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On a day when a bitter cold northerly wind was bringing heavy snow showers, a day out on the hills close to home seemed a better bet than travelling. I was dropped off at the summit of the Suie Road at NJ 547230 where a forest track leads west towards the high ground of the Correen Hills. There's good parking at the start of the track, and more spaces at the Gordon Way car park a hundred metres or so to the north east. This one-way walk also had the bonus of being almost all downhill
The snow on the forest tracks wasn't quite consolidated enough to bear my weight, and made for heavy going. I'd considered bringing XC skis for this section, but I'm not sure that they'd have been any better on this particular day.
The track breaks out at the top corner of the forest, immediately next to Mire of Midgates. The going was much better here as the wind had scoured most of the snow.
There are good views from Peter Prop, though I didn't hang around for long; the wind was searingly cold. The northerly direction meant that this ridge is the first high ground the wind had encountered since crossing the pack ice of the Arctic - and it felt like it too!
An ominous looking band of black cloud over Tap o'Noth looked like the next band of snow was on its way. Soon after, an intense snow shower hammered through for about twenty minutes - really hostile conditions for a short while.
It soon passed though and the views reappeared. The view here is looking south; Lord Arthur's Hill to the left with Coilochbhar Hill beyond; the Don valley is between the two.
The wind had stripped nearly all the snow from the top of the broad ridge formed by Badingair, Brux and Edinbanchory Hills and also much of it from Lord Arthur's Hill. The sun was bright but with little warmth.
Furtther snow showers came and went, but by now they were at my back as I headed for Lord Arthur's Hill. This long dead pine spaling seemed to have been outlined perfectly. I actually skirted a few metres below the summit of Lord Arthur's Hill to find the line to the descent route of the Fouchie Shank in another heavy shower.
At the top of the Fouchie Shank, looking down towards Tullynessle. Several Roe deer were feeding in the shelter of the Larch woods on the way down, almost the only wildlife I saw all day apart from a few hardy Grouse.
If you have two cars in a party, or can arrange a lift to the top of the Suie Road, this is a good short walk for an afternoon with great views, easy going underfoot and very little ascent.
