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Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!


Postby The Rodmiester » Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:19 pm

Route description: Creag Dubh, near Newtonmore

Fionas included on this walk: Creag Dhubh (Newtonmore)

Date walked: 22/03/2014

Time taken: 3.75 hours

Distance: 6.74 km

Ascent: 500m

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Well here we were based in Wildcat Country near the ancestrial home of the Clan MacPhersons of Glentruim. Glentruim Castle a B listed building built around 1840 and various estate cottages passed on our way to our base at The Roundhouse Bunkhouse at Uvie farm. I see that the Clan MacPherson motto is 'Touch not the Cat but the Glove' and that a Wild Cat is incorporated within the family Crest. All I can say is what a base, very comfy with a hot shower and well maintained, with superb views from high up overlooking views of The Upper Spey Valley with the Cairngorm Mountains in the distance and with panoramic views towards Laggan, what a setting. This was our climbing clubs March Meet with eight members keen to get some hills done after what seemed to be an eternal period of wind and rain.

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1.JPG
The Roundhouse and Bunkhouse at Uvie Farm where we walked from to start the walk to Creag Dhubh
2.JPG
We left at 0830hrs and walked to the entrance gate to the farm and then turned right down theA86, walked for about 50meters and crossed the road at this entrance gate within the deer fence. (Directly opposite the farm gate there is another gate with an access panel this would be the way we came down off the hill at the end of the walk)
3.JPG
Once through the gate there are two paths take the forking right and there is a pleasant walk through the trees
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Keep on the path that climbs steadily up through the trees onto the open hillside where you find you are walking beside a fence on your right. Keep going until you come to a gate this is the point if you only want to go and see the MacPherson Memorial turn left but if your to be heading for the Graham turn right, once again finding a fenceline on your right to keep you away from the dangerous crags and cliffs on the South side of the hill
5.JPG
The line of fence posts with Creag Dhubh in the distance
6.JPG
Looking back the way we came view towards Laggan
7.JPG
The underfoot conditions are quite heavy going as there does not appear to be much sign of any paths at this point and a small burn has to be crossed without much bother
8.JPG
The start of the long undulating ridge begins
9.JPG
Further along the ridge, snow not too deep at this stage
10.JPG
A style has to be crossed at another fenceline crossing our path to the summit
11.JPG
Straight ahead but the visibility is coming and going, but compared to the weather forecast this is wonderful, not a great deal of wind and so far not much of the white stuff promised has actually fallen
12.JPG
Looking back along the ridge
13.JPG
At last the small summit cairn comes into view, not far now!
14.JPG
A frosted looking cairn at the summit
15.JPG
A summit pose, of course
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The rest of the party appearing, there is a dip between the two cairns which is filled with a substantial amount of snow
17.JPG
On our return instead of coming back over the ridge we traversed on the North side of the ridge but apart from that we walked out the way we walked in
18.JPG
That is until we came to the gate we passed through at the point where we decided to head on over to te MacPherson Monument
19.JPG
Close up of the Monument plaque
20.JPG
View from the Monument looking over the Spey Valley towards Newtonmore
21a.JPG
Another view East
22.JPG
Monument and Cliffs of Creag Dhubh, where somewhere there is a cave called Cluny's Cave, behind a Rowan tree I believe
23.JPG
Waterfall at the cliffs. From the monument we descended West then South beside a fenceline, quite steep in places until we came to the roadside gate opposite the entrance to Uvie Farm. All in all a fabulous morning with plenty of interest en route.
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The Rodmiester
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Re: Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Postby scoob999 » Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:01 am

Looks like a great wee ridge that Rod :D heather with snow on is horrible to walk on, glad you all had a good day :D
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scoob999
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Location: Birnam/Dunkeld. i think?

Re: Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:07 am

scoob999 wrote:Looks like a great wee ridge that Rod :D heather with snow on is horrible to walk on, glad you all had a good day :D


Thanks Scoob, Great ridge, and a great wee hill, and to get a day like that after expecting the worst made it even better :D

See you Friday :)
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The Rodmiester
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Re: Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Postby scoob999 » Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:39 am

The Rodmiester wrote:
scoob999 wrote:Looks like a great wee ridge that Rod :D heather with snow on is horrible to walk on, glad you all had a good day :D[/quote

See you Friday :)


We'll be there :D
That looks like an interesting bunkhouse as well 8)
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scoob999
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Location: Birnam/Dunkeld. i think?

Re: Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:11 am

scoob999 wrote:
The Rodmiester wrote:
scoob999 wrote:Looks like a great wee ridge that Rod :D heather with snow on is horrible to walk on, glad you all had a good day :D[/quote

See you Friday :)


We'll be there :D
That looks like an interesting bunkhouse as well 8)


Scoob will give you all the info at weekend, a terrific place if you have a group of eight, works out at £12.00 a night, can't be bad! :D
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The Rodmiester
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Re: Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Postby Sarah86 » Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:30 pm

Looks like you enjoyed another good day out on the hills. Really like the shot of the MacPherson Monument with the snowy hills in the background.
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Re: Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Mar 25, 2014 3:07 pm

Sarah86 wrote:Looks like you enjoyed another good day out on the hills. Really like the shot of the MacPherson Monument with the snowy hills in the background.


Thanks Sarah86, we really enjoyed that one, all in all a great walk, with lots of interest on the way. Some of these wee hills are great for views and have lots of character :D
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The Rodmiester
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Posts: 3396
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Location: Newbigging

Re: Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Postby BlackPanther » Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:09 pm

Aaah, so snow is back on lower hills! :D

This is a cracking little one, views are great too, if you're lucky to see them :wink:

I have a bad memory connected to Creag Dhubh - we took a direct route to the ridge, up the steep, tumbling slope. I slipped and injured my knee :( But still I'd like to revisit it someday... Your route seems better (less steep) for a winter climb.
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Re: Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Mar 25, 2014 6:40 pm

BlackPanther wrote:Aaah, so snow is back on lower hills! :D

This is a cracking little one, views are great too, if you're lucky to see them :wink:

I have a bad memory connected to Creag Dhubh - we took a direct route to the ridge, up the steep, tumbling slope. I slipped and injured my knee :( But still I'd like to revisit it someday... Your route seems better (less steep) for a winter climb.


In some areas plenty of the white stuff! I read your report before heading off to the club meet. One wee problem was I was not aware of any nearby parking areas, but there might of been one further around the corner (East)
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