Leaving the Saturday evening hustle of Langstane Place (gateway to Soul - it ought to be guarded by a three-headed dog) the Music Club is found by climbing a series of brightly lit yet eerily quiet stairs, following makeshift signs and holding on to shiny stainless steel handrails. Even fifteen or so minutes after doors there weren’t very many people besides the band-folk and it is this lack of footfall which means that unfortunately The Music Club is the latest music venue casualty in Aberdeen. Tonight’s gig marked the end of a short-lived time in business. It’s a real shame because they’ve done great things with the space. Both the coffee and continental beer were very good and the sound system was rich and warm; perfectly suited to the minimalism of the evening’s acts.

Despite initial concerns though, by the time the Matricarians took to the stage (or at least one half of the four piece) there was a buzz of conversation and the majority of tables and sofas had filled up with people. Alan and Susan treated us to a delightful half a dozen richly-looped folk deconstructions which took us all the way from wistful, innocent love through to, well, necrophilia. On the way there were Oxfam-sourced bird whistles, xylophones and Alan’s guitar noodlings. It was a lot of fun and set the tone nicely for the rest of the evening.

Next up was Francis MacDonald, Teenage Fanclub’s drummer, owner of Glasgow’s Shoeshine Records/Spit & Polish, manager of bands such as Camera Obscura and, it turns out, a singer-songwriter in his own right. Never taking himself too seriously Francis opened by apologising for his guitar playing (”I usually play the drums”) and then knocking out the Laurel & Hardy tune Honolulu Baby. His songs were simple, quirky affairs driven by a lovely up-tempo 60’s pop guitar style. Songs largely centered around girls and in fact it appeared that the whole thing was performed for the lassie with the nice smile sitting in the front row. He finished off with highlights from his “pop opera” called Sauchiehall And Hope.

The headline act was New York city DIY and anti-folk singer-songwriter Major Matt Mason USA who releases records in the UK on MacDonald’s Shoeshine Music label. I’d come across the name on a few different blogs over the years but had never really given his music the time it deserves. The gig was the perfect arena to really give it some attention.

Major Matt Mason USA by dream sister

Although originally hailing from Kansas (”we thought everyone else spoke funny”) Matt is a product of New York and the vast scope that city has for producing something which flys in the face of anything approaching a trend. For me he bridges a gap between the lengthier, less radio-friendly works of Neil Young (think the wandering nature of Thrasher) and post-grunge bands like Placebo (and I’m not just talking nasally vocals). Whilst his guitar playing is minimalist it is his songwriting which shines - laced with pathos, humour and the occasional slash of darkness, they tell stories of people (well him) with a refreshing honesty.

His song-intros were borderline stand-up at times and he even recited a poem he had written on the train up from the south lands - the Major Matt guarantee that at least one part of the show will be completely unique and never repeated again.

All in all he thoroughly delighted the audience and it was sadly all too soon that he was stepping down to great applause, the lights were up and the Music Club’s all too brief life as a music venue came to a close.

This evening I attended the first in the University of Aberdeen’s series of Inaugural Lectures. Held in the very fine surroundings of Kings College we were treated to a talk that was fascinating in its breadth and confident in its delivery.

Professor Cairns Craig (a fine Scottish name if ever I heard one) is Director of the AHRC Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies at the University and gave his lecture on Philosophy, Physics and Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century Scotland and Ireland.

Starting off with his initial interests in the poet W.B. Yeats he showed how the escapism of the Victorian interest in Faerie was seen as a decline in Scottish intellectual thought; that the Scottish Enlightenment ended and left behind it no remarkable legacy.

He then used the lecture to argue against this postulation, showing how the advances in physics, and particular the new science of energy (culminating in James Clerk Maxwell’s work on electromagnetism), directly influenced the philosophical and literary activities that were going on at the time.

It was interesting to see how the advanced ideas of the day (such as entropy) found their way into the public imagination through their utilisation by fantasy writers such as J.M. Barrie (in Peter Pan) and Robert Louis Stevenson (in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde).

