Brackenstake: Parked at the end of the public road in the Forest of Birse, accessed from the B976 Banchory to Aboyne South Deeside Road, and walked along tracks towards Wester Floors. Here I crossed some rather rough ground and a fence to reach the heathery hillside. Ascending this Tump took me through heather, with the occasional animal trail, to the summit which was a lump of heather as the nearby cairn appeared lower. I thereafter descended to east of Wester Floors then animal trails and tracks led back to the start.
Creagandummie: Parked at the start of the farm road to Glencat, accessed along the unclassified road from the B976 Banchory to Aboyne South Deeside Road at Bridgend, and walked west along this track. I later left it and followed animal trails through gorse, heather, bracken and some well spaced trees to open ground. The summit of this Tump appeared to be ground before a stone dyke. The return was by the upward route.
Craigmore: Left my vehicle in the car park at Potarch, on the B993 immediately west of the A93 Banchory to Aboyne Road, and walked along a track to an old gate which gave access to a fenced off area of the forest. The track within this enclosed area soon disappeared and it was hard work through bracken to reach a hole in a deer fence. I then headed for the trig point and cairn on the Tump, Craigmore. The return was via a path north through the trees to join a vehicle track that took me back to the start, a longer but easier route.
Craig of Affrusk: Parked at the start of the vehicle track, accessed from the unclassified road south of the Bridge of Feugh and Banchory. I walked along this and another track to an old gate in a deer fence then along a third track to reach an old stone dyke. Here I left the tack and followed the dyke through the trees and to the summit of this Tump where I visited three different areas as I was unable to tell which was the highest. The return was by the upward route.
- Total time – 4.75 hours.
- Total distance – 16 kilometres.
- Total height climbed – 710 metres.