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Some Tumps NE of Huntly

Some Tumps NE of Huntly


Postby Gordon Ballantyne » Fri Jan 14, 2022 2:52 pm

Date walked: 13/01/2022

Time taken: 5 hours

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A balmy day for Aberdeenshire in January reaching 10degrees C.
A light breeze which we were screened from on most of our walking.


Battle Hill

Parked up in the public car park at the bottom of the hill.


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Parkup for Battle 2.jpg
Public car park for Battle Hill



Followed the track on the N side then the signposted one for the top, past what we thought was a newly dug grave for a dog. Nice to be planted on you fav walk !

Path up Battle.jpg
The path up the N side of Battle Hill


Commemorative tree on Battle.jpg
A commemorative tree on Battle Hill


Signpasts on Battle.JPG
The signpost on Battle Hill near the "dog grave"



View of Huntly from Battle.jpg
View of Huntly from Battle Hill



At the top we struck off the track to find the highest spot and blundered around among brash, brambles and wild roses. Finally we declared the top and retreated back to the car.

GordonC at top of Battle.jpg
GordonC in the brambles at the top of Battle Hill









Newtongarry

Parked up in an agri-dump area across the road in plenty of room without obstruction any farm work.



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Parkup for Newtongarry.jpg
Parkup for Newtongarry


Parkup for Newtongarry 2.jpg
Looking back to the Newtongarry parkup across the road


Toddled up the track through the row of old beeches and thence through an open gate into a grassy glebe. The pimple top was obvious, but we sauntered across to inspect a possible ciste beside a beech tree a little further over, as well.

Top of Newtongarry.jpg
GordonC n the top plook of Newtongarry



GB on Newtongarry.JPG
GordonB and Harvey at the Newtongarry "ciste".








Greenfold Hill & Hill of Mungo


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A false start. Plan A was to access the forest via Annatswell, but as we passed the first house, the lady came out and warned us not to go this way, as the access to the forest track was through the next house's garden. So after a chat we took her advice and returned to the car and parked opposite the track up to Mungo via the scrap yard ( empty).

Entrance to Mungo.jpg
Sign on the empty scrapyard below Mungo


Wandered along the track to do Greenfold first, through massive winfdall from Arwen. Cut off the track through mature trees to the top.

Windfall on Mungo track.jpg
Windfall across the track below Mungo


Top of Greenfold.jpg
Top of Greenfold



Returned to the junction for Mungo then along the track to the E of the top until level with it, then up a FB in mature trees to the top.

Top of Mungo.jpg
Top of Mungo



GB descending  on the Mungo FB.JPG
GordonB descending the firebreak from Mungo


Returnd back down to the track and then to the car..





Hill of Cruchie


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Parked up on a draw-off beside the N end of the wood.

Parkup for Cruchie.jpg
Parkup for Cruchie


Walked up the road which now serviced two new houses instead of the old gravel pit. Up round the back of the wood via a stubble field until met by a heap of dung and an electric fence.
The fence wasn't active, so it was an easy crossing. As we approached the top we saw what we initially thought was a dead ewe lying on it's back. As we approached, its legs started to flail forlornly - much to our surprise. I hung on to Harvey - who wanted to round it up, while GordonC grabbed its fleece and righted it. It stumbled off a wee bit after being erected, then settled down behind some gorse while we sorted out which one of the lumps was the true top. As usual, every one looked higher from the other, so we accepted the OS spot Ht.

GC and the rescued ewe.jpg
GordonC and the rescued ewe at the top of Cruchie


Views from Cruchie.jpg
The view E across the fields from Cruchie



We retreated to the car and left the ewe resting peacefully - the right way up -. Sheepus Erectus !




White Hill


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Parked at the junction off to Cairnton. A couple of diggers had been improving the field drains in the corner of the nearest field, but were currently idle......

Starting up White Hill.JPG
GordonB starting off up White Hill over the dyke



We chose the field to the E of the strip of beech heading up White Hill, first negotiating an estate dyke followed by a deep field drainage ditch, then across a squelchy stubble field to the beeches at the other side, whereupon we "discovered" a track leading into a mini-quarry.
An animal track led up by the side of the estate dyke to a fence at the top which had the mesh, (used for forcing game birds to rise ) - conveniently missing, just at the right spot.
We ducked under it and followed an animal track W until the whins above petered out and afforded us a way through the forestry brash up to the trees. We headed into a gap in the trees, but at the top, we came out again on the W of the top and found a tree stump which we declared the top and took our pictures.

Top of White with Mungo behind.jpg
GordonC on the summit stump of White Hill with Mungo behind


We returned W directly to the track that circumnavigates the top and followed it round to the E a wee bit, then descended through the ankle-twisting, leg-breaking brash to the top of the beeches.
GordonC ripped his hill-bag, ducking under the fence. We descended the track from the mini-quarry to the road, then down the road to the car.

Track down from White.jpg
The track down from White Hill by the beeches beside a braw estate dyke


We could've made it a wee bit easier driving up to park at the bottom of the track and ascending this way - but hey ho, as usual, the perfect route is always found on the way down !

A great day out on a "spring" day befitting of April and not atraditional January.
Not complaining - we''ll take it !
Gordon Ballantyne
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 396
Munros:282   Corbetts:89
Fionas:20   Donalds:7
Sub 2000:59   
Joined: Jan 30, 2011
Location: Westhill, Aberdeenshire

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