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A light snowy forecast for today, but this didn't deter us, all of these Tumps have tree cover.
Up to Keith , then along the Craigellachie road to turn down at Mulben for the Ben Aigan Forest park.
Knock More
Entered at the Ben Aigen forest sign and alomg the track to the foresty car park.
A couple of silver motor bikes were parked on the forestry track, but we never saw their owners.
- The entrance to Aigan Forest Park
- Knock More parkup
- Start of the Knock More track
Wandered along the track and round the big bend, and as we stood wondering if we should take a new forestry track leading to the top, a red van scooted up the track on the long route. We decided that the long way was safer and followed red van man. Soon the big mast came into full view.
- The Knock More big mast
- The Knock More big mast bypass
The path through the terminal buildings has been gated off, but a bypass path has been provided passing under one of the big mast's stays. The path joined the track to the smaller mast on the other side of the big mast's terminal buildings.
Sauntered along the track to the cairn at the spot height, just beyond the track to the wee mast.
- The Knock More cairn
On the way back, we stopped to inspect the mucke tension adjusted turnbuckle on one of the big mast's stays. ( hefty engineering )
- Knock More big mast tensioner
Little Mulderie
Drove up past the mighty whisky storage warehouse farm and parked where we had previously stopped to do Big Mulderie opposite two white caravans in the field across the other side of the road with attendant grazing goats.
- Parkup at the end of the track for Little Mulderie
Followed the same track to the bealach, but this time, continued to its terminus. I'd noted others remarks about the young trees, so decided to ascend the last bit through the mature trees to reduce the amount of thrashing around.
This ploy worked, with only a short distance to plough around in the young trees. Eventually, we decided we'd wandered around the top enough and declared a micro-clearing the top and took a pic.
- Top of Little Mulderie
Theif Hill
Turned left just before the Electricity pylons & parked up just before the gate on the track.
A snow shower threatened, but didn't come to much.
- Parkup for Theif Hill
Up the straight track to the big crossroads, then along an overgrown path at the margin of the mature trees to the trig.
- The Theif Hill " crossroads"
- The Theif Hill Trig
Whiteash Hill
Parked up beside another car at the fork of the tracks - both gated.
Strolled up the track until level with the spot, then dived into the young plantation.
Blundered around in the vicinity of the spot, then once again declared a micro-clearing the top, before following a very overgrown forwarder track back to near the track we'd started from.
- Whiteash Hill Top
Now very gloomy, so decided to call it a day and headed for our "reward " coffee stop at the Alford Bistro.
Missed all the forecast snow showers, but got a "sandblasting" by a cooncil gritter heading down the main road as we overtook it in the crawler lane - that we should be grateful for - according to our green friends...
Probably anticipating the severe weather forecast for the morrow.