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First outing of 2017. Looked like a good day forecast and I had to walk my sons young dog Harvey.
GordonC was free so we set off at about 11 to pick up Harvey, then out past Echt to the disused quarry parking suggested by the WH tradesman.
Gordonc is a bit of a local history buff and mused on the way from Westhill that a railway used to run through near here. Didn't even know any railways came this way - I'll have to look it up !
Was a bit concerned that there may have been stock in the field that links the road to the rough ground, but there was none, which was a relief.
Trogged up the fenceline on the E side to reach a gate into the rough ground and the quad track.
Sun was shining and a light sharp SW breeze characterised the weather - a really pleasant day to start walking off the turkey excesses of the festive season ! Harvey seemed to be enjoying the change of scenery too - snuffling at every vole hole.
- Benaquhallie from Tulloch Hill
We were looking out for tradesmans Fitbit as we walked over Tulloch Hill, round the corner and up towards the copse of Larch, which the track took us through. The final walk to the trig point was a bit steeper on a good track.I stopped to take a photo while GordonC & Harvey powered on up.
- GordonC & Harvey on the final slope
The view from the top gave us vistas to Bennachie, Morven, Mt Keen and everything in between, including Craigievar Castle.
There were quite a lot of community wind turbines, which, being on the side of the hills or in the dips near the farms were visible, but not nearly as bad as the commercial Fannery's which can be seen for miles around and dominate the countryside.
- GordonB & Harvey at Benaquhallie Trig Pt
While GordonC was sorting things out on the top of the trig point, I heard a gasp of anguish as he dropped part of his specs case down the middle of the trig station where the brass blanking plate in the middle of the theodolite mount had been unscrewed and removed. Usually, idle walkers drop chukkies down it until its full to the top, but this one was empty - so the specs case dropped out of site into a crevass-like abyss. Ah well - another visit to Costco.
We walked over to the cairn to get a wee bit of shelter from the biting breeze and settled down for a piece and to soak in the great views.
- GordonC Modelling on the cairn
- The grand Benaquhallie cairn
It got chilly quite quickly as we cooled down, so we headed off back down. At this point, Harvey seemed to divert from search and snuffle, to having a wee mentaller - running round in circles and up and down the track in frenetic motion - really enjoying himself. This was great, as I hadn't brought his ball catapult.
Soon he calmed down and reverted to snuffling mode again.
- Looking down the track towards the Larch copse
As we breasted Tulloch hill again, I saw a pair of glasses lying on the track. Jings I thought, they look like mine - yes they ARE mine. Must've dropped them when I stopped to take a photo on the way up.
Back at the car we searched for Harvey's ID tag. I 'd clipped his lead into the ring of his ID tag instead of his collar D-ring. Naturally, it pinged apart the first lunge that Harvey gave. Found it eventually and closed the quarry gate on the way out. Celebrated with a cup o tea and a dram when we got back - an great day out on a hill that consumed a Fitbit, a spec case, a pair o glasses and a dog tag.
Future walkers beware o this hill...........or maybe we're just gettin' too old !
