Sgor an h-Iolaire and Creag nam Ban – Parked at Littlemill on B976 Ballater to Braemar South Deeside Road and walked south-west along the vehicle track towards Glen Girnock. The track later turned south and I followed it to beyond the vacant house at Loinveg where I left it and used an overgrown track to reach the edge of a copse of trees. The walk up the side of this wood was initially through some long bracken then grass and heather. The gradient steepened before I reached the cairn marking the summit of the Hump, Sgor an h-Iolaire.
There was initially an animal path to follow as I descended north on an easy gradient but the path later disappeared amongst the long heather. The col with Creag nam Ban was reached and here there were a few trees. The vegetation on the ascent of Creag nam Ban was a bit shorter and stony in places. There were good views of the River Dee from the summit of this Tump which had at least four cairns.
The descent east was pretty awful, deep heather concealed hollows and boulders, making for slow progress. Eventually I reached the path below Creag Ghiubhais and followed it to the vehicle track used earlier in the day then it was a short walk back to Littlemill.
Tom Mor – I moved my car west along South Deeside Road for around a kilometre and to the south-west of this Tump. I then walked along a vehicle track through the forest where the trees had been thinned. I later left this track and crossed some brash to reach the summit of Tom Mor. The return was by the upward route.
The Knock – I then drove east along the South Deeside Road and parked near Loch Ullachie, east of Littlemill. A track north took me into the forest but it later came to an end. From there I ascended The Knock, the highest point of this Tump was marked by a cairn. The return was by the approach route.
- Total time – 4.75 hours.
- Total distance – 13.5 kilometres.
- Total height climbed – 555 metres.