Broadcairn from Glen Doll, and a wee missed top!

[The Rodmiester]

With no walking partners and the forcast good, just got up and went for it. Arrived at Glen Doll parking area oooops £2.00 for parking, dear dear Angus Council I thought you were trying to encourage people to get off their backsides, is fuel not expensive enough without car parking charges. Left car park at 0830hrs and headed off through the picnic area and went West towards the River South Esk

The ranger's centre with toilets at the Glen Doll Car Park

Walking through the picnic area, no one using too early and too cold and frosty

A fine wee pathway, covered in pine needles takes you alonside the River bank which is on your right

Soon you come to a bridge which crosses the River South Esk, at the far side of the bridge there is a seat on your right. After passing the seat you follow the path which leads between trees on both sides and at the end of the path it meets up with a landrover track, turn left here with woods on your left hand side. The trees on the right hand side of the track have been felled.

As you come out of the trees you see a farm cottage and prior to that there is another bridge crossing. At the cottage you pass on the North side outwith the boundary fence

Not far on after the cottage there is a track running towards the river on your left, disregard this and proceed straight on as if heading for another tree plantation

Before you come to the trees a boardwalk has been constructed on your left, proceed along boardwalk keeping the plantation to your right.

This off road cyclist past me at this point but not far on I was to overtake him well before the Bachnagairn bridge

Another bridge crossing viewed looking Eastwards. Some muddy sections of track but nothing difficult

The track at this stage can get very icy in winter, today although some ice patches there was no difficulty

Bachnagairn Bridge, no the climb starts!. This bridge is referred to as the Roy Tait Bridge, after the Dundee Climber and Mountain rescue leader who died in a fall on Lochnagar on the 16th August 1981. The bridge was officially opened by his widow in 1984

After a short steep section of well constructed path, the path on continues to be in good condition and assists walking pace. The first sighting of Broadcairn

The path comes to a Y junction to proceed up Broadcairn take the left fork, the right fork heads towards Loch Muick

The boulderfield higher up, care is needed over the slippy rock

The summit of Broadcairn looking towards Loch Muick

Looking towards Cairn Bannoch, left and the outlying top I was about to visit as I had missed it the last time, right overlooking the Dubh Loch

Looking East towards Glen Clova

Looking down the glen from just above Roy Taits bridge

Brew time, out of the cold and have not stopped until now for a wee bite and a cuppa. One hour to get to the car park from here if all goes to plan. On my way back I met a bus load of 'Brechin Ramblers' out for a bit of fresh air. It's great to see more people taking to the hills!

The Ramblers were telling me to look out for a couple of Golden Eagles they had seen at the rocks, unfortunately although keeping an eye out on the distant hills, I never saw any. Never mind I say Grouse, hares and a single deer drinking at the River South Esk when I was walking through the woods. In all a great morning up the hills.

[The Rodmiester]

If any Brechin Ramblers are reading this, Hi again, and hope you all enjoyed your day out to the Bachnagairn Bridge.

[Alastair S]

Looks like a good outing there Rod. I've not been up there from the Glen Doll side.

However you did yourself out a treat by not carrying on for a couple of hundred metres from the summit of Creag ab Dubh-loch. There are same seriously scary cliffs overlooking Dubh Loch with great views over said loch.

[NickyRannoch]

The connoisseur's route up this hill

Bachnagairn is one of my favourite places on earth

[Sabbathstevie]

Some lovely pic here. As much as my walking adventures are starting to take me to spectacular places like Glencoe etc, I have a huge soft spot for the Angus glens and particulaly any report which starts from ym beloved Glen Doll. A beautiful place - thank you for sharing

[The Rodmiester]

Looks like a good outing there Rod. I've not been up there from the Glen Doll side.

However you did yourself out a treat by not carrying on for a couple of hundred metres from the summit of Creag ab Dubh-loch. There are same seriously scary cliffs overlooking Dubh Loch with great views over said loch.

Alastair S, I have always climbed Broadcairn and Bannoch from this side, in fact the reason for doing Broadcairn this month was I have done it 11 times before and I had noticed from my records that I had not done it in November before, so I thought I would rectify that, seeing the forecast was good for the Saturday and pretty rubbish for Sunday. Anyhow me being from Carnoustie this was the obvious way, travelling time ,fuel costs etc. It's a nice wee walk up the glen made even better now since they have formed a wee path alongside the River South Esk ( the previous start was from the carpark walk East over the road bridge and through a wide gate up the track to Moulzie) Yes your probably right I should have taken a few photographs of the cliffs and the Dubh Loch

[The Rodmiester]

The connoisseur's route up this hill

Bachnagairn is one of my favourite places on earth

Bachnagairn, fabulous place for a wee brew, even has a couple of very handy large stones for having the piece and a brew, with a great view down the glen .

[The Rodmiester]

Some lovely pic here. As much as my walking adventures are starting to take me to spectacular places like Glencoe etc, I have a huge soft spot for the Angus glens and particulaly any report which starts from ym beloved Glen Doll. A beautiful place - thank you for sharing

Thank's stevie, your right a cracking place right enough , it's a great pity they have done away with the campsite and now charge for the carpark , but anyway, a great walk and can be used to access many munros depending on your fitness

[Gordie12]

Caught out by the £2 parking charge..................long time since you walked in your local hills????

The boardwalk is good in the summer for avoiding some boggy bits but with the covering of frost you had they can be bloomin slippy!

I really enjoy this walk and it's good to move on to Cairn Bannoch then over towards Tolmount to link up with Jock's Road.

[The Rodmiester]

Caught out by the £2 parking charge..................long time since you walked in your local hills????

The boardwalk is good in the summer for avoiding some boggy bits but with the covering of frost you had they can be bloomin slippy!

I really enjoy this walk and it's good to move on to Cairn Bannoch then over towards Tolmount to link up with Jock's Road.

Hi Gordie12, not caught out about charge, just thought I would mention on here so others were not caught out, actually did this one in February this year with my Niece on her first munro. Your so right about the frost on the boardwalk, nearly went all my length the first step on the thing Yes agreed the wee circuit to Bannoch and back down Jock's Road is a grand wee walk . Last Sat. I was a bit pushed for time so just came back the way I went hence my time on the walk, not hanging about apart from the iced boulderfield at the top, but a fine time was had with pretty good weather for photographs . Luckily the track up to Bachnagairn bridge was not as bad as I have had, as you probably know yourself it can be treacherous if it is iced over , as quite often it can be in the winter.

[Bod]

Ahhhh....that's a wee missed top for me too, I remember thinking about that at the I passed by previously. Nice report and lovely coming up from Glen Clova

[The Rodmiester]

Ahhhh....that's a wee missed top for me too, I remember thinking about that at the I passed by previously. Nice report and lovely coming up from Glen Clova

Hi Bod, yes once your up there on Broadcairn looking West your eyes kind of focus on Cairn Bannoch (why I don't know as it's just a wee mound) and you pass by the top on the right and head off towards Bannoch picking up Cairn of Gowal on the left. I like Glen Clova maybe because i was taken there in my early years with my parents, God a long time ago now It certainly saves a long drive and there is so many walks you can do, so no matter the weather there is always something you can do. Make sure you get a good day when you return, all the best.

[Gable Gable End]

Cracker of a Report!

[The Rodmiester]

Cracker of a Report!

Thank's GGE , still finding my feet with the report writing, but hopefully improving and taking some interesting photographs along the way . Still a long way to go to keep up with some of the excellent reports on this fabulous site.

[old danensian]

Good read that you had a belter of a day out over there while others were thrashing around out west

OD