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Around 9 months ago, I posted a picture in the 'Mutts on Munros' thread of my new pup, a chocolate Cocker which I called Bonnie.
I now have two Spaniels, a Springer and a Cocker. They've both been on a few of the smaller hills before with me.
Molly, the Springer, is now getting on and athritis in her front leg means no more Munros for her. I reckon she's done about 85 different Munros, but some of them (like Mount Keen) many times. She's effectively in retirement.
I'm keen to have a dog for company on the hills, so after wandering around the Angus Glens for the last few weeks, I thought it'd be a great idea to take Bonnie up her first Munro. Being my local Munro, I've been up this hill many times, and I never fail to enjoy it. It's a fairly straightforward hill, gentle slopes and on probably the best paths on any hill I've been on.
With reasonable weather forecast, we shot up to the carpark at the road end in Glen Esk at Invermark. Fairly busy even though I was there around 1100.
Not as bright as I'd hoped as we headed along towards the Queens Well.
We passed the cottage at Glenmark, and grunted our way up the path by the Ladder Burn, stopping after the ascent eased of.
Looking over the Knowe of Crippley down the Glen.
The prominent bump on the landscape which is the summit dome of Mount Keen.
We followed the old Mounth Road, leaving at the cairn onto the excellent path up the dome.
And it was easy going all the way to the top.
Then it was up on the trig point for the mandatory summit shot.
Mount Keen is a very nice place to spend some time admiring the views.
Lochnagar (zoomed)
Bennachie
Clachnaben
Cairngorms to the NW
A thoroughly enjoyable day in the hills!
