Braedownie, Glen Clova Weekend Meet

Ten club members gathered on Friday evening at the Carn Dearg MC Braedownie Hut in Glen Clova.  Several of us took advantage of the journey to tick off assorted Grahams, Donalds and Marilyns on the way there.  Steve went up Corwharn - a ‘new’ Graham - and some associated lumps and bumps in Glen Prosen.  Jim and Ewen ascended the Hill of Persie which divides Strath Ardle from lower Glen Shee; and Arthur made a detour to Glen Artney to climb the Graham, Uamh Bheag and its nearby Donalds.

The rain drummed steadily on the roof on Friday night.  Saturday morning saw a dreich start with rain, hills hidden behind a curtain of mist and cloud, and swollen burns and rivers in spate. More coffee and a lot of humming and hawing ensued. The rain eased and off we went.  Peter and Marion prudently went to see friends in Perthshire. Andrew and Jan headed off into the mist for Mayar and Driesh.  Jim, Ewen and Steve fled the rain to tackle two Marilyn's near Lawrencekirk - Hill of Garvock and Strathfinella Hill.  Michael set off up Jock’s Road, to be followed a bit later by Arthur.

Michael writes:

After the rain cleared on Saturday morning and the promise of better weather, I set off on Jock's Road, Arthur soon joined me and together we continued to find 'The Shelter’ - Davy’s Bourach.  We continued upwards, but with deteriorating weather we turned back at about 800m, I could have done with windscreen wipers on my glasses!

and Arthur writes:

I first went up Jock’s Road nearly sixty years ago and though I have been back since, I thought  it was time to revisit. It is an old drove road from Braemar to Glen Clova, and takes its name from a local shepherd, Jock Winter who fought the attempts of a landowner to ban people from crossing his land in Glen Doll. With the Scottish Rights of Way Society, Jock won his case in the House of Lords in 1888. The path on the Glen Doll side has been improved and makes for easy walking up to and beyond Davy’s Bourach - an emergency shelter at about 700m built by Davy Glen after five walkers died trying to cross from Braemar to Glen Clova on New Year’s day 1959. It has been substantially rebuilt and is now maintained by Forfar and District Hillwalking Club.

Jim writes:

Saturday saw Jim, Ewen and Steve avoiding the poor weather by heading for the Hill of Garvock, a low ridge separating the Mearns from the North Sea. Its summit is topped by a fine folly, the Tower of Johnston, built to commemorate the Duke of Wellington’s victory over Napolean in the Peninsular Wars.  Not satisfied with this fine little hill, Steve and I did Strathfinalla Hill as well, whilst Ewen read his Saturday Times.

Sunday saw significantly better weather and there was a flurry of activity including plans postponed from yesterday. Jan summited The Goet above Loch Wharral and the Moffatts and Garrett team made a circuit of adjoining Loch Brandy.

Peter writes:

Marion, Michael and I did the circuit of Loch Brandy from the Glen Clova Hotel on Sunday, and had an excellent day - dry and mostly sunny, with quite a fresh breeze higher up.  The path climbs very steeply up 'The Snub', and I was impressed with the path building - the stone steps on much of the ascent must do a lot to prevent erosion.  On round to a brief stop on Green Hill 870m, then down and by a new (to us) path below the loch to rejoin the ascent route. 

Steve writes:

On Sunday I did my Saturday walk which took me up Jock’s Road to Tom Buidhe, Tolmount and Crow Craigies (an un-ticked Munro top). Given the long drive home continuing my round to Broad Cairn would have been too much, so I returned over Craig Mellon.  I found the path off ok, but it was blocked halfway  down by hundreds of falling trees, requiring me to make a an unpleasantly steep descent further to the north.

Jim writes:  

On our way home, Ewen and I did Meall Mor (Angus), which Walk Highlands describes an undistinguished summit between Glen Shee and Glen Isla. Despite the poor write up, it proved the best hill of the weekend with good views to the Grahams, Mount Blair and Cat Law.

Robin, Andrew and Arthur set off for the long drive round to the head of Glen Esk with Hunt Hill the target. This was Arthur’s third attempt at this hill, the previous two being thwarted by rain of biblical magnitude. The ample car park was full by the time arrived, but once we walked past Invermark Castle along Loch Lee, people were few and far between.  The impressive broken crags of Craig Maskeldie  dominated the views beyond Loch Lee and our route up to and beyond the Falls of Unich. We doglegged back to Hunt Hill, then down to the replacement footbridge above the Falls of Damff, climbing to join the track descending the Shank of Inchgruindle at its high point on Cairn Lick. Then it was down to Loch Lee and return along its northern shore.  An excellent walk: to be recommended.

Taking Part: Steve, Peter, Marion, Jim, Robin, Andrew, Michael, Jan, Ewen and Arthur

Words and Photos: Arthur, Steve, Jim, Peter and Michael