Cooks Cairn from Aldivalloch
Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:23 pmThe route from Aldivalloch was easier for me to get to, being closer to Aberdeen, although I couldn't find much about this route.
I parked up at Aldivalloch just after 9, in a well appointed car park
which has a useful victors notice board, showing the route, which is way marked with orange markers
The start of the walk is through the gate, near the noticeboard, with an orange marker post
The forecasted 'wall to wall sunshine' had yet to materialise as the clag was down limiting visibility, but heading up the field, along an obvious track brings to you the only gate of the day, with a marker sign on to keep you right.
The walk is then along an obvious ATV
This takes you up and over dead wifes hillock and down to the ford crossing. There are a couple of markers here to keep you right. While there wasn't much water in the stream, I can imagine after a lot of rain, that the level would be above boot level. Heading onwards, up into the wind farm, which was still shrouded in clag you could make out the masts, and as I slowly ascended parts of blades began to materialise.
Eventually I poked out of the top of the cloud, into the promised glorious sunshine, with the cloud now beneath me in the valleys.
Continuing through the wind farm, the path has orange way markers to keep you on the right track. You then come to a well signposted junction for the track up to the summit.
The track seems to be more like 'ruts' from a landrover, but it takes you up to a summit cairn, which gave clear views over the surrounding area. The cloud was still beneath the summit level, so only tops appeared in some directions
There was little wind, so with the heat of the day starting to be felt, the route back is the exact reversal, but now I actually had some views and the clouds were quickly burning off. The wind farm isn't exciting to walk through, but once through a good view back to dead wifes hillock appears
The ascent back up dead wifes hillock seemed to steeper going up, than it seemed to have been when I descended, but gave good views back over the wind farm
Once at the top of dead wifes hillock, it was then only a short descent back to the car park.
I parked up at Aldivalloch just after 9, in a well appointed car park
- car park at Aldivalloch
which has a useful victors notice board, showing the route, which is way marked with orange markers
- notice board with route maps
The start of the walk is through the gate, near the noticeboard, with an orange marker post
- start of the walk
The forecasted 'wall to wall sunshine' had yet to materialise as the clag was down limiting visibility, but heading up the field, along an obvious track brings to you the only gate of the day, with a marker sign on to keep you right.
- gate with orange marker
The walk is then along an obvious ATV
- ATV track up Dead Wifes Hillock
This takes you up and over dead wifes hillock and down to the ford crossing. There are a couple of markers here to keep you right. While there wasn't much water in the stream, I can imagine after a lot of rain, that the level would be above boot level. Heading onwards, up into the wind farm, which was still shrouded in clag you could make out the masts, and as I slowly ascended parts of blades began to materialise.
Eventually I poked out of the top of the cloud, into the promised glorious sunshine, with the cloud now beneath me in the valleys.
- In the sunshine, with the cloud in the valley down to Glenlivet
Continuing through the wind farm, the path has orange way markers to keep you on the right track. You then come to a well signposted junction for the track up to the summit.
- junction from the main track up to the summit
The track seems to be more like 'ruts' from a landrover, but it takes you up to a summit cairn, which gave clear views over the surrounding area. The cloud was still beneath the summit level, so only tops appeared in some directions
- Ben Rinnes with the cloud in the valley
- Corryhabbie Hill
- The Buck(?) poking through the cloud
- Towards Glenlivet
- Summit Cairn
There was little wind, so with the heat of the day starting to be felt, the route back is the exact reversal, but now I actually had some views and the clouds were quickly burning off. The wind farm isn't exciting to walk through, but once through a good view back to dead wifes hillock appears
- Leaving the wind farm behind, the path down, and then up dead wires hillock in the background can be seen
- almost back at the ford, dead wires hillock behind
- looking back up to the wind farm
- The ford to be crossed
The ascent back up dead wifes hillock seemed to steeper going up, than it seemed to have been when I descended, but gave good views back over the wind farm
- view back to the wind farm
Once at the top of dead wifes hillock, it was then only a short descent back to the car park.