GLENKINDIE WALK

This, I thought, was a really nice walk with good views over the Aberdeenshire hills and countryside and it doesn’t seem to be on the WH forum so I thought it might be worthwhile writing it up. It starts by driving north-ish up the single trackroad signposted ‘Rinmore’ off the A97 about half-mile west of Glenkindie village in the Strathdon area. The road is tarmac up to a disused quarry about 500m past Rinmore farm where there is ample parking.


From there its follow your nose down the track and as it crosses the Leazach Burn you have two choices - via Largue or Tollafraick. Both abandoned steadings. I went via Tollafraick because it looked more interesting but that was a mistake as there are gates and fences across the track to be negotiated - better going by Largue.

Tracks to Largue (right) and Tollafraick (left)

View Back to Start from Tollafraick

Anyway, the tracks rejoin and gently rise above the Kindie Burn. Take the right-hand track at the junction with the Glasschill Burn. At this point the sides of the valley close in a bit and the track is near to the burn making it all very pleasant. The map shows a ford over the Kindie Burn but there’s also a small footbridge, which is a bit dilapidated but perfectly useable. Then it’s fork right again at the small group of conifers and up on to Badenshore Moss where its right fork yet again and the track heads towards Peat Hill. From up here there are long views across the area. The tracks are all lovely old established estate landrover tracks - the type with grass or heather down the centre and not the two-lane bulldozed highways that can seen on many hills these days.

Looking South near Badenshore Moss

Looking South near Peat Hill

The track edges round the east side of Peat Hill then starts to descend into a superb old conifer woodland where loads of hinds and fawns were seen on the day. The track by now is even less used than the hill tracks gradually giving way to more grass cover as it descends above the Coul Burn down the edge of a field to exit at Glencuie farm and from there it’s back along the road to the start.

Looking down to Glencuie Farm

For the young and fit there are options to extend the walk via the various tracks around Broom Hill and Chapel Hill. For more photos of this walk please see http://www.geograph.org.uk/geotrips/171; a walk by Anne Burgess.