free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/ODkzODA1OA==I would like to introduce everyone to my new special friend who joined out family at the end of September - Còinneach Beag!
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- Còinneach Beag - Little Moss
He is around 3 years old and was a stray in Ireland who came over to a rescue in England where we met him while we were on holiday in Wales picking him up after meeting him a couple of times on our way home! So he's had a bit of moving around but has settled in very well, loves his walks, is great in the house, very good with people and kids but he has no manners at all when it comes to other dogs (though he does get on brilliantly with my two!). Squeezy cheese to the rescue!
I've been living a "Groundhog Day" life over the last few weeks with every day pretty much repeating as I worked on Còinneach's lead training and getting him used to his new life with us but now we can start being a bit more adventurous and today I decided to head up to Carrot and Dodd Hills near Dundee. It was my first time up here, so something a bit different for me as well and it was fantastic for Moss who could be free to run. Còinneach though is stuck on the lead, it looks as if he may have done a bit of roaming around in Ireland and this combined with a very strong prey drive means his recall isn't coming on well at all. Maybe we'll get there, maybe not we'll see!
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- Moss posing in the heather
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- I see you...
There are two paths from the car park, we picked one and followed that to a track that led to a wall and then uphill and along up to the summit of Carrot hill. There really isn't much of a climb to do and it is on good tracks so a nice easy walk.
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- Moss at the trig point on Carrot Hill
From Carrot Hill Dodd hill could be clearly seen with its large summit cairn and we followed a track down rejoining the track by the wall. There were a few trees and I took the opportunity to tie Còinneach to one to get a few photos. Moss of course doesn't need to be tied to anything, she's a good girl who knows her sit and stays!
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- Còinneach Beag and Moss - can you see how he got his name?
Following the track round I knew there was a track that would head up to the top of Dodd hill and we did find the track going inbetween what looked like a couple of small quarries. It was an easy wander up to the top, no difficulty at all. There were views down to Dundee, across to the Sidlaws and over towards the Tay estuary and the sea.
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- Summit cairn on Dodd Hill
On the way back we spotted another dog walker who came up through the heather and a look at my viewranger showed there should be a track to follow giving us a bit of a change on the return route, It is just a narrow track through heather and here Còinneach went a bit mental pulling and getting excited, who'd have thought a narrow track was so thrilling? So he was made to walk behind rather than out in front. Probably a good thing to get him into in the spring and summer on narrow tracks I do tend to have the dogs walk behind in case there are adders on the track. Despite bumping into my legs regularly he was pretty good and got the idea that he was to walk behind.
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- On the narrow path, calm down boy!
The track returned us to the summit of Carrot Hill with its little wind shelter for Moss to play in and we started out descent back to the car park again choosing a different route for the return this one talking us around the edge of the moorland. We passed a couple of people out with their dogs but the squeezy cheese distracted Còinneach enough that they didn't get barked at (or rather yapped as he does tend to yap rather than bark).
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- Wind shelters, such fun if you are Moss!
All in all a very pleasant walk though as it does get busy with dogs probably not somewhere we'll visit too often until Còinneach's behaviour improves a bit. Looking forward to building him up though for going on longer walks with big sister Moss though and having him out on the bigger hills with us!
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- Tongue censoring!
