Glen Buchat

I parked on the south verge of the single track road immediately west of the private road leading to Upperton Farm in Glen Buchat, north-east of Strathdon. I initially walked along the farm road to a gate which gave access to the vehicle track heading north-east through a field of sheep. Beyond a second stock gate the track turned north-west as it crossed the east face of the Tump, White Hill.

Despite the low temperature it was warm work in the sun. I later left this track and using another estate track descended to Waulkmill Burn and then continued uphill to below Creag an Sgor where there was a cool breeze. At a ‘T’ junction I took a right turn and after gaining a little more height left this estate track and climbed across some short heather to twin electric fences. Using the crossing point I was able to reach the cairn marking the summit of the Graham Top, Creag an Eunan.

I returned to the ‘T’ junction and continued north-west to near the track’s high point from where I climbed across short heather to the summit of the Graham Top, Creag an Sgor, which was marked by granite tors.

After a break sheltering from the breeze, I descended north-west using estate tracks to reach a point just south of Rocks of Clais nam Bo. I then walked through some long heather to two large boulders the largest one marking the summit of this hill.

I headed back to the estate track then to below Creag na Gamhna where a quad vehicle track was followed south and took me close to the unmarked summit of this hill. I thereafter descended south-west then south to the wet col with The Hillar where a stock fence was crossed before I climbed to the summit of this Tump although the highest point wasn’t obvious.

From there I descended north-east, crossed the Burn of Peatfold then the estate track from Peatfold Farm. I ascended White Hill through varying depths of heather to the summit which apparently was just a clump of heather. I also visited the south top before descending east to the estate track used earlier in the day which was followed back to the start.

I later parked at the side of the A944 Mossat to Alford Road at the junction with the road to Brux Lodge and walked north-east up a vehicle track. At a bend I continued north-east on a less used track which later came to an end. I crossed a field before re-entering the wood and climbing through some long heather avoiding fallen trees to the obvious high point of the Hump, Craigs of Logie, marked by a clump of vegetation beside a fallen tree. The return route was more direct through the trees and heather to the little used track then it was back to the start.

  • Total time – 5.25 hours.
  • Total distance – 16.75 kilometres.
  • Total height climbed – 770 metres.