I drove up Glen Esk, in Angus, to north of Waggles, where I managed to get my car off the road beside a set of double gates at the entrance to an area recently planted with trees. I walked briefly north to the start of the vehicle track that led north-east to the Burn of Dalforth, passed some old buildings where only the rocks were left and through a gate in a deer fence. I continued up the south side of the burn then on towards Craigancash, the track coming to an end around 500 metres from its summit. It was then a climb through rocks and heather to a vehicle track and the summit of Craigancash which was marked by a boulder.
I thereafter descended north along the vehicle track which took me below the summit of Craigangowan. I left this track, crossed some heather and a deer fence which was awkward as the wooden posts and wire were a bit old, and visited Craigangowan’s highest point which appeared to be some heather above a peat hag.
The next hill, Rough Bank, was some distance away. I descended north-east crossing peat hags and very rough vegetation to reach a junction of deer fences where I had another difficult crossing when a wooden slat collapsed. The route took me across Cock Hill to the col with the Tump, Rough Bank, where the ascent through heather was slightly easier. The highest point on this heathery summit wasn’t obvious.
On returning to the col with Cock Hill I observed an ATV track on its north side so I headed for it. Although rather wet and boggy especially in the lower reaches it ran below Cock Hill and Murmannoch before swinging round the head of the Kettock Burn. At the track’s high point I left it, crossed more rough vegetation and bog, to reach a deer fence which was followed north-west. The underfoot conditions did not improve as I followed this fence to the Shank of Mondair where the highest point of this Tump appeared to be the trig point which was on the other side (west) of the deer fence.
After a break here I descended across more bog, peat hags and rough vegetation before climbing to the summit of Stobbie Hillock. The highest point of this Tump was supposed to be some heather but it wasn’t obvious.
I then descended south to the Burn of Blackpots disturbing a large herd of deer. Lower down I came to a vehicle track, which passed a cage and feeding areas for game birds, to reach a junction of several tracks. I used the one on the east side of the Burn of Meallie which left this stream, crossed the hillside to a new house north-east of Hillock, and returned me to the public road in Glen Esk and a road walk back to my car.
- Time taken – 6 hours.
- Distance – 18 kilometres.
- Height climbed – 715 metres.