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Big winds forecast for this weekend. Best of the weather had seemed to be in the East, so we decided to set off for Angus and get the easternmost Corbett, Mount Battock, along with Ben Tirran and maybe another one nearby if we had a chance. Drove up on Friday night to a very nice campsite at Drumshademuir, outside Kirriemuir and bedded down amidst increasing winds, which soughed through the trees above us in waves and gusts through the night. Morning was heralded by a communion of jackdaws and crows babbling away to each other - almost like being in a jungle. Set off for the drive up Glen Esk and arrived at the parking area outside Milldown Lodge to find 5 other cars crammed into the space and a group of older walkers all about to set off. We were able to squeeze in at the side, had a brief chat as they set off and we got ready. Up to the Mill of Aucheen and on a good track following the river, where we met up with the party of walkers. Then up an industrial type track into the hillside, the tops covered in mist. We took a L turn at the spilt by the ford and wandered up by the stone grouse butts, still keeping to a good track. At the top of Wester Cairn we left the track and headed into the mists on a grassy ATV track which I assumed let to the top of Mount Battock. The trig point and stone shelter came into view, providing some welcome shelter from the brisk winds. Snatched at some lunch then headed down over Hill of Saughs, the weather clearing to reveal a windfarm to the south and the rocky tor of Clachnaben over to the east. Met a couple of walkers with their dogs who'd come over from that direction. Got back onto track after some boggy paths on the hill and jogged for a bit, rejoicing in the improvement in the weather as the sun poked out. Took the path that leads by Whups Crag and back down to the car parking area in quite good time.
Near the start
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23weasels, on Flickr
View back
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23weasels, on Flickr
Up the track
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
Stone grouse butts
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23weasels, on Flickr
Mount Battock summit
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23weasels, on Flickr
Summit
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23weasels, on Flickr
Elmer Fudd returns
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
Clachnaben & Wind Farm
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23weasels, on Flickr
Big sky
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
As it was only about 1.30 and the sun was out I decided we'd go and do something else. I reckoned it was too late in the day to attempt Ben Tirran, by the time we drove to Glen Clova, but the Spittal of Glenshee wasn't too far away from our campsite and we could manage Ben Gulaben. Monamenach was also somewhere on my radar if the conditions stayed suitable, although I wasn't letting on about that to Sick Kid. Took longer than intended to get to the Spittal as I missed the right road out of Kirriemuir and ended up going most of the way to Alyth before cutting up into Glen Isla. Parked at the layby and walked along the road for a little til we got to the gate - could easily have parked at the gate without causing an obstruction. It's a steady walk up from around 350m starting altitude then heading off to the L up a slightly steeper section to the top. I was somewhat ahead of Allison, who was hechin' and pechin' a bit and had to remove a foreign object (my money was on a ked) from her eye, so I nipped over to the eastern summit which offered good views over the Cairnwell and the Creag Leacach group of hills which looked rather pretty. Allison had not noticed my deviation and was panicking slightly when she got to the proper summit and found no sign of me. It would have been a bit difficult to get lost in reasonably good visibility on this wee hill, but I suppose I could have been carried off by an angry crow. I nipped up to the proper summit and caught up with her, managing to defuse her anxiety. Headed down by our ascent route with the rain coming on and clag descending as we returned to the car, obliterating any idea of Monamenach for today. I'd not bothered to put my waterproof jacket on, hoping we'd get back to the car before I got too wet in my softshell, but I was a bit drookit on top by the time sanctuary was found. Quicker back to Kirriemuir by the right road and another windy night in the tent.
View up Glenshee
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23weasels, on Flickr
Split in track
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23weasels, on Flickr
East Glenshee hills
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23weasels, on Flickr
View South
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23weasels, on Flickr
Summit Gulabin
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
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I was resigned to Sunday being a grim day and was surprised to wake and find that it was a dry- almost sunny - morning. Clocks had gone back, we took a lazy start to the day, getting the tent packed without it being wet or invaded by slugs (unlike in recent weeks) although I did have to remove a colony of small spiders. As we drove towards Glen Clova the rain started and the mist came down - more the expected conditions. We got to the hotel, dodging suicidal pheasants and parked up in the visitor parking area then set off through the grounds of the hotel, past the lodges and onto the footpath to Loch Brandy. Wind was modest until we neared the top of the path when it became buffetty. I liked the look of the Snub and we saw 3 guys heading up it - will we go for it or not? I decided the wind was too much to take on unnecessary ascents and we set off along the south shore of Loch Brandy. Hang on - let's just go for it...we turned around and set off up the clear path. Had to stop several times as the wind was immense and had us pinned down to the point of having to crawl a few short sections. All this for a blooming Corbett Top? Ah yes, excitement
We passed the 3 guys who were looking a bit battered nd looked askance when Allison commented that yes, it was a wee bit breezy. Up on top of the hill the wind was diminished and it was mostly an easy walk along the broad ridge towards Green Hill. Clag was down making finding the cairn problematic, but we got there in the end. It was pretty blowy
View up from the car park
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23weasels, on Flickr
Up to Loch Brandy
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23weasels, on Flickr
The Snub
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23weasels, on Flickr
Loch Brandy
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23weasels, on Flickr
Top of the Snub
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23weasels, on Flickr
Top of Green Hill
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23weasels, on Flickr
The next section was a flattish path over the plateau, marked by a succession of stone cairns until a new fence is reached - an electric one. I saw that the route to the summit of the Goet was over to our right and was just wondering how to get across the fence when we spotted a stile - whew... On we went into the mist and blustery wind, eyes streaming with the force of air we were now walking into. Up ahead I spied the cairn and fatter than usual trig point marker and flopped down behind the small shelter of the rocks to celebrate getting halfway on the Corbetts. As we were sitting having lunch a trio of walkers came up, one with a very recent skin graft on his nose and a headband holding on the gauze swab from the site behind his ear the graft had been taken from. I thought I was a bit mad going out days after my hand surgery - this guy took the biscuit
We struggled to make conversation against the wind, but used lots of gesticulation to hopefully get our message across. Whatever it was...
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
Corbett Number 111 - past the halfway mark
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23weasels, on Flickr
Allison looking suitably impressed
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23weasels, on Flickr
We packed up again and set off over the cairn marking Ben Tirran, struggling to see where we were going in mist and blasting wind - i ended up putting my ski goggles on to assist. The presence of numerous tracks that criss-crossed the hillside didn't help direction finding, and the GPS was going a little crazy with the high winds too. Dropping down a little we came out of the clag and spotted Loch Wharral over to our right. We made for the track we could see ahead of us and kept on this down to the forestry plantation which had very recently been cut- the smell of pine resin still hung in the air. I kept us on the track a little too long and saw that it was heading way off east in the opposite direction to our intended one. Cutting over the newly felled forest was a bit of an ordeal - triping up twice on sneaky branches, then having a wee river crossing to undertake, just to keep SK happy - you know how she loves such things and insists on their inclusion each week - the deeper/faster flowing the better
Anyway, we made it to the proper track just in time to meet up with the folk we'd seen at the summit and were able to hear each other speak now - they kindly offered a lift back to the hotel, but as it was a nice enough day for the short walk we declined. Heading back along the south side of the road was dominated by Driesh and Mayar, rising above the autumn colours of Glen Clova.
Loch Wharral
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr
Driesh
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23weasels, on Flickr
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23weasels, on Flickr