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With a good forecast and needing a break from trying to write up uni work, I decided to head for some close hills to Perth, my temporary home. Mayar and Dreish have often enticed me with their peculiar names and being on the mysterious east side of the plateau spreading from the Mounth.
- North ridge of Dreish from Glen Doll
I was not aware that these eastern hills had such craggy and lovely walk ins - the walk up to Corrie Fee was fine, through forestry plantation but then the surprise comes in leaving the trees and seeing Fee! A fantastic route to begin the walk up to the plateau, and definitely the most scenic part of the walk. Apparently, the sign told me, Corrie Fee holds the largest stand of mountain willow scrub in Scotland. There certainly was plenty of lovely Rowans and willows growing throughout the glen's crags and by the beautiful waterfall. Some were a great luminous grey-green shade.
- Corrie Fee
- Nice trees on the crags
There's a stairway going up the corrie, constructed with all the £2s walkers have been parted from, but certainly makes the way easy and stops an eroded slick.
- Stairs
- Back down to the corrie
The upper corrie is also pretty nice, and its good to see the plateau come to the sheer drops and glacial trenches that make these hills more than just bumps in the green.
- upper corrie with good light
I followed the incline to the top of Mayar, an easy ascent and the views were fantastic all around. A group of rowdy school children doing a 'munro challange' were at the top and I debated the hill names with the teachers for a while, with us all trying to decide what and where was Tom Buidhe. Lochnager looked great to the north.
- Dreish from Mayar
The kids set off and I took in the view, noting that there was more reckless track construction going on into the plateau, not long before a windfarm is plonked up there probably. Skirting the kids it was an easy walk to the bealach and Dreish reared a craggy north face up from Coirrie Kilbo. The path skirts the corrie and its better to stay next to the corrie edge to get the views and sense of height.
- Cliffs above Corrie Kilbo
The top was rounded and stony and the views east also atmospheric, as there was some clag coming in and the light was showing luminous on the hills the other side of Glen Clova. Dreish was my 70th and for some reason this number felt pretty important.
- Rocks covered in lichen
I met a few cheery folk on the way down, and chatted summits, views and boots - nothing like a bit of boot chat. The way down was interesting in my mesh trainers (fed up of baking feet in the warmer temps), but its a pretty straight forward path to a surprisingly green plantation.
- Looking down into Corrie Kilbo
- Green undergrowth in the plantation
Two great Munro's, up a lovely glen and pretty accessible - I'd say this would be a better route in for Tom Buidhe and Tolmont, so I'll probably head to those from this side at some point.
- View from back at the carpark