A great circuit climbing to the summit of Mealna Letter with good views before descending to Loch Beanie to return along the Cateran Trail in Glen Shee. Very boggy at the start and near Loch Beanie.
Moorland, pathless in places, very boggy, return on signed Cateran Trail, very short road section.
None to start.
Layby on B951 at Angus / Perthshire boundary between Cray and Fortar.
There is limited parking in a layby on the B951 by the signs for the Perthshire / Angus border and also around 100m east at the forest edge at NO154642. Walk along the road until the edge of the forestry plantation on the north side of the road and turn left through the gate. Ignore the track heading right and instead walk up along the edge of the forestry keeping the trees but better going than where the track leads. The ground improves as the route climbs keeping to the right of the fence and stone wall with good views back to Mount Blair and Glen Isla.
Pass through a gate in a deer fence across the hill. Later the forest is left behind - continue up the right side of the stone wall to the top of Cairn Derig, following a vague path. You can cross the wall and continue along the path that leads to the cairn marking the summit of Mealna Letter - also known as Duchray Hill. This is a fine viewpoint with expansive views into the Cairngorms and along Glen Shee. Return to the corner of the stone wall and follow it to head down the north east ridge keeping the wall on your right side.
Loch Beanie comes into view below. Once the ground is less steep on the left make your way down to the east head of the Loch. There is a vague path which becomes clearer on the descent to the Loch. At the water follow the soggy path west to pass a small boat house and continue across boggy ground WSW towards the Allt Mòr .
Cross the Allt Mòr on a footbridge and keep following the path west. The path is very faint in places but keeps well away from the water to stay on the slightly higher ground which is less boggy. The ground undulates, when a sparse line of pines comes into view ahead aim for the lone tree on the left still continuing to head west. This leads to a gate in the deer fence, from here continue to the lone pine where you cross a gap in a broken down stone wall with good views up Glen Shee. From here the faint track leads down to a farm gate in a fence. Ahead a large green and white building with pines behind it can be seen, this is where the route picks up the Cateran Trail.
To get to the building follow the slightly windy grassy track downhill to just above the house at Shallavanach where a track is reached. Turn right and follow the rough track for a short while before turning off to the left as the track heads gently uphill so that you head around the near side of a hillock on sheeptracks to reach a gate and stile with a Cateran Trail heart logo. Climb the stile to bear left through the field passing the large green and white building which is on your right. Turn left after another stile to reach a track, turn left along this for a short way before a marker indicates a turning on the right. A number of fields on, cross a footbridge and climb directly up the steep hill opposite to pick up the path near the top which aims to the right to eventually cross a stone wall on a high stile.
Turn right and follow the vague path near the wall, passing behind Broughdearg (ignore the gate here and the track up to the mast) to reach another high stile on the right. Climb this to head down to a clear track, turn left along it. Pass behind the farm buildings at Dunmay and watch out for a wooden gate on the left, take this and follow the rougher track. At the edge of the forestry the path bears right to cross a burn and then follows the edge of the woods until a track is reached with the River just to the right. Turn left uphill and keep on the main track to pass Dalnagar Castle and continue along the minor road. At the next road junction turn left to follow the road that climbs over a low pass from Glen Shee to Glen Isla soon reaching the start point at the top of the hill.
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