free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
The Buck
Distance: 4.6km
Ascent: 299.5m
Time: 2hr 10min
Fiona/Graham: 14/219"What on earth were you thinking?" I asked myself as I teetered from tussock to tussock, trying to avoid dropping into the lochan that had formed about 500m into the walk up The Buck.
The first half (or more) of the short ascent of this Fiona/Graham is known to be boggy - everybody says so - but this was beyond boggy. This was WET. A long spell of heavy rain the day before had left the Eastern Highlands drenched and with low cloud bringing in an annoying, mizzly rain, conditions in this miserable excuse for a summer weren't going to get any better. Any number of hills nearby would have been a better choice.
But, visiting my son and his family in Speyside, I'd decided I'd do The Buck and Tap o Noth the first chance I got and it seems nothing was going to change my mind.
I parked up in the large layby/passing place by Meikle Cairn, walked back along the road to the gate and followed first the track and then the footpath which headed in the direction of the fence I'd be doing my best to follow to the top of The Buck.
- Parking spot
- Turning off the road here
- Path heading over to the fence. So far, so just a bit damp
The path was quite wet and muddy, but nothing serious, until I got to the fence where the path disappeared into the water and the desperate search for a reasonably dry route began.
I could see the path further ahead. It was that shiny thing that looked an awful lot like a stream, but I headed carefully towards it. I went in over my ankles once, twice and then on the third time, the water got into my boots somehow and I decided to stop fannying about and just to blast ahead.
- Bog
- Path is clear, but very wet
The path gradually dried out and by about 550m it was back to being a normal walk. Of course, I couldn't see any view as the cloud was low down on the top, but again, I knew that before and still went ahead. As I approached the top, the rocky summit loomed into view. I clambered up and touched the top of the tor next to the trig point, thought about stopping for a cup of tea, but with a cold wind and steady drizzle persuaded me to head straight back down to the swamp.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I don't feel I did The Buck justice and will try it again - probably using the track from Cabrach on a clear, dry day instead.
- Better conditions for walking as I got higher
- Summit appearing out of the murk
- Trig and summit
- Sloshing my way back down
Tap o Noth
Distance: 4.81km
Ascent: 294.5m
Time: 1hr 50min
Sub-2000ft Marilyn: 70/573The second part of my day proved to be far more straightforward. It seemed logical to do Tap o Noth along with The Buck and it was good at least to have dry ground under my feet.
I followed the routine Walkhighlands route (is there another way up?). There were a couple of stretches of long, wet grass, but it was mostly well-made, well-used track right up to the ancient hill-fort.
Sadly there was still low cloud which threatened to break up occassionally and allowed brief glimpses down to Rhynie and once to the Bin of Cullen, but mostly it was more murk. Another one I will have to revisit on a better day.
- Start of the track to the top of Tap o Noth
- Grassy track for the early part of the walk
- Track to the top
- Trig point near the top
- Tap o Noth summit
Knockan
Distance 3.9km
Ascent: 84.2m
Time: 1hr
Sub-2000ft Marilyn: 71/573I had a couple of hours left before I needed to be back so I went for an easy tick/balloon. Expectations were low for Knockan so I was surprised to find I quite enjoyed the hour it took me to walk up to the summit and back.
I parked bv the gates to the east and set off up the track, taking the third left, then first right before leaving the track and making my way over the heather to the cairn at the top where there were fine views of Ben Aigan, Ben Rinnes, the Convals, Corryhabbie Hill and I even saw more of the Buck than I had in the morning! Having felt a bit of a fraud for claiming a tick with very little effort, I left glad that I'd taken the trouble.
- Wind farm track
- Turn left here
- Ben Aigan from Knockan summit
- Ben Rinnes, the Convals, Corryhabbie Hill from Knockan
