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We must be mad. Gerry and I have been walking since April this year. I wanted to keep fit and Gerry is getting fit after a health scare. It is funny how you drift apart and lose contact but end up doing similar things. Gerry and I had not seen each other for a few years but had come back into contact with each other following a family tragedy.
Anyway we got talking and very surprisingly found out we had both started hill walking. That felt a wee bit spooky as we both agreed that was one activity we could not see each other doing in the past. Eventually we thought let’s do a good one together and that’s when Lochnager first came up.
- Loch Nan Eun
We left Dundee at the really ridiculous time of 5 o’clock in the morning. Planned to take the road up from Blairgowrie to Braemar but we got talking, catching up really and went via Alyth. Must admit the sun rise coming up over the wind farm at Drumderg was bonny. A quick u turn and we were heading up the A93 in the right direction.
- Gerry at Broad Cairn with loch muick behind
I have put links to all my photos in the description of the walk.
The whole set is here at this link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67862513@N03/sets/72157631411083882/Once at the Spittal of Glenmuick car park we got out and started to put on our gear. Never seen so many midges and they were hungry. Never been bitten by a midge either till then. Lots of holiday makers up at the nearby campsite were wearing head gear with nets (cannot figure out why they where all camouflage green?). Looked like a set for Dr Who and some scary looking aliens.
The path from the car park is very good. You follow the path till you come to a Y section, we kept left and that took us to the Lochnagar summit.
Lochnagar_path by
dektasker, on Flickr
The weather had been very good with no low cloud. I was looking forward to the views from the cairn at Lochnagar. The walk to Lochnagar is bit of a steep. The wind was almost blowing us off our feet and a couple behind us decided to turn back climb. This is probably the hardest part of the walk. It was wild as we climbed this part of the hill. You lose the path; we did get lucky as soon as the boulders had stopped we came across the path again straight away. The corrie with the loch is pretty special and it just wetted the appetite for more.
- Lochnagar Corrie
more photos at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67862513@N03/7945189764/The wind died down and we thought yahoo.
However our luck ran out, the cloud came down and the views where limited. This happened quickly as the pictures of the central buttress and Raeburn’s gully shows.
Central_Buttress_and_Loch_Nagar by
dektasker, on Flickr
Raeburns_Gully by
dektasker, on Flickr
This picture of Gerry at eagles ridge was taken just as the cloud started to come in.
Standing_above_eagles_ridge_lochnagar by
dektasker, on Flickr
The plate at the summit gives details of what you can see on a clear day. We saw very little but glimpses we did get still made this worthwhile and on a good day must be pretty spectacular.
Lochnagar Compass by
dektasker, on Flickr
The walk from Lochnagar to Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach is the hardest to navigate. 10 minutes off the summit of Lochnagar the cloud lifted. The picture of Loch Nan Eun was taken just as the cloud was lifting.
Loch_Nan_Eun by
dektasker, on Flickr
Made you look back at the Lochnagar summit and wonder about the views that you have just walked away from. From here you need to go off the natural route and take a wee detour to Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach and the views again are pretty good. Back to the path and on towards Carn an-t Sagairt Mor . You cross a pretty stream . Soon after the stream you come across the wreckage of the Canberra that crashed in 1952. Spooky that the photographs I took here just did not turn out!! We did come across a small frog on the way to the summit.
Some_wild_life by
dektasker, on Flickr
There are 2 summits here but the best part is the view towards Dubd loch as you walk to Cairn Bannoch. Again this is impressive and we both got lucky with the weather with no low clouds.
Dubh_Loch by
dektasker, on Flickr
On the way Gerry pointed out a very friendly hare. It is the first time that I have got so close to a hare and it never ran away. As you can see from the photos’ it decided to pose and make the most of the photo opportunity.
Cairn_Bannoch_Hare by
dektasker, on Flickr
The walk towards broad cairn is easy with a great path. Once up on the summit the views of Loch Muick are breath taking and you realise what a great walk the wonderful wilderness of the white mounth is.
Broad_Cairn_Loch_Muick by
dektasker, on Flickr
More photos of the loch and the walk here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67862513@N03/sets/72157631411083882/Some people have started at the head of luck muick and done this walk in reverse. It is along walk no matter what way you do it. I think starting at lochnagar is best. The walk from broad cairn back to the car park is very lengthy and i prefer going down the way as we did as opposed to the long, long climb up doing this walk in reverse. The views of the corrie chash craig mossen are brilliant.
Burns_from_Corrie_Chash_Craig_Moseen by
dektasker, on Flickr
Near the end of the walk the black water stream with the little bridge over is nice and it brings a nice end to a wonderful walk.
Black Burn by
dektasker, on Flickr