It was also interesting to hear the part religion played here, in that most of the characters were religious and that they accepted what they were doing, and discovering, as something that resonated rather than conflicted with their belief. A significant disadvantage is that they failed to recognise some of the work of atheist intellectuals of the day, and in particular that of David Hume who was denied senior academic positions because of his atheism.

The lecture was delivered in such a way that the ideas were easy to follow, illustrated with quotes and passages which reinforced the message, nd that opened up my understanding of Scottish philosophy and other intellectual thoughts in the time leading up to the First World War. Given the content there are a number of avenues I will be reading into further.

Autumn is pretty much my favourite season. I think it reminds me a lot of the first term at University which was generally always the least stressful. After a disappointing summer where I failed to observe any bright Noctilucent Cloud displays it has been great the last few weeks to see the nights drawing in and the stars peeking out ever earlier. The leaves turning, scarves coming out and crisp mornings all make this pretty much my favourite season. In the sky we’ll see the return of Andromeda and soon the first appearance of Orion in the evening sky. This is the time of the year when you remember how much you love astronomy and being out there under the skies.

To celebrate all of the above I recently bit the bullet and purchased myself a portable observing set-up which will compliment the 8” Newt I already own (but which is down at my parents house due to storage issues up here in Scotland). After much research into the burgeoning 80mm doublet market I am now the proud owner of:

Vixen ED80sf (80mm F/7.5 Semi-Apo Refractor)
Vixen Portamount (Alt-Az)
Moonfish 2” Diagonal
Moonfish 2” 30mm Ultrawide Eyepiece

It took a couple of Saturdays to take delivery of everything but finally earlier today I had everything in place and, coming back from the pub, I noticed that the stars were shining overhead in what initially appeared a reasonable, clear sky.

A big factor for me in buying this kit was being able to easily carry everything in one trip around to my observing location. With the diagonal and eyepiece finding a home in the telescope case this was achieved, although I still need to find a space for the mount’s plastic accessory tray.

It took only a few minutes to get everything ready, the mount extended and accessory tray attached, the OTA onto the mount via the dovetail plate, finderscope onto the OTA, 2” diagonal, then the eyepiece. It is all weighty stuff and although the tube is reasonably balanced I found that the tension in the mount axis was not sufficient to hold the scope when moved away from the horizontal. Given that it was (obviously) dark I didn’t want to spend too much time playing around with Allen keys so this is something I will sort before my next session.

With sky quality degraded by high level cloud I chose some of the more obvious targets for my first light and it was the bright, nearly full Moon that attracted my attention to begin with. The 30mm eyepiece gives a huge field of view, the Moon sitting nicely in the centre with plenty of black space surrounding it. The focus was pinsharp and the action very smooth. Colours were excellent with no hint of aberration. My only problem was internal reflections from lights across the way. It was a stunningly detailed view and I spent a few minutes taking it all in.

Next I used the wide Field of View to observe both M45 and the Double Cluster. The Pleiades fit perfectly into the field of view, their blue colour apparent against the jet black sky. The collimation looked good with symmetrical airy discs on both sides of focus. Unfortunately the sky was really deteriorating and by the time I swung up to the Double Cluster, almost directly overhead, it was a murky and faint target. Still, it fitted nicely into the FoV and this will definitely be a target to return to.

With more and more cloud moving in I packed up and headed back inside. Putting everything away only took a couple of minutes. I’m hugely pleased with my purchase and can’t wait to get more observing in as the season progresses.

I don’t like Moshulu as a gig venue. The floor sucks the life out of your shoes as quickly as the acoustics suck the life out of the music. Still, it is a testament to the brilliance of Frightened Rabbit that they managed to turn the place, and the somewhat placid crowd, over to their side.

Blazing through their set in just over an hour, they covered much of their latest album Midnight Organ Fight and threw in a couple of older tunes for good measure. It was a hugely entertaining and uplifting experience.

Singer Scott Hutchinson is a mesmerizing performer, channeling the passion that infuses Midnight Organ Fight, into a frenzied onstage performance. In fact I barely remember registering the rest of the band. This is by no means their fault, and certainly his brother Grant’s ferocious drumming (particularly on Fast Blood) underpinned the night, but simply shows how much Hutchinson brings to the table.

The other aspect of their recorded work which transfers particularly well to the live setting is their range of influences, all of which featured at the gig. The folkified beat of Old Old Fashioned contrasts supremely with indie-fuzz of The Modern Leper. All of it though is distinctly Scottish, unique and quite brilliant.

Midnight Organ Fight is out now on Fat Cat Records and is surely a contender for 2008 Album of the Year.

Fourteen hardy Stockets climbed aboard Gordon’s Luxury Coach at Mile End School early on Saturday morning. Silvester did an excellent job of tearing around the top of the Cairngorms but even so it was more than three hours after leaving Aberdeen that we rolled past turf-roofed houses in Glen Feshie and were deposited at the end of the road.

Unusually the Munroists had a shorter route and so we bid farewell to the Glen Dwellers, led by Steve who disappeared off in what appeared to be the wrong direction. They were actually heading further south down Glen Feshie to pick up a Glen that would eventually bring them through to Whitebridge. Apparently it was a lovely walk with spectacular landscapes, marred slightly by the onset of blisters for one unlucky trekker.

Meanwhile, the Munroists were heading up on a good track around the lower slopes of xxx before finally gaining the plateau by way of a steep slog up an eroded path. Initially sun had driven off the layers but by the time the plateau was reached most people were back on with midlayers and waterproofs against a wind that was driving cloud, rain-like into our faces.

Without a dedicated leader the task of navigating was shared amongst the company. Maps were consulted regularly in the mist and very often when a path ran out we were referring to our compasses. In unpleasant conditions we identified a suitable spot on the map for lunch, and after a rapid descent down a landrover track we found it by a gushing burn.

Lunch was a relatively brief affair and we were soon crossing over and heather-bashing our way up the other side, making our way for the top of Tom Dubh and Liz’s prime objective of the day. Premature celebrations occurred when I found a small mist-shrouded cairn but the group’s opinion was that given the subsequent rise in the ground beyond me I was not yet at the top. A few minutes later a much more substantial cairn was found and with a little help from multiple GPS units, our position was identified as on top of Tom Dubh. In the mist it could just as easily have been Tom Buidhe.

Coming off this seemingly innocent and insignificant top we came across the great obstacle of the day, the Allt Luineag, which came down a steep sided, almost straight gully. With the water high and fast it posed something of a puzzle and only some brave venturing forth with poles took the first person across the rocks to the other side. Three intrepid folk headed further upstream to try their luck and successfully reappeared a few minutes later.

With regrouping achieved again compasses were taken out and by reading the countours we found our way across another spot height and then on to the final slope of Monadh Mor, a steep grassy slope with occasional rocky patches. The summit was soon achieved after only a little discussion of the slope of the plateau. It was still very misty so after brief discussions we again split, three headed by Liz seeking a different way off the plateau by way of Glen Geusachan, and the remaining heading now southeast along the broad summit towards Beinn Bhrotain.

Using the crags as a handrail we navigated our way across the narrow col and then up the final bouldery slopes to the Bhrotain plateau. In thick mist we regrouped and discussed the probable location of the summit. 10s after heading off in our chosen direction we found the trig point.

The potential for compass treachery and moving of trig points was discussed before photos were taken and a last intake of energy. After refreshments we continued, taking a south-easterly bearing and descending down into Coire an t-Sneachda. Eventually the burn in the coire became more of a stream and we were able to follow it as it tumbled off the hill and into the River Dee.

As we came off the hill the views opened out and we had atmospheric views deep into Glen Dee and the feet of some of the Cairngorm giants.

After a final stop to shed layers we trooped off down the track by the river, catching up walkers from the low group shortly after passing White Bridge. The coach was found at the Linn of Dee and then we had a wee wait for the folk who had avoided the summit of Bhrotain.

