Creag na Bruaich - Glen Shee
Date walked: 20/03/2024
Time taken: 3 hours
Distance: 6.5km
Ascent: 292m
An iffy day, weatherwise. Some rain and light cloud forecast. Nonetheless, we picked up Harvey and sped along Deeside - skirmishing with the Aboyne Academy school buses on the way.
After Braemar, the sleet and cloud closed in forebodingly. No snow on the road this time, but a smattering at lower levels on the hills as we breasted the Cairnwell bealach. The forecast was for it to brighten later, so we pressed on down to the parking - a tight squeeze beside the brig parapet just got us off the road. However, my unretractable wing mirror looked a mite exposed to passing traffic. Slowly kitted up to allow the drizzle to peter out.
Eventually we couldn't delay any longer and headed off across the wooden brig over the Water of Shee towards Broughdearg along a dubbie track.
Stopped to take a pic of a kiln at Broughdearg, then struck off towards the signposted Dunmay Farm on the Cateran Way.
Just before Dunmay, we spotted a rickety gate in the fence on the S side of the burn and headed for it. Undid the tow securing it and struck off up a boggy track towards a flock of sheep after securing the gate again.
Being cognisent of the proximity of lambing, we tried to avoid disturbing them, but the silly wooly pigs took to "our" track and moved up the glen ahead of us until they eventually broke off the track at a bend - at last. Metaphorically, we could hear the farmer cursing us for moving his ewes away from the proximity of the farm. We did our best - mister !
The track took us up to the bealach, where we skirted the knoll and attacked the main slope to the the top - which taxed our wizened bodies somewhat - however it was short lived, thankfully.
At the top we enjoyed the lack of breeze and soaked up the non-sunshine as we recovered with a snack & fed Harvey his treats. No cairn at the top, but a good drizzly view up and down Glen Shee, with Duchray Hill & Loch Beanie behind us.
Spotted a blanket of rain homing in on us from the SW, so we hurried back down, taking a wee shortcut before the knoll back on to the track doon the glen to re-negotiate the "tow" gate above the Cateran Trail.
Plootered back to the car, spotting a buzzard on the way whilst a pheasant scuttled across the grass fields looking for cover from our advance.
The rain didn't materialise past a light drizzle, so we were spared a drooking.
Back at the car, I checked that my wing mirror was still there - it was.
We salivated at the thought of our upcoming BR & Coffee in Braemar.
As we travelled north, the weather cleared up, but when we entered the Bothy Cafe, imagine our angiush to find that they'd run out of Bacon AND Eggs. Trauma !
Had to make do with a cheese toastie with our coffee - albeit garnished with rabbit food and crisps. ( it's just nae the same ).
Headed home somewhat disgruntled, but cheered up by the appearance of the sun !
After Braemar, the sleet and cloud closed in forebodingly. No snow on the road this time, but a smattering at lower levels on the hills as we breasted the Cairnwell bealach. The forecast was for it to brighten later, so we pressed on down to the parking - a tight squeeze beside the brig parapet just got us off the road. However, my unretractable wing mirror looked a mite exposed to passing traffic. Slowly kitted up to allow the drizzle to peter out.
Eventually we couldn't delay any longer and headed off across the wooden brig over the Water of Shee towards Broughdearg along a dubbie track.
Stopped to take a pic of a kiln at Broughdearg, then struck off towards the signposted Dunmay Farm on the Cateran Way.
Just before Dunmay, we spotted a rickety gate in the fence on the S side of the burn and headed for it. Undid the tow securing it and struck off up a boggy track towards a flock of sheep after securing the gate again.
Being cognisent of the proximity of lambing, we tried to avoid disturbing them, but the silly wooly pigs took to "our" track and moved up the glen ahead of us until they eventually broke off the track at a bend - at last. Metaphorically, we could hear the farmer cursing us for moving his ewes away from the proximity of the farm. We did our best - mister !
The track took us up to the bealach, where we skirted the knoll and attacked the main slope to the the top - which taxed our wizened bodies somewhat - however it was short lived, thankfully.
At the top we enjoyed the lack of breeze and soaked up the non-sunshine as we recovered with a snack & fed Harvey his treats. No cairn at the top, but a good drizzly view up and down Glen Shee, with Duchray Hill & Loch Beanie behind us.
Spotted a blanket of rain homing in on us from the SW, so we hurried back down, taking a wee shortcut before the knoll back on to the track doon the glen to re-negotiate the "tow" gate above the Cateran Trail.
Plootered back to the car, spotting a buzzard on the way whilst a pheasant scuttled across the grass fields looking for cover from our advance.
The rain didn't materialise past a light drizzle, so we were spared a drooking.
Back at the car, I checked that my wing mirror was still there - it was.
We salivated at the thought of our upcoming BR & Coffee in Braemar.
As we travelled north, the weather cleared up, but when we entered the Bothy Cafe, imagine our angiush to find that they'd run out of Bacon AND Eggs. Trauma !
Had to make do with a cheese toastie with our coffee - albeit garnished with rabbit food and crisps. ( it's just nae the same ).
Headed home somewhat disgruntled, but cheered up by the appearance of the sun !
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Gordon Ballantyne
- Location: Westhill, Aberdeenshire
- Occupation: Retired
- Activity: Munro compleatist
- Mountain: Ladhar Bheinn
- Place: Knoydart
- Member: Ex- RAF MRT Kinloss
- Ambition: survival
- Munros: 282
- Corbetts: 89
- Fionas: 20
- Donalds: 7
- Sub 2000: 59
- Filter reports
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- Ascent: 1160m
- Corbetts: 1
- Joined: Jan 30, 2011
- Last visited: Mar 28, 2024
- Total posts: 396 | Search posts