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I didn’t fancy a serious mountain expedition this week due to lack of daylight and scrubby weather, but it’s still nice to get out. So for Thursday I looked for something involving a short drive (for me), and a short walk. Carn na Drochaide from the Linn of Quoich met the criteria.
Rather than use the route in WH, I elected to do a round trip, more or less as described in the SMC Corbetts book. I set off from home at a very civilised 9 am and was up at the Linn of Quioch ready to start the walk by 10:30am. After the previous few days of unseasonably warm weather, it was much colder, with a skiff of snow on the road in places. Forecast to be windy too.
From the car park, I set off east along the road a short distance to where there is an NTS sign and waymarked path on the left which almost doubles back above the road.
- Start of the path
I headed up this through the trees for 300m or so, where I took a right fork which led down to the Punch Bowl and bridge over the Quoich Water. Although conditions down here were quite benign, Beinn a’ Bhuird looming ahead appeared anything but, with a fair covering of fresh snow and some stormy looking clouds above. Fortunately, I would be staying much lower today.
- Storm clouds over Beinn a' Bhuird
The Punch Bowl area is very picturesque in an Upper Deeside sort of way, worth a visit.
- Linn of Quoich - downstrean
- Linn of Quoich - upstream. Punch Bowl is in middle behind branch......
- Linn of Quoich - bridge and cottage
After crossing the bridge and passing the cottage, I joined the hill track and headed northwest for about 2km until a junction marked by a cairn. Not very windy to start off, but as I climbed out of the trees the wind picked up considerably. At the junction I took the right fork due north. It’s a rougher and more faint 4x4 track here, but still easy to follow. A cairn on the wide southwest ridge of Carn na Criche can be seen on the skyline and it is towards this that the path leads.
- Looking back down to Dee valley
By this time, the wind had really got going and it was very cold walking into the wind which was now howling from the northwest, so I donned the balaclava and goggles to stop my face freezing up. The vehicle tracks petered out, but there was still a clear path through the heather. The path continued up the ridge for another 1km, reaching the cairn on Carn na Criche. Much windiness here. Beinn a’ Bhuird and Ben Avon really dominate the view to the north at this point.
- On Carn na Criche
Now it was a right turn to the east, following a path on the wide flat ridge climbing towards the summit of Carn na Drochaide. Easier going with the wind more to my back.
- Easy climb to Carn na Drochaide
There was a decent sized cairn on the flat stony summit, so I hunkered down on the lee side and had some tea and a snack. I managed to get a few photos despite the wind buffeting. It is an excellent viewpoint for the nearby big hills north and west, but also has fine views in the Lochnagar and Glen Shee directions.
- Big hills to the north
- Southeast to Lochnagar
- Southwest to Inverey
There are a couple of options for the return journey. I elected to get out of the wind quickly, so set off down the southwest ridge, over the knoll of Carn Dearg and back to the track by Allanaquoich Farm. There is a path all the way, faint in places but helpful in the deep heather. It was slightly rougher and boggier than the ascent route, especially lower down, but nothing serious. Once down on the track, it was just 500m back to the car park.
The conditions had made it a decent work out today, but the route would also make for a pleasant and easy outing in summer given the fine views of the surrounding hills and Dee valley.
