Hill of Alyth & Clune Hill - Kirrie

[Gordon Ballantyne]

Bad weather was sweepiing in from the west, so collected Harvey on the run and headed SW to Alyth at the double, hoping to get up and down before the front swept in later in the afternoon.
This was a drive down memory lane ( A926 ), passing the wee cottage on the Lindertis estate of the veritable Sir Hugh T Munro, that we stayed in while I was at Uni in Dundee, after I left the RAF. in 1970. It was amazing how little had changed !

HILL of ALYTH
Parked in the street where the Cateran Trail loops through Alyth.

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Just before Kirklandbank a Labrador and Labrapoodle appeard down the track. I expected someone to appear, but no-one did. The pair capered around with Harvey for a while, then the Lab disappeared. The Labrapoodle stayed with us until we got back level with Kirklandbank then it too disappeared. They kept H amused and they'd both been de-nutted, so there was no aggro. It appeared that they were out on the hake regularly and seemed to know the drill !
Followed the Cateran Trail until it was level with H of A. A track branched off from the main trail to the top of Hill o Alyth,which obviated the need to fludge through the high gorse.

Harvey at the top of Hill of Alyth

Harvey's Labrapoodle pal

Looking east from the top of Hill of Alyth

The sun was still out, so we enjoyed it for a wee while, then scurried off down round the lochs and back to the car.

The wee lochan below Hill of Alyth

The bigger wee lochan below Hill of Alyth

We could see the rain squalls approaching up Strathmore so we headed east as fast as the wee motor would take us.


CLUNE HILL

Once back at Kirrie we headed out the Meams road to the end of the track, where the farmer parked some of his implements and good off-road parking was available.

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There were no beasts in the fields until we got up to the red-roofed cattle barns about half way up. Some Kye and their calves were corralled in an area where the track went through, so we bypassed them on the other side of the barns, squelching through a richt kirn o dubs. There were more beasts further up the track off to the side, but we didn't disturb them. The track took us to the top of the hill, where we enjoyed the last of the sunshine, with gloom all around us.

H on the Hill of Clune with squalls approaching behind

We hurried back down to the car - the kye had moved out of the corral, so easy down the track.
I'm always a little concerned when cows have calves at the hoof - especially with having a dog.
Anyway - nae bother this time.
The rain just started as we got back at the car - jings, that doesn't happen too often !