by Benaden887 » Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:49 pm
Date walked: 08/04/2015
Time taken: 7.3 hours
Distance: 20 km
Ascent: 1300m
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Wed, day 3 - Up at 0600, load the car - there is clag on the hills - Catlaw is 7km 390mtr in 2.5hrs - No map for starting at the gates of Balintore castle, I wrongly head past an outcrop of trees before I spot the track rising on my far right, so cross the burn and relocate. Happily this route should take me almost to the broad top - 400mtr and into clag - Cold and wet, glad I brought my jacket- I tramp on, walking better now I pick up the pace as the mist thickens. Altimeter shows 550mtr and the map I have covers this - cooking with gas - here`s the wee steep rise and the fence compass check- and there are the cairns - box search finds the trig point, return to the fence a guide rail back to the path. Study of the1.25maps at home pays off and back we go. The weather has a damp effect on me with three hills still to do- but the clag is lifting and I`m back at the car. I drive past Balintore castle, the 16c tower house becomes a baronial mansion in the 19c festooned with turret towers yet left to decay in the 60s. Declared a danger in 2007 a compulsory purchase by Angus CC from an absentee eastern owner - the castle is now a restoration project. The clag lifting further down the road and by 1100 I`m trading Isla for Shee but not yet- the sun is out the sky is blue - I turn before reaching the narrow tower that is Forter castle - one of many in the area - worth a visit . Duchray Hill - parked at the forest taking the edge of the treeline to higher ground- Big mistake - bog and snowmelt make for a squelchy km before reaching drier ground - follow the double fence and stone wall to the large cairn at the top- the corner of the wall seems higher than the cairn - I touch them both - The views from here are stunning The Southern Cairngorm still plastered with snow - a return to the road and the long climb up in hot sunshine to the telecoms mast and trig point of Mount Blair - my thanks to Linda Ronstadt who`s music kept me going. The broad top has a C ringed walled enclosure- with a metal view toposcope of landmarks and surrounding hills - I can say without modesty, I`ve done them all - the massive cairn hides the grave of a supposed suicide - hmm. Met an older couple with a snappy pup on the way down - both looked as if they were toiling - said how far it would be to the top being the day was very warm now - the woman replied they would both make it - if slowly - she being 86 and her hunband in his 90th year - guid oan yez ! so 10km 800mtr 3.20hrs
Enough for the day. Seen enroute Nowt but sheep hill 1 Birds of prey rabbits hares in still white - many wee birds just flashes of colour and song deer and heather burning - A decent three days - did what I wanted though not in the order I`d liked - too long gettingthere - should have done Hunt and Wirren same day - missed out on Blath Bhagin - try saying that wi a drink in ye
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our_route.gpx
Open full screen NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts