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Morrone is a lovely hill to climb, and if you get fine weather, as I did, it makes for a great day out
As the walk description says, there is parking (free) at Chapel Brae, near Morrone Nature Reserve However, if you are staying locally it is nice to walk through the village and up to what is a local landmark. Initially, the path follows a landrover track until you reach a T junction. There are two walks here, one takes you into the Birchwoods, but if you want to climb Morrone you need to keep going left.
Once you branch off and leave the track you enter the moorland and the views soon begin to open up.
The small hill on the left is Creag Choinnich, which I climbed last time I was in Braemar
There are superb views across the valley
The Dee flows all the way from Braemar to Aberdeen
The views of the Cairngorms were tremendous and I loved looking back
There is an excellent, well-made path all the way to the summit
Several burns cross the path all the way up the hill
You can see the village of Braemar just through the trees, and if you look closely there lies the ground for the Braemar Highland Games, held the first Saturday in September
Once you catch sight of the radio mast, the gradient becomes less steep and from here its a straight forward walk up to the summit
The trig point is dwarfed by the massive radio mast for Braemar Mountain Rescue
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We arrived on the top in bright sunshine. There were wonderful 360 degree views of the Cairngorms. I wasnt really sure what the Munros were but I looked them up on the map when I got home.
This mountain, with the granite tors along the summit, I think must be Ben Avon
To the North-west were some big monsters. I think this one must be Ben Macdui, Britain's second highest peak, with Cairn Toul somewhere in the foreground
That's Loch Callater just behind me, and beyond that is Lochnagar and Deeside, where my husband's family live and where I have spent many happy times.
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I've never seen the city of Aberdeen from a hillside and would like to do this one day. I'm not sure which hill gives the best views
To the southwest lie the Cairnwell Munros.
There is a landrover track, used by the mountain rescue people. You can follow this track all the way down.
Walking down this track gets you really close to the Cairngorms, you feel you can reach out and touch them
I was fascinated by the colour of these hillsides and the patterns made by the heather
Following our descent from Morrone, we walked along the old Military Road back to Braemar. This road follows the River Clunie and was a lovely walk in the sunshine. Unfotunately I was still wearing my hill boots and on the hard tarmac my feet became very sore. I was going to take my boots off and walk on the grass verge, but I was frightened of getting bitten by midges.
Anyone, doing this walk, i would recommend taking a pair of trainers in your back pack for this section.
It was a relief to finally reach the village and take my boots off - sheer bliss
And so back to Deeside in time for my mother-in-law's annual BBQ.
Those of us who didnt get a bed in the house camped out on the lawn
My tent was the blue one and we pitched it so as to get great views of the local hills
I know I'm never going to compleat the Munros but I have set my heart on walking all the local hills around Edinburgh and Deeside - Morven, Pressendye, Clochnaben, Lochnagar. You will need to keep a look out for my reports
Last edited by morag1 on Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
