Oh Woe ! Rain, as we left to pick up Harvey. We mentally ran through our hillbags, trying to remember if we'd ejected any bits of our wet weather gear, during the recent "tropical spring", deeming them superfluous.
However, when we reached Aboyne, the rain had abated and the sun was poking through holes in the clouds, so we felt a little better. As we passed through the Ballater area, we were encouraged even more, by seeing the top of Lochnager with only a whisp o cloud partially shrouding the very top of Cac Carn Beag.
Encouraged, we drove through the pass and into Braemar, then along the golf course road to the bottom of the track up Morrone, to find a portable bog positioned there. Could this be for needy hillwalkers, we wondered, how thoughtful & convenient !







Later we found out the real reason for its presence…….
Set off up the track, spotting the many padlocks on the chain stretched across it.
Trundled up the track with many stops, marvelling at how quickly the Auchallater car park across the glen, had filled up from when we'd first arrived.



We were just at the higher zig zags on the track when a van appeared over the horizon, on its way down. It was followed by a veritable convoy of vehicles returning from the Morrone comms complex. Two 4x4s followed, then by another van, who's driver stopped for a quick chat. He mentioned that the works had been ongoing for quite a while and they would have to come back to finish it off. Now we realised why there was a portaloo at the bottom of the track.........
Grunted up the last of the track to where the path to Drochaidhe cut off - marked by another signpost about keeping dogs on leads.





We struck off to the distant top of Drochaidhe along an ATV track. We bypassed the first cairn on the ridge, then mused at the size of the second cairn which was a bit chunky. We passed the 3rd cairn on our way to the summit cairn of Drochaidhe, where we reposed behind it in the sunshine and soaked in the views - south down to the Cairnwell and Glas Maol and in the other direction, N to the "big Cairngorms".









Harvey hadn't found any water on the way up and was panting to keep cool, so I gave him my water, which he lapped up furiously. At first he wasn't very sure, as I'd used his empty food bag to form a pool that he could lap from, but eventually his thirst won and he attacked it with gusto.
After a wee while, we noticed that some rain clouds had appeared in the Cairnwell area, so, after a few "cloud claps" to see us back to the car, we set off.



This time we visited all the cairns. The middle one was chunky because it was a wee howff, which we'd missed identifying on the way up.




We trundled back to the Morrone track, just as a North American guy came down it. We exchanged pleasantries, then he powered down ahead of us. The clouds were darkening and the rain edged closer, so we didn't tarry and plunged down to the car after the American.
We reached the car ahead of the rain, so our "Cloud Clapping " worked and we dodged the rain bullets coming our way.
Gave H a couple of bottles of water and some food.
We could see that the Auchallater car park was still well populated and wondered if the owners would get hosed on later.
Stopped at the burn to give Harvey a cooling plooter on the way back into Braemar.
Now that we were in the car, we cocked a snoot at the rain clouds and headed for the Bothy cafe in Braemar for more coffee and cheese toasties. ( still nae as good as Hairy Marys bacon and egg in a glesga roll ! )
The massed motorbikers still congregated outside the chipper in Braemar, across the road from the Bothy cafe.
Seems a fav stopping place for the bikers.

Scarce wildlife today, only a croaking grouse and a cuckoo heard calling in the distance but not seen.

Apart from a slow tractor & bogey for a wee bit, we had a smooth drive to the east and back into the mirk once more !

We congratulated ourselves again on dodging the weather bullet and having had another perfect walking day in sunshine and clouds with a light cooling breeze on the tops. How long can we get away with this for ?