as it was obviously a lovely building at one point. The walk back out was quite long and I was very hungry by the time I hit the road. Fortunately, an hours drive back to mum's saw me arriving to a fantastic roast beef lunch followed by apple pie. There really is nobody quite like yer mither. A toast to the Cook!

Return to gather Gathersnow Hill

A quick getaway from work and I was flying down the A74 towards Abington. I carried on to the Culter Fell spot that I had done a couple of weeks ago and decided to go back up Culter Fell as it was a cold, crisp and beautiful day. I got to the top of this hill in just over an hour before heading over towards Gathersnow Hill - notably, this would have been horrendously boggy in other conditions but it was fine down to the bealach. I dumped my bag and stormed up my 2nd objective of the day passing some snow just below the plateau. A trek across towards the tiny cairn saw me there at 1615 and a rapid descent and walk back along the reservoir felt good on the legs (in my duvet trousers - supreme!). I love these afternoon 'thefts' of hills not far from my doorstep with the early evening alpenglow. It almost feels a little dangerous to be on the hill so late in the day.

Culter Fell Candy

Fence smashed by Hurricane B**bag, panels delivered at 1030 and a bit of repair work before 1200 meant that the late afternoon sunshine had to be taken advantage of. Left Glasgow at 1300 and arrived at Culter Allers farm for 1400 - always a bit odd to drive South to do hills and it was a lovely drive from Abington to Coulter - spotted a wee pub for a post hill aperitif. It was great to be out in dry, fresh weather and such a short outing would mean great views across the hills to a setting sun. Craig was with me and he had only been out in fairly inclement weather with me so this was a bit of a novelty for him. The walk up Fell Shin was steep and had the blood pumping, yet the stalkers path made for good going and as we passed the grouse butts and cairn, we relaxed into the walk as views quickly appeared over to Tinto. We entered the snow line at about 680m, where the ground firmed up and it felt like Winter once again - I mean proper Winter, nae these winds and rain. The summit trig point and moon appeared and a North wind started to blow strong - as we arrived at the summit, with the sun setting, Craig began to thrown himself into the wind and laugh like a child, while running around the trig point. Our return trip was interspersed with a cup of tea in one of the grouse butts, while the temperature plummeted with the sun. 2.5 hours for a fantastic wee hill and an afternoon Winter stroll has a lot to commend it with the light being so different than normal - au crepescule (check out the vocab, Graeme D). A pint of the Lia Fail in the Old Mill Inn and it was a fine wee day.

Creag Ruadh

Prior to my annual bothy trip with Graeme, I had some urgent family business to attend to in Elgin. I wanted a wee walk on the way up, which wouldn't be taxing considering I had a 10-mile walk into Culra later that evening. I chose this little yin and parked near Cuaich. I strode along the aqueduct and came to a suitable point, where I could take to the hill proper. It involved a direct approach really, down across the burn and up the heathery slopes. There isn't much to occupy the mind except for the irritated ptarmigan, the irritated bunnies and the odd little feeding hole - I presume that is what photo no.1 is? I was at the top within 90 minutes and it did have lovely views over to Meall Cuaich. I stopped and attempted a yoga pose i.e. headstand on the 10-second timer. Not wise. I fell on top of the cairn and felt a right f*d. I'll stick with downward dog asana next time. The return down the heathery slopes was nothing more than a run and a terrific find of a denuded sheep head with horns - my wife was enraptured when I gave it to her. Don't ask.

Meall nan Eagan and the Dircs

What is he on about? Meall nan Eagan - hill of the possible. The Fara and the Dircs - they all meet on this route. When I told C that we'd be Dirc-hunting, he said 'for Diggler?' Hence the inane title for another walk report. We were lucky, we got as far as the summit of the Fara before the heavens opened. This little walk has been written about a few times before and it intrigued me. Meall nan Eagan is a lovely little hill with cracking views over to the Dirc Mhor - we were keen on walking through the Dirc Bheag however as an alternative to the skirting of the loch. A word of warning - do not attempt in snow conditions - you are likely to break your leg or fall into the loch itself. The pass through is awkward in places although it is a place of great solitude and I had a nice shot of the loch itself from the Dirc. Once around it, we walked passed the big Diggler and onwards and upwards to the Fara. C hadn't been out in the hills much before and near sharted when a ptarmigan flew out of nowhere with its guttural warning. On the topic of birds, I asked how his budgie was that had broken its leg - he had managed to splint it with a couple of Swan Vesta and said I should have seen its wee face until he realised he had forgotten to take the sandpaper out of its cage. At the summit, we lunched, had fleeting views down to Loch Ericht, before a rapid retreat off the hill and on to a new land rover track NE of the hill. A cracking wee day stolen before the weather gods unleashed their aqueous deluge.