I've been visiting Aberdeen and Deeside since 1986 - my in laws live there, my son was at Uni there. So it always seemed like it would be easy to fit this trip onto some occasion, but some how it never happened as the years went by. Finally, with the in laws celebrating 60 years of marriage with a stay at Marr Lodge the time arrived.

It was well with the wait. A late April day, cloudless sky and an easterly breeze to push us on our bikes all the way from Marr Lodge. Rivers not high, despite snow melt from a dump the previous week. A newly installed OS app to help avoid getting lost!

2 hours to the Geldie wade. The path from the lodge has been churned up by vehicles in involved in the extensive rewilding/ forresting going on in the upper glen, but it is still fine.

It then took us 3.5 hours to the top of Carn an Fhidhleir - felt like ages to get to the side of the ridge but quite quick after that. A lot of windchill and some buffering on top. And endless views - everything else is so far away!

An hour and 40 more to the second summit - lost a bit of time avoiding steep snow patches down to the col.

Lovely saunter down alongside the burn and snow patches.

Back at Marr Lodge 11 hours after setting off. Never saw a cloud!!