free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
A quick walk round Bennachie was the order of the day on monday. It was a last minute affair after a medical for work so the gear I had was what was left over from sunday. That consisted of my daysack, a litre of water and a banana. My walking boots were at home drying off so it was a pair of trail shoes for the walk.
It was warm, pretty humid and with no wind it had turned into a typical Scottish morning. Midge infested!!! The low cloud I was seeing could quite easily be midges on the hunt for a bare neck. Fortunately I must have terrible blood as they never really bother me. I was feeling good so I knew that this would be a fairly quick walk. I was secretly gutted that I never had any running gear with me as I would have opted to just run the hill instead.
As I left the forest and midges behind me I was treated to a slight breeze as I chomped my way up the hill.
32 minutes later and I was on the top of the Mither Tap. A landmark sight that Aberdonians are treated too.
- The Mither Tap midge free summit view
I left the viewpoint and trig point behind and headed towards my next goal Craigshannoch. The cloud was now rolling over the hill making things a little wet but I pushed on towards the next summit. 16 minutes had now passed and I was on the small summit of Craigshannoch.
I quickly left Craigshannoch behind and moved on for Oxen Craig the highest summit in the area. This leg of the walk took me only 15 more minutes. The weather on Oxen Craig was a little wet so I got my jacket on, took a few snaps and headed back towards the Mither Tap.
- Oxen Craig looking across to the Mither Tap
The walk from Oxen Craig back to Mither Tap then back down to the car took only a total of 40 minutes so in under 2 hours I was safely back at the car. I got changed and just by luck as I set off back to Cruden Bay and home the rain started to fall.