Our attempt to stop at the Inver was foiled so we continued onto the POW in Ballater where a more obliging bar attendent served tea to those who wanted it and beer to the sensible folk.

A much shorter coach ride back got us to Aberdeen for 9:30pm. A long but ultimately rewarding day.

I don’t think it is too often that a weather dependent plan works out on the west coast of Scotland but luckily for us today it did. A forecasted shift in the wind from south west (laden with moisture) to north-east (dry and cold) occured sometime in the wee small hours. By Friday morning the skies were clear, Beinn Damh could be seen from the window (complete with summit) and the air felt fresh and full of optimisim.

Just before 9:30am we rolled up at the Beinn Eighe car park and within a couple of minutes were heading up on the good track that had brought us around from Coire Mhic Feacher a few days before. The views already were stunning, a high wind wrapping a blanket of cloud tightly around Liathach but with the sun shining down on all sides.

After an easy walk up to a point below the scree slopes of Beinn Eighe we turned aside and made our way up easy sandstone slabs to the foot of Stuc a Choire Dhuibh Bhig were we picked up a narrow path, half hidden by heather that wound its way steadily up the mountain, threading a route between the terraces of rock that make Liathach look almost impreganble from the road.

Not far below the ridgeline we reached a wide balcony with views both up Glen Torridon and away west down the Loch strewn Abhainn Coire Mhic Nobuil towards Beinn Alligin. From here it was a brief, enjoyable scramble through some fine sandstone to reach the ridge.

The strong wind had already blown the cloud from the eastern end of Liathach so we continued to enjoy the sunshine. Up ahead however the summit of Spidean a Choire Leith, the first Munro and still a couple of kilometres away, was shrouded in mist.

With the first bit of scrambling done it was now a fairly easy walk along the ridge, occassionally passing through boulder fields, to bring us to the eastern summit. Along the way we enjoyed fantastic views all around, to the Coulin forest south, and north towards Fisherfield.

As we climbed the final few meters we were plunged back into the cloud and upon reaching the broad summit found a tyipical Torridon mountain view.

Pausing for a bite to eat was a good move though as the fresh easterly wind started to blow the cloud through and before long we had views both north and south and back east along the ridge we had come.

Then, in a true moment of drama, the cloud to the west was torn away and we finally got our first view of the Pinnacles which make the Liathach traverse so famous.

I’d of course made the mistake of reading a few too many accounts of the pinnacles and so was more than a little nervous as we descended towards them. As we approached our guide advised that if we had any tripping to do we should get it out of our system in the next 100 yards. This was particularly important as the wind had picked up and though this had been good for dispersing the cloud, it was not so good for maintaining balance on narrow ridges.

With some trepidation we boldly ignored the avoiding path to the south of the pinnacles and made our way up to the first scramble. From now on the camera was more often tucked safely away in the bag but it is safe to say there were some spectacular views from these rocks which very often gave exposed views to one side but a more sheltered feel to the other.

It was very enjoyable scrambling that brought us forty five minutes or so later off the last pinnacle. I felt that they had been exaggerated. It certainly was nothing like the Cuillin. Whilst airy there was consistently a feeling of some security. Perhaps this was simply the effect of having a good guide who had gone to the trouble of carrying a length of rope in case anyone in the group felt unhappy. It wasn’t necessary.

As we approached Am Fasarinen the exposure reduced and now we could enjoy the views along to the second Munro summit of Mullach an Rathain. The bright waters of Upper Loch Torridon could be seen on the left and to our right the Beinn Alligin massif dominated the skyline.

The final walk along the ridge was much less exciting after the pinnacles but by no means dull. The final pull brought us up onto the rocky summit where we could pause to take in the views that now opened up all around us.

Away to the southeast the Cuillin of Skye, jagged and enticing could be seen whilst away to the north the mountains of Fisherfield stood tall amidst the wilderness. Slioch and Loch Maree were visible and to the south we could see into Applecross. It was fabulous in the late afternoon sunshine.

