No alarms during the night, though the usual toilet breaks. Finally came to about 7. Found Colin already packing. No change of mind overnight so I took possession of the paper maps, my train ticket from Montrose, the gas cylinder, and his remaining toilet paper. No breakfast so by 8.15 we were on our way, him back down hill, me up.
It was a glorious morning a little cool, but I knew I would soon warm up so I started off in shorts and a shirt for the first time.
Made steady progress up the hill. Apart from the great views back,
the first highlight was a hunters cabin.
Beautifully made with a great view down the valley, and a great door with lovely hinges.
After this, according to my maps, I had to make my way over a path less expanse to a nearby peak. Fortunately, unknown to the ordinance survey, the local lodge had built a track right in the direction I wanted to go to service some shooting hides up there. So that part was easy.
Here’s the view back from the top
Next it really was across terra incognito to the next peak.
Fortunately it has been very dry here recently, so the going was not too bad, it fact I found I could generally follow the bottom of the watercourses up, they were generally going the direction I wanted to go, ie up.
Reaching the peak and the crest over looking glen mazeran I found I had a choice. My original intent was to walk down the ridge between the watersheds to left and right, but it looked a mess. Then I noticed the there was a new, ie not on map, track coming up the valley on my left, so I followed a water coarse down to it. Not quite that simple but I made it down reasonably easily and with dry feet, though at one point one of my poles sunk a foot into the mud, I thought it looked a bit soft, so I tested it and it was.
Then it was a very long walk on the track all the way down the glen.
I stopped part of the way down for a bar and discovered another blister on a toe on right foot this time. Again not causing any problems or pain, but now compeded.
On the way done I saw mountain hares, grouse and pheasants. The estate is obviously managed to maximize its shooting potential with gorse burning and cropping,
but also more distressingly, with trapping.
At the very bottom I came on a very large herd to deer blocking my road. They made short work of a sheep fence when they decided to take off.
At the bottom the small river coming down the glen joins the much bigger Findhorn.
My route for the rest of the afternoon followed said river. Around 2.30 I reached where we had planned to stop and found a campsite.
A bit exposed but the weather is good. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon dozing in the warm sunshine until I had enough energy around 5.30 to record this blog.
In this time I also heard that Colin had made his way safely home.
6.30 dinner. The gas lasted with enough left over, I think, for breakfast. I have skipped my evening cup of tea.
A slightly longer day tomorrow, but with a real bed, a shower, and a restaurant meal to look forward to.
Today’s fitbit stats: 29560 steps, 23.7k, 1640 vertical feet, 4620 calories.
agrellm 