Corr what a view after all.

[litljortindan]

Well this was a slightly unusual morning in that I summoned the enthusiasm to visit four hill tops, albeit all courtesy of short walks.
Started with a dawn visit to Bin of Cullen in hope of a sunrise inversion but getting instead the inside of a cloud plus some gentle drizzle. After that I thought about going back to bed but decided instead to head for the next place that might possibly poke above the cloud, Ben Rinnes. There was indeed mist of pea soup consistency all around Dufftown but no means of determining whether the top was clear so on I drove towards Tomintoul, gradually emerging from the fog along the way. I turned off for the Lecht and at some point was able to look back to see Ben Rinnes' summit well above the cloud/fog. I couldn't be bothered driving back and thought the cloud was so low that the effect would be lost from the top. Again I thought about heading home but this time decided I would have a wander up the bumps immediately either side of the Lecht, Beinn a' Chruinnich and Meikle Corr Riabhach. I'd always dismissed these as being unlikely to afford decent views of anything but it was a fine morning and I was feeling energetic so I thought I might as well expend some of that energy.
I was really pleasantly surprised by all that I could see from bump 1; Ben Rinnes, The Buck, Ben Newe (which I misidentified at the time as Tap o' Noth but later confirmed using www.peakfinder.org), Carn Mor of Glen Ernan (Baronet's Cairn, again confirmed later), Morven, Lochnagar, Ben Avon and more. But particularly pleasing was being able to see Ben Newe and Carn Mor just because they were a bit unexpected but also showing up well.
Can't speak so highly of bump 2. Although, to my mind, it ought to have opened up an even better vista of the aforementioned array of hills that never quite materialised or maybe it was the dissipation of the mist in the glens in the interim that altered the view from striking to everyday by the time I made it over to the other side.
Still, I was pretty pleased overall with my morning's haul of views, particularly after the underwhelming visit to Bin of Cullen.
Now I thought I really was going home but the bank of cloud leaning on an otherwise clear Tap o' Noth had me imagining an inversion again -what a fine sight that would be with The Buck popping up over the cloud. Wasn't to be though. All I got was the cloud blowing past the top either at or above summit height with very occasional breaks. No sign whatsoever of The Buck.

DSC09243 by John Little, on Flickr
Dawn on Bin of Cullen.

DSC09244c by John Little, on Flickr
Mount Keen from Beinn a' Chruinnich.

DSC09245c2 by John Little, on Flickr
Lochnagar.

DSC09247 by John Little, on Flickr
cnoc an dà chaorach mu choinneamh dubh a tha a 'coimhead beagan eagal ach gu bheil eagal orra

DSC09257c by John Little, on Flickr
Ben Newe photo-bombed by a deer.

DSC09262c by John Little, on Flickr
Morven.

DSC09291c2 by John Little, on Flickr
Carn Mor (Baronet's Cairn) of Glen Ernan.

DSC09292 by John Little, on Flickr
The Buck and some major peat hags.

DSC09295c by John Little, on Flickr

DSC09297c by John Little, on Flickr
Ben Rinnes ands Lecht Mine.

DSC09305 by John Little, on Flickr
The Buck again.

DSC09320c2 by John Little, on Flickr
Baronet's Cairn from Meikle Corr Riabhach.

DSC09353 by John Little, on Flickr
Ending the morning with a cloudy visit to Tap o' Noth.

DSC09360 by John Little, on Flickr

DSC09369 by John Little, on Flickr
Occasional breaks.

DSC09372 by John Little, on Flickr

DSC09381 by John Little, on Flickr
A nice clump of campanulas at the bottom.

DSC09383 by John Little, on Flickr

[rockhopper]

Some good hills up this way - turned out nicely despite the claggy start - cheers

[litljortindan]

Some good hills up this way - turned out nicely despite the claggy start - cheers

Been up both Bin of Cullen and Tap o' Noth many times and despite both being small hills I never tire of them. Won't be making a habit of visiting either in the fog though.