After twenty or so minutes on the top we ended our traverse by leaving the summit and heading down a steep rocky path that eventually brought us down alongside the Allt an Tuill Bhain.

The descent was fairly rapidly and we soon emerged on the roadside where a group of National Trust for Scotland were just heading away from a day working on path construction.

A quick walk along the road took us back into Torridon whilst our guide retrieved the minibus from the Beinn Eighe car park.

Beinn Eighe apparently means File Mountain, but to call it just a mountain doesn’t seem to quite do it justice. It’s a massive, sprawling massif that occupies a good proportion of the land between Loch Maree and Upper Loch Torridon. With its cap of quartzite it has a particularly distinct, almost Pyranean look about it, particularly once you breach the defenses and get inside the huge central coire.

We approached it from the south, parking at the slightly less used car park near a small stand of trees. Here a good path wound its way up the gentle slopes of the mountain and in towards Stuc Coire an Laoigh. At first the weather was overcast but muggy and although we had set off quite kitted up layers were shed as we got higher up the mountain.

As we got higher we got closer to the cloud base and the final slog up the deeply eroded path that wound its way left of some crags took us finally up and into the mist. We reached a cairn that marked the col below Spidean Coire nan Clach and paused for a bite to eat. No surveying of the scene was done as the scene had well and truly disappeared.

After a short climb along the ridge we dumped our sacks behind the trig point (how many trig points aren’t actually at the summit of their parent hill, as in this case?) and scrambled our way up through the lovely, fiddly quartizte splinters and crags to the summit. This was my 20th Munro!

After pausing to enjoy fine views of Scottish mist, a feeling on the exposed summit which gave a strange sense of standing on almost nothing, we returned to the sacks and began our traverse of the ridge.

In fact, traversing between the two Munro summits takes you on a horseshoe around the fabulous Coire Ruadh-Staca. As we came down the trig point a combination of loss of elevation and gain in cloud height caused the views to suddenly open up. Ahead the mighty crenallations of Liathach were very close, and over to our right, away around the ridge was the second summit of Ruadh Stac Mor.

It was a fairly easy walk along the ridge although at times it was very rocky underfoot. It was easy to get distracted by the views of the mountains that were opening up all around. Of course, having left it behind us the summit of Spidean Coire Nan Clach rapidly lost its cloud cover.

I ascended to the summit of the minor top Coinneach Mhor which is recommended simply for the views down from the head of Triple Buttress over Loch Coire Mhic Fhearchair to the Torridon Hills beyond and then to Loch Maree.

We paused for a second bite to eat at the small col which marks the head of the screes down into Coire Mhic Fhearchair. From here the views back across the Coire to Spidean Coire Nan Clach were superb.

Now it was an easy walk north across the grass and boulders that led up to the summit of Ruadh Stac Mhor. The final push involved a brief clamber up some jagged quartzite although for the less adventurous a path also achieves the same destination.

From the summit, now thankfully cloud-free, we had stunning views all around, both back across the ridge to Spidean Coire Nan Clach and down into the Torridon Forest, Flowerdale, Loch Maree, Fisherfield and the jagged pinnacles of An Teallach. Given that Ruadh-Stac Mor stands slightly off the ridge we had views down into the two main coires, in particular the buttresses of Coire Mhic Fearchir.

The top was relatively busy when we arrived but gradually other walkers drifted off until we too were retracing our steps to the col at the head of the scree.

At first the descent was slow and cautious, moving together down quartzite steps away from the eroded path so that any rockfall wouldn’t have time to gain too much speed. Then we had the choice to continue down the quartzite steps and then clamber down a boulder field to reach the coire floor, or else to scree sunday rapidly down. I chose the second option and the scree, particularly in the middle third of the run was very good. Larger rocks near the bottom slowed progress but we were soon heading through the marshy land to the head of the Lochan.

It goes without saying that Coire Mhic Feachir is an incredible place. It feels like stone giants, aged faces weathered by years of exposure are gazing down at you. Watchful and silent. It is a natural amphitheater.

