Cateran Trail (Day 2) - Mucho scorchio!!!

[Graeme D]

Spittal of Glenshee to Kirkton of Glenisla

7.6 hours

If anything, today was even hotter than yesterday. Thankfully however, we faced the prospect of a shorter day down to Kirkton of Glenisla and, crucially, no prospect of missing out on a cold beer (or several) with our accomodation booked at the Glenisla Hotel and their sundrenched beer garden just waiting to welcome us!

This certainly turned out to be a more enjoyable day despite the increased heat, not just because there was no repeat of the navigational faux pas of Day 1, but because the scenery was generally more appealing.

A lovely leisurely lunch was had by the entrance to Dalnaglar Castle and a good 20 minutes or so were spent sitting by Loch Shandra watching the fishing, the swimming and the boating (some participants managing to carry it off with rather more grace and style than others!) The only real downer today came at Westerton of Runavey where we counted a total of 40 unfortunate critters carefully hung out on the barbs of a barbed wire fence. From the look of their front claws I'd have said they were moles but I may be wrong. This was even more gruesome (certainly in scale and tasteless display) than the garotted stoat-like creature that I had encountered in a trap on Geal Charn Mor a week or so previously! I get that a farmer may feel he needs to humanely cull a particular species to protect his llivelihood e.t.c., but why create such a bizarre, macabre and pointless spectacle out of it???

Anyway, a good day and the highlight of our CT experience, topped off with fine hospitality in the beer garden and the restaurant/bar of the Glenisla Hotel! I'd thoroughly recommend a stay, a meal or simply a beer or two in their beer garden of a nice hot day!

Setting off on another scorcher

South along Glen Shee and a distant Mount Blair

A tad muddy in places

Back towards the Spittal and Ben Gulabin

Hung out to dry!

Monamenach

Meall na Letter or Duchray Hill from near Invereddrie Farm

One of many stiles today

Dalnaglar Castle

Junction of the B951 and the road to Meikle Forter

Forter Castle

River Isla

North up Glen Isla

Mount Blair from the track towards Auchintaple Loch

Glen Beanie

Auchintaple Loch and Mount Blair

Glen Isla again

Ornate waymarker

Auchintaple forestry

The other end of Auchintaple Loch

Warning! Crock ahead!

Loch Shandra

Loch Shandra and that evil bugger Crock!

We're saved! Beer is at hand!

Settling in nicely!

[Gordie12]

When I realised your summer "trail of death" would take you down to Kirkton of Glenisla I hoped you might have come across this chap.

Having found the portal to the summit of Crock I had passed Loch Shandra and was within sight of KofG when he appeared on the track and tried to peck my legs by running/launching himself at me whilst I tried to kick out at him to keep him at bay - ended up running down to the farm to get away from him.

I guess he could still be up there, waiting to jump out the next time I appear.

This section was my favourite when I did it 3 years ago, good scenery and nice easy tracks to follow.

[Graeme D]

I have been reliably informed that the moles strung out on the barbed wire fence are put there by the mole catcher so that the farmer can see what he's doing for his money.