A few more Glenlivet TUmps

[Gordon Ballantyne]

More Glenlivet TUmps
Set off a wee bit earlier to try to squeeze more hills in, but the strategy failed. Only managed three of the planned four.
Drove up via Huntly and Aberlour for a change.

HILL of KNOCKNASHALG & CAIRNACAY



Started this natural loop from a car park on the Speyside Way ( SW) just beyond Knocknashalg Farm.

Parkup for Knocknashalg

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Followed the track southwest and turned off up a path after spurning an inviting ATV track that went up a line of shooting butts on the crest of the S ridge of Knocknashalg.
Another bad decision. We followed the path as it appeared to take us further up the hill. It hadn't been used for ages and eventually petered our way before its terminus on the map.

GordonB moose-stepping up the ghost path on Knocknashalg

Fludged up through heather, tussocks and mini ravines to get to the soggy top.

GordonB searching for the spot height on Knocknashalg

GordonC on the soggy top of Knocknashalg

Great view of Ben Rinnes across the way. Reflected how long ago since I was up there, back in the '60s during a visit to the Bottomer family, when Derek was a trainee manager at one of the local distilleries.
Splashed our way off the top to find the end of the ATV track which terminated in some peat hags on the crest of the S ridge and provided an easier route down. In doing so, I regained my Fellowship of the Institution of Bad Hill decisions.
At the main track we turned off along a track that looked as if it had recently had a Land Rover type vehicle, traverse it. ( it's marked as a path on the map.)
Eventualy we linked up with the Speyside way track at the corner of the fence.
A convenient path had been mown in the heather to almost the corner of the forestry. After that the heather was fairly short over to the cairn.

Cairnacay top with Ben Rinnes behind

A summit pose on Cairnacay

We struck down directly to the SW track and back to the car for a piece.



Drove down to Drumin Castle visitor park.

DOUNE of DALMORE

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GordonC crossing back over the Livet bridge at Drumin

Access gates to Doune of Dalmore

Crossed the Livet bridge from which GordonC spotted the old wooden supports of a previous bridge crossing.
Decided to walk up the edge of the grass fields which were adorned with a plethora of EU subsidy gates. Eventually we arrived at the base of the summit plook, which we ascended.

The summit tree atop the plook o Doune of Dalmore

The team on Dalmore's plooky top

From there we could see 14thc Drumin Castle across the way and the Ring cairn in the field below.
We decided to explore the edge of the river and found a "dogwalkers path" alongside the river, so there was no need to go through the grass fields and disturb the livestock.
Harvey had an enjoyable cleansing splash in the Livet burn on the way back to the car followed by a rub down.
I wonder what the whisky flavour for today will taste like in 5,10,12 years ?
Back at the car, we realised we didn't have time to do the last hill before dark, so decided to go up and have a look at the castle to enhance our historical knowledge..
We ascended the zig-zag steps/path up to the castle and found not much to see as the steps up to the "balcony" had been disabled, so we wandered round to the walled garden to find it had been populated by fruit trees by the local schoochildren.
Nice!

Drumin Castle from the walled garden

Drumin Castle "balcony"

Doune of Dalmore's plooky top from Drumin Castle

Headed off for our late afternoon coffee treat at Goodbrand & Ross at Corgarff.

A great day out in overcast but fair weather. Not too cold either.