We wandered slowly around the lochan with views opening up in front of us. Behind us the three buttresses grew in stature. It was quite shocking though to see the tires, engine block and fuselage of the WWII bomber that crashed into Beinn Eighe shortly after the end of the war.

From the far end of the lochan we got the classic views back to Triple Buttress. We also took the opportunity to gaze out across the wild lands towards Flowerdale.

From here it was a relatively straightforward path around the base of Sail Mhor with Liathach looming ever larger in front. We then came down through the narrow gap between the two, crossing a wide stream by good stepping stones and making it back to the road without too much trouble. The final view of Beinn Eighe was quite different to the first earlier that day - it had been an excellent traverse.

Our day started with a close encounter with Morning Prayer on Radio Scotland but sadly, as we trudged along the landrover track towards the foot of Beinn Iutharn Mhor, it became increasingly clear that the rain gods had not been appeased by this.

A fairly uneventful journey, broken only by a diversion through Torphins due to a nasty accident on the A93, brought us to the start of the farm track at Baddoch shortly before 9am on Sunday morning. The clouds had been low all the way, shrouding the higher peaks as we made our way from Ballater through to Braemar and beyond.

From our start point we were initially held up by a contingent of army cadets who struggled to negotiate a kissing gate with full overnight bags. After that it was a quick march down the wide landrover track. About ten minutes after starting the rain kicked into action and a myriad of waterproofs were put on. It didn’t really stop raining for another two or so hours, during which time we had everything from light drizzle through to driving rain. It wasn’t particularly pleasant and our heads were kept down so we couldn’t enjoy the views that were opening out as we got further up the glen.

Following our stop for elevenses next to a grouse grit cache the rain eased but the terrain turned damp as we left the end of landrover track and picked our way through a series of bogs and meandering rivulets that were coming down from the wide slopes around us. Despite a few trips in the heather we arrived safely at the north shore of Loch nan Eun where lunch was taken.

From here the group split, three heading for Beinn Iutharn Beag, directly to the north, and the majority heading towards the Munro of Beinn Iutharn Mhor, not too much further along to the east.

We wound our way around the countours until the final pull up to the summit was marked by a clear path up through boulders and grass. All around us rags of cloud and mist were being blown through by a strong wind. Luckily this was to our backs as we headed up the final part of the climb. In front as I got higher the mist closed in and all I could do was keep on climbing until the eerie silhouette of the cairn appeared some distance in front of me. It was lost again as the mist thickened but keeping on that bearing I soon came to it. Large enough to have a shelter on its lee side we crouched down behind to catch our breath and admire the fine views of thick mist and cloud.

We now turned east-ward, encountering the full force of the wind as we made our way along the broad flat ridge leading down from the summit. In an effort to eascape the wind we ventured onto the north side of the mountain but found a near vertical drop down to the valley which no-one particularly fancied. Instead we carried on down the ridge, the wind gluing eyes shut and forcing any misbalance into an ungraceful stumble. A narrow path was found at the far end of the ridge and this was followed until the shelter of the valley floor was reached.

It was a huge relief to get out of the wind and even the sun was now shining through the moving clouds. Waterproofs at last were removed and the final part of the walk commenced.

We walked through the heather, glorious in its bright purple guise, along a fun track that wound its way besides the swift waters of the the Ey. In a copse of strangled pines we came across the ruins of Altanour Lodge where we paused again for our final mug of tea and a bite to eat. Two other pairs of walkers came off An Socach and headed out to Inverey in front of us.

Our walk out of Glen Ey to Inverey was largely uneventful. We had a further light shower of rain, but no detour was made to the Colonel’s Bed and we reached the coach around about 5pm. After collecting Superman we headed down the road to the Inver Hotel where friendly pints were enjoyed by all and delicious looking chips were enjoyed by one.

