I was back to North Aberdeenshire to climb more of the lesser known hills, the first one being the Tump, Brown Hill, located south-east of Aberchirder. I parked in a lay-by on the minor road west of Bogharvey Farm, crossed a grassy field, went through a copse of trees and onto a grassy area, west of Foggie Farm, the summit of Brown Hill, although the exact spot I couldn’t determine.
The next Tump was slightly closer to the village of Aberchirder but still to the south-east. I parked on the minor road to the east of Backhill of Clunie then walked up a muddy track and entered a field of horses and to the grassy summit.
The next Tump was Clunie Hill although I hadn’t settled on a starting point. In the end I returned to the lay-by used to access Brown Hill then walked along the road to Castlehill Farm which was unoccupied and where cattle were feeding. I therefore entered and crossed a couple of grassy fields and a vehicle track to gain access to another field of grass containing horses. The summit of Clunie Hill was amongst gorse bushes on the opposite side of a barbed wire fence. On returning to the vehicle track I used it to head back to the minor road west of the lay-by.
The fourth hill of the day was the Tump, Cleanhill, located immediately west of the village of Aberchirder. On parking within the village I headed into the woods and along tracks to the reservoir where I walked round the security fence as I was unsure where the actual high point was, the reservoir being man made.
My first Hump of 2020 was Black Law located on the east side of the A97 north-east of Aberchirder. I left my car at the west side of the main road south of Hilltown Farm, crossed the road and entered a stubble field. Gorse bushes and barbed wire fences were obstacles I encountered before reaching the trig point where close by cattle were feeding from troughs. I also visited a nearby patch of ground which was apparently the high point without being spotted by the cows.
The Tump, Catstone Hill, located south-west of Aberchirder was approached from the minor road to the west. A mature wood with well spaced trees was entered then later a deer fence was crossed into a plantation of young firs and some gorse bushes. I wandered around a bit to ensure the actual summit was visited.
After Catstone Hill I moved my car a short distance to the north of the Tump, Hill of Retanach, where a vehicle track led through Cairns Wood to a col. The track by this time had deteriorated considerably and walking was awkward. I entered an area where the trees had been harvested and here the vegetation was rough with some brash. I visited a couple of high points beside an old moss covered dyke.
The final Tump of the day was Little Balloch Hill north of Cairnie. I left my vehicle on the verge north of Netherton Farm, entered and crossed a grassy field, stream and some rough vegetation to gain the open hillside. It was a steep climb through mainly dead bracken then higher up heather to reach a stock fence and an old vehicle track. This track was followed south-west visiting two cairns, the westerly one appeared to be the highest.
- Total time taken – 4.25 hours.
- Total distance – 15.25 kilometres.
- Total height climbed – 515 metres.