Braemar Corbetts

[Benaden887]

A weekend clutch o the Braemar Corbetts 8/ 07/ 2006
Carn na Drochaide, Carn na Criche and Culardoch. 34 km /5km road walking. 1410m. 10h.

The KMC are at Rucksacks BH this w/e. Kenny`s group head to the Linn o Dee, Munro bound. I bum a lift to the empty gatehouse guarding Victoria bridge, the posh entrance for Marr lodge. Replaced in 1905 following the demise of an old wooden structure, the lattice girder construction spans the river Dee, has a ceremonial horseshoe gate. An inscription plaque on the S side reads; 1848 Victoria 1848, whilst on the other, 1905 EdwardV11 1905. I shoulder my sac and walk across. A wee lick of white paint,wouldne go amiss here. The day is bright and chirpy with bird song, makings for a good day. Turn R into a wooded pine area, where the noise of water is company until I reach the Linn of Quoich. A brief walk up to take in the “Mar`s punch bowl”, then I cross the Quoick and sit. Birds flit around my feet as I share a roll. Small wonder this area was a favourite spot of Queen Victoria.
Head uphill, through thick heather and lone pines, pass another Carn Dearg for an easier walk onto Carn na Drochaide@ 818m. The top has short grass and a number of cairns, I pause at the highest and look around. Superb views of Beinn a` Bhuird and Ben Avon, green rolling hills around me, Braemar and the wide bowl of the river Dee. I munch a roll and drink, then rested lift my sac. time to go. A 2k walk NW finds Carn na Criche @ 737m, from here I drop steeply NE to inspect a ruin seen while doing Ben Avon. Not up to much. Follow the path N, turn below Carn Eag Dhubh to view an odd hearsay, narrow cutting atween Creag an Dail Mhor and Dail Bheag. Satisfied, I climb the side of Bheag for the first 862m top of Carn Liath. Hmm, great views here too. A walk SE finds a larger cairn at the same height, so Carn Liath @862m. The views here, not so good. I can see my last hill some 4km away. Mapchk and I drop 200m to reach a broader track on Bealach Dearg, the old drove route from Braemar to Tomintoul. I walk to its highest point then head E up a steep slope, to the trig point and cairn of Culardoch @900m. Wee swallow and rest here. Then S from the summit, down heathery slopes, a track leading to the Allt Cul bridge in the Feardar basin. Then onto the drove road, easy going, woodland, Invercauld house for the main road and Braemar.
Nice relaxing, stress free walking
A wee libation session at our favourite “the Fife Arms” that night, rounds off the day.

Morrone 11km 580m 3hrs. 07/07/2006
Friday From the BH Kenny and I took a wee stroll up the Chapel Brae circular path route over Morrone @ 860m. Passing a clutter of Mountain Rescue porta cabins with radio mast, trigpoint and large summit cairn, then descended to the Clunie water and the old road back into the village.

Sgor Mor 13.5km 550m 3.30hrs 09/07/2006
Sunday. Up and away by 6am, park at the gate rather than the cp and do an almost reverse of the SMC guide route. After 500m we leave the path heading N over bleached broken rock and thigh deep heather. Pass stands of Caledonian pines and small groups of watchful red deer, before reaching the broad shoulder of a wide plateau and cairn of Carn an lc Duibhe@ 630m. Against a rising backdrop of Cairngorm peaks, on freer ground, we cover the 2km to Sgor Mor@ 741 in 40 minutes. A break here as Kenny points out his yesterday peaks. Then W over a flat gritty granite area with short tuffs of grass, for 2k to wee top before a rising finds the stony refuge of Sgor Mor @813m. The summit has a large granite slab with wind scoured potholes, amazing the power of nature. We rest soaking in the views, and play the game of naming hills. The Fiddler and Sgarsoch lie W before the hills start to merge, S Beinn a Glo, Beinn Lutharn Mhor and the Cairnwell tops. Ken doesn`t favour adding to the walk so instead of dropping into the Dee for White bridge, we just head due S, thrashing thro the heather, stumbling over bands of rocks, and hidden hollows to meet the path then return for the car. So a good day and nice drive home.