Useful variations !

[Colind4]

“If you want to avoid the boggy valley on the usual route from the B951 drive up the minor public road heading for Dalnaglar Castle. About 300 yards north of the junction there is parking for several cars at the start of a forest track which will take you all the way to the top of the forest. Once out of the trees trend slightly right to meet the wall up the ridge near the top of Cairn Derig. The forest road is not on any maps but it is obvious on the aerial view in Bing maps.”

Took the above advice from elsewhere on this site and it improved the walk and by passed the wet area very well! As it was very misty and we couldn’t see Cairn Derig we contoured over to the wall and followed it up past Cairn Derig all the way to the summit where it cleared somewhat.

The descent to the loch seemed fairly pathless and had both boggy sections and hidden boulders to trap the unwary foot. Sat on the beach at the head of the loch for lunch.

We followed the river from Loch Beanie – there is a track turning left after the footbridge which is fairly easy to see and led us – not to the lonesome pine but to a gate next the river which has a fence on the other side of it! This was climbed with difficulty! We couldn’t see a deer gate in the suggested position but I guess would have done so had we gone straight on from the footbridge over the Alt Mor! We therefore bypassed the Compass Outdoor Centre completely and came down past Invereddie Farm to pick up the Cateran Way as it crossed the farm road.
A most enjoyable walk - well worth a visit!

[HilaryCooper]

Really enjoyed this route and the walk up through the forest was certainly better than plodding up the forest edge. We followed the wall down from the summit and throughout the walk there was a small but clear path to follow. It was only boggy near the loch and down the track from there to the farmland even though it had been very wet. A lovely varied walk.