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Forfar & District
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Despite weather warnings for very cold temperatures and heavy snowfalls, an impressive nine members turned out for a bracing walk to banish any hangovers
after the New Year festivities.
The original plan was to meet at the top of Glen Esk and walk to Balnamoon’s Cave, but a decision was made to meet at Edzell first and assess conditions.
Conditions at Edzell were remarkably good, but with some doubting the wisdom of venturing up the glen and some taking a more adventurous point of view,
a compromise was reached. A plan was hatched to walk over the lower tops to the north-west of Millden, half-way up the glen, and so the group set off
in three vehicles, two of them being four-wheel drives which proved to be an advantage later.
Within a couple of kilometres they were driving on snow and soon thereafter emerged from the vehicles at Millden into a winter wonderland, disturbing
two red squirrels which had been busy stealing food from a bird table.
Setting off at 9.45, the walkers turned off the estate road, crossed a ford and followed a track heading west. After a couple of kilometres they reached
an interesting tower. An information notice on the door provided the history of the tower, which had been built as a shelter by the Freemasons.
The snow was now falling very heavily and at a path junction a decision was made to head downhill rather than take the track leading uphill to Craig Crane.
This took the walkers past Auchintoul Farm and down a wooded track to the main Glen Esk road which now had a covering of several inches of fresh snow.
A pleasant meander of just over two kilometres took the group back to Millden, where great heaps of snow had to be removed from the cars before driving
back down the road. A further delay ensued when the occupants of the four-wheel drive vehicles realised that the third vehicle was not following and so
one gallant carload returned to help push them out of the car park. After carefully negotiating the few miles down the glen, all arrived safe and well
at Edzell, which by this time had a good covering of snow which enabled the more mature members to indulge in some snowball fighting and snowman building.
The walk was curtailed to a distance of about five kilometres and took just under two hours at a leisurely pace.
Fourteen people consisting of twelve members and two guests turned out for the January Day Meet. Traditionally, the January Meet is followed
by a meal and get-together and this year was no different, which gave an added incentive to complete the walk in the allotted time.
Seven participants met at Forfar at 8am, meeting another seven at Glen Sherup at 9.25. With dense cloud clinging to the valley floors, they set
off at 9.40 towards the forest, following a track which climbed through the forest before branching off right on to a grassy, and in places frozen,
footpath, emerging from the trees at a stile over a deer fence. Surprisingly, overhead clear skies afforded great views from here over the Forth
valley and to the Lomond Hills, with Innerdownie, the first top of the day, clearly visible in the near distance. Down below, the cloud still
clung stubbornly to the valley floors. A brief stop for elevenses followed before the final gentle climb to this top, the first of two Donalds
situated at an altitude of 611m.
With most of the hard work now done, a gently undulating path along the tops led to the top of Whitewisp Hill, complete with one of the most
insignificant little cairns on its rounded summit. The route swung west from here to the highest point of the day, namely Tarmangie Hill.
At 645m, this has the distinction of being another Donald. The path then descended to a col, where the route turned north, climbing
again gently and skirting the top of Scad Hill. The broad ridge then descended gently, giving a pleasant walk to the foot of Ben Shee,
an attractive looking conical hill at 516 metres which all of the group opted to climb rather than follow the bypass path. The track was
rejoined on the other side of the hill, taking the walkers gradually down, high above GlenSherup reservoir, eventually joining a vehicle
track where the group doubled back towards the reservoir, crossing to the other side of the glen.
By this time the weather, which had gamefully held out to give pleasant walking conditions, gave way to rain which became ever more heavy,
resulting in some very soggy walkers retracing the outward route for the last two kilometres back to the car park.
The 15km walk was completed by 3pm, giving them plenty of time to dry off and drive home before meeting for a meal at Sinclair’s
Kitchen at Foresterseat.
11 members attended the restuarant for a lovely meal.