For once I was actually at the rendezvous point before Dave, who in turn arrived a fair amount of time before the driver of our bus out to Braemar. Despite leaving Aberdeen slightly late we made good time along the quiet North Deeside road and after dropping off the lady with the lamp in Ballater were soon looking out for our stop just before the Inver Hotel. For anyone attempting to do this the best thing to look out for is the large green sign on the south side the road advertising the hotel ahead. Leave the bus here and backtrack a short distance to where a green Scottish Right of Way sign is located on the north side.

We left the A93 at the sign and headed up a narrow farm track to Tullochcoy, turning left in the jumbled farmyard and striking a faint track up through fields, then a boggy wood before finding a more definite landrover track higher up on the lower, south-western slopes of Leac Ghorm. This climbed gradually up onto moorland with the heather resplendent in its bright purple summer guise.

The views opened up with Lochnagar behind us, then Morrone and the other foothills of the Cairngorms rising up towards the Ben Avon plateau to the west. We could also see a distinct line of hills in front of us with the speck of a cairn giving us a good point to head towards. This was Bad nan Cuileag.

We followed the track a good way up the hill before leaving it to take a more direct bearing towards our first target, Culardoch. At 900m this isn’t far off being a fully fledged Munro but it wasn’t until we crested the first hill that we saw its domed shape in front of us. Between the hill and us lay a boggy plateau which we wound our way across before contouring around a shallow peaty rise to meet a second more distinct track which wound around the base of Cullardoch on its eastern side.

Crossing this brought me close to small family of rabbits as well as a few surprised grouse.

After jumping a ditch we took a direct route up the steep sides of hill, reaching the lower end of the summit dome after 15 minutes of hard climbing. From here it was a short walk up the more gentle rise to the trig point. Around us ravens swept by on the stiff, cold breeze that was blowing in from the west. We paused only briefly on the summit, admiring the views and then dropped down towards the west, to the Bealach between Culardoch and Carn Liath.

Part way down we found a more sheltered spot away from the wind and paused for a bite of lunch. It was then on, across the Bealach with its experimental station (wire cages protecting the flora from the fauna) and down towards the hut below Carn Liath. Before reaching it we again turned off the path and made for a direct line towards the summit. The going was mainly grassy with the occasional patch of broken rocks to slide across.

The summit itself was rocky with a decent sized cairn raised. From here we enjoyed excellent views of the cliffs on Beinn a’Bhuird and the strange tors on Ben Avon. To the south we could now see down Glen Clunie towards Glenshee with the paraphernalia on the Cairnwell visible against the sunshine.

In the distance too was our final target of the day, Carn na Drochaide. Between it and us though lay a fair few miles of trackless moorland with a few smaller hills and glens to navigate across.

We set off passing below the western summit of Carn Liath and then walking around the lid of its south corrie. We then passed to the south of Creag an Dail Bheag and descended down to the river between Meall Glasail Beag and Carn na Craoibhe Seileich. Sheltered here, we paused to admire the beautiful remoteness of this area. The gulch between Carn Liath and Ben Avon was dramatic and offered enticing views up Glen Gairn.

From here we ascended Carn na Craoibhe Seileich to find a large boulder at its 726m summit. We now had views onto the wild cliffs and corries of Beinn a’ Bhuird. The Sneck was not quite visible, hidden behind the broad shoulder of Ben Avon. Crossing the plateau we reached Meall an t-Slugain which offered a great view of Carn na Drochaide. Unfortunately we now had to descend into Gleann an t-Slugain which we did by a steep drop down a heather bank, avoiding the crags to the north, and then down a gully past the Secret Howff where we stopped to enjoy some afternoon sunshine.

With the buses back to Aberdeen less than convenient we now had to make the difficult decision to leave Carn na Drochaide for another day and instead headed out towards Invercauld and the A93 at Keiloch. It was a fairly uneventful walk back with Lochnagar ever before us, and bikes, landrovers and mysterious noises ever behind us.

After heading to the West Coast and returning without a single additional Munro to my name last week (see this post on the spectacular Kinlochewe to Poolewe walk) I was ready to get out of Aberdeen and get up some hills a bit closer to home. Inspired by Steven Fallon’s suggested route I chose the mountains east of Glenshee as my destination, the idea being to bag six of them before heading back.

