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Nae GordonC this week as he's playing with his caravan somewhere, so just Harvey to look after me.
I seemed to toil a bit today, but got through it.
Saw a red kite on the way through Strathdon
GC and I had walked past Iaruinn when we did its mate Cnoc Fergan to the east some time ago, so the parkup had been pre-sussed - at the end of the forestry track.
CREAG AN IARUINN
Wandered up the track until it seemed appropriate to branch off up through the trees. The top of Iaruinn had been clear felled some time ago, so just had to pick our way through the brash to the top. Doddled back down more or less the same way and along the track to the car.
![Top of Creag an Iaruinn.jpg]()
- H at the top of Creag an Iaruinn
CARN TUAIRNEIR
It was a toss-up to do this one via Creagan A' Chaise, which I'd done before or to explore the ATV tracks I'd spotted on GE. The latter took the vote.
Managed to squeeze in alongside the fence so that I was off the road, not obstructing the gate and not in the burn.
![Parkup for Catn Tuairneir.jpg]()
- Parkup for Carn Tuairneir by the kinky brig on the A939
The first bit up to the bealach was good track, where a 4x4 was parked. Didn't see any occupants, so struck off up the ATV track, which was a bit squelchy in places, but nae bad. The track was a bit "dubbie" as GC would say, in the bealachs on either side of Carn na Cloiche and necessitated a bit of loupin' around where the track became a pond filled by last nights rain.
However the track went over the top of Carn na Cloiche and Carn Tuairneir, so I wasn't complaining.
At the top of CT we had a good view of the jubilee cairn on Craigan a' Chaise.
![Top of CT.jpg]()
- Harvey at the top of Carn Tuairneir with the jubilee cairn on Creagan a Chaise behind
Cooried down behind the wee cairn to give H his "summit snack", while I thought about my banana piece - still in the fridge at home !
Saw some of the forecast squalls heading our way from the west, so started to head back, expecting to get a drookin' but they scudded by us to the south, so we escaped !
Back at the turnoff down our ridge taking us home to the car, we saw a tractor mit bucket coming our way from Sgor Gaoithe on another ATV track. This explained the tractor tyre marks we had seen on our way up. Wondered what he was doing way up here.
The black 4x4 was still at the bealach with no-one around. Headed back down to the car just as the rain started to pepper us on the stiff breeze.
TOM LIATH
Took a chance and drove up the track to where I could see that some clear felling had been done on the E side of the hill. Managed to squeeze the car on the verge at the end of the track.
![Parkup for Letherndry.jpg]()
- Parkup for Tom Leith
Walked up through a gate and past the log piles . The ground had been severely mashed up by the forwarders around the log piles, but a nice convenient forwarder track went right up to the top. Braw !
Got H to pose for a summit pic, then we descended to the car.
![Top of Tom Leith.jpg]()
- H at the top of Tom Leith
HILL OF LETHENDRY
Drove across via the Balmenach Distillery, where we passed a skein of geese, munching the farmers' bonny grass.
Parked at the entrance to Lethendry Farm on a ledge by the signposts to the castle and viewpoint.
![Parkup for Lethendry.jpg]()
- Parkup for Lethendry
As we walked through the farm, there was a generous parking area by the house of West Lethendry which may be for the use of visitors to the ruined castle and viewpoint. Need to ask at the house opposite on the way back......
Strolled through the farmyard to a gate into a field of sheep adjacent to a field with a bull and a wind turbine in it.
Un-kleeked the chain securing the gate and went up the track at the side of the field with H on the lead to minimise disturbance to the sheep. At the top of the field we passed what I thought was a dead ewe lying on the track, but ignored it and hopped over the gate at the top of the pasture while H squirmed underneath. Followed the track to another gate.
On the other side of the gate there was a sign intimating a grassy path up to the "viewpoint", which we followed alongside the fence to a picnic table near the top. Took a pic of H on the table with a panorama across Speyside. Sauntered across to the top, then back down to the car.
![H on Letherndrys table.jpg]()
- H on Lethendry's picnic table at the viewpoint
As we passed the "dead" sheep, it started flailing its legs in an attempt to get up, but couldn't.
![the dead sheep on Lethendry.jpg]()
- The "dead" ewe on Lethendry
As we passed the farmhouse, I chapped on the door and informed them about the ewe in a parlous state. The lady of the house thanked us and promised to send someone up to investigate. ( forgot to ask about the car parking ).
We sauntered back to the car and drove home with my clutch slipping a bit !
Quite a breezy day - especially coming back over the tops from Carn Tuairneir, but the sun shone most of the time and the squalls were infrequent, so delaying or walk from thursday worked out fine. Could see evidence of the squalls that missed us on the road back through Tomintoul.
