A Tale of Two Cairns

[Jockstar]

I had decided that I needed another hill to get me back to a better fitness level ready for the busier days ahead on the hills. I had toyed some time ago to go back to Loch Turret as I had been told that it’s a good walk and I was feeling confident of doing this as I had a good stretch up in Tummel valley where I did the two corbetts ,Farragon Hill and Meall Tairneachan and so off we went to go up Auchnafree Hill. So Ruby and myself set off to the Turret dam to see how my fitness would stand up on the hill. I had also decided that I would walk along the lochside until you run out of loch and I remembered from doing Ben Chonzie that it was a good walk on its own!

Good view of Ben Chonzie from Loch Turret

However, as we approached the place where a few years ago we went up to the left and bagged Ben Chonzie this time we took a right turn and headed straight up the hill. It was tough going in the heather and soft conditions and before long the legs were tiring and the breath was short. The saving grace was that it was easier getting onto any stones to get purchase on our legs. So we steadily made our way up the steep conditions and taking rests we steadily made our way up eventually coming to the flat part of the hill. We then saw the path that came from the Dam end up to where we were. Following the path we came across the first cairn but as Graham Dewar told us that this was a false cairn . The actual top is further on and right enough the smaller cairn, which is the true one, was there.

Myself and Ruby, at the real cairn

Success all round for the two of us. We decide to go down the south side of the hill and we quickly picked up a path that led us all the way down to the car park. Great day and another bonus of returning to do more hills. Great day and also a good number of white hares seen.