Due to the strange bus services going on at this time of year I was able to take the 503 from Aberdeen and get dropped off at the head of the A93 pass just south of the ski centre at Glenshee. This was great as it already gained me a significant altitude and also cut off the traditional long walk in. After a quick pause to don waterproofs against the Scotch Mist that was being blown through by strong winds I headed up the track to the summit of Meall Odhar. It’s a strange world around there, particularly in the mist. Eerie items of ski equipment, rusty and forlorn, suddenly appear out of the mist, and the wind set up an unearthly wailing in the wires of the lifts. To my south it certainly looked brighter but closer at hand, my first target of the day, Creag Leacach, was hidden beneath cloud.

From the summit of Meall Odhar I descended slightly, and then before the main pull up to Glas Maol began, headed southeast, picking up a narrow but well defined path that contoured around the base of Glas Maol, bringing me up to a Cairn above Bathach Beag. Here the sun came out and the clouds lifted so I stopped to remove all the waterproof gear. From the direction of Glas Maol a large party of hillwalkers came and after cheerful hello’s I set off along the ridge to my first Munro of the day.

Creag Leacch looks an impressive hill and the ridge path took me up across a couple of boulder-strewn bumps before reaching the summit (1 hr 15). I paused for a bite of lunch and a mug of tea before heading back the way I’d ascended.

At the bottom of the final pull to the summit I re-passed the hillwalking group who were heading south, and now continued on my way to Glas Maol. Initially I followed a line of fence posts from the cairn I had stopped at earlier but once up the slope had to leave them and strike eastwards to find the cairn and trig point (2 hrs).

The clouds had rolled back in at this point and it was gloomy and windy. After a moment to celebrate my 10th Munro I headed off, descending from Glas Maol and then picking up a broad track which wound its way around the head of various Corries to reach the slopes of Cairn of Claise.

It was a long walk up but had some nice views, particularly to the south and eventually I reached the summit cairn, straddling another dry-stone wall (2hrs 40). After another quick bite to eat and some tea I headed off east with the view now opening up magnificently towards Lochnagar. Before me was Tolmount and Tom Bhuidhe and it was to the latter of these that I headed first. The bottom of the descent offered some awkward boggy ground but it didn’t take long to pick up a firmer path which led me to the summit (3hrs 20).

After pausing to take in the view I retraced my steps down the hill and then crossed over to the Tolmount. Again I picked up a course of iron fence posts which brought me to the flat summit (3 hrs 40). From here there were excellent views down to Loch Callater. In the distance veils of rain were covering the major bulk of the Cairngorms. Although it rained briefly at this point it was not enough to force any waterproofs on.

I now picked my way across pathless, undulating terrain, westwards towards my final Munro of the day, Carn an Tuirc. I passed some lingering snow and chased hares across the mountains, all of the time walking into a strong and unpleasant headwind. Then, with the view back to Glenshee finally appearing, I found a track that came down off Cairn of Claise. This led me up to the rocky expanse of the summit (4hrs 40) of Carn an Tuirc where a shelter offered me respite from the wind and the opportunity for a last mug of tea.

I now crossed the summit plateau of Carn an Tuirc before finding a way down to the landrover track that comes up from Loch Callater. A steep descent, occasionally coming across sheep, brought me to the shores of the Loch where a number of people were enjoying the evening sunshine and having a fish.

I sat down on the small beach by the lodge and rested the feet for a few minutes. Then it was off down the track heading north through Glen Callater. The sun got stronger as I hit the A93 and by the time I arrived in Braemar it was a beautiful evening. The whole walk had taken exactly 7 hours and now I had time in Braemar to enjoy a pint in the Fife Arms and have a celebratory fish supper.

The bus back meandeared its way along Royal Deeside and I eventually returned to Aberdeen around 14 hours after leaving. For six Munros by public transport I don’t think it was an unreasonable time.