Rhynie

The first hill of the day was Cnoc Cailliche, located south-west of Rhynie. I left my car on the unclassified road south of Upper Wheedlemont and walked west along a vehicle track which led to a couple of wind turbines. I crossed some gates and a grassy field to reach the gorse covered hillside and the summit of this Tump.

I then headed for the A 941 Rhynie to Cabrach Road to the north-west of Meikle Turf Hill where I parked at the start of a vehicle track. I then walked south along this forest track passing through gates in a deer fence and where the trees had been harvested and new ones planted. Beyond I located a narrow gap through mature firs which led to a clearing where I walked through heather and some wild and wet vegetation crossing a couple of fences. Eventually I reached the summit of this Tump, an embedded boulder but also visited a point around 70 metres to the north-east which was apparently of similar height. I then headed off east to avoid a couple of dips then turned south to reach the gap in the trees used earlier to return to the start.

South of Haugh of Glass and west of the unclassified road to the Cabrach was another couple of Tumps. I left my car at the side of this road just north of the bridge over the Linn Burn, passed through a stock gate, entered and crossed a field containing sheep and climbed to the obvious high point on Craig Dorney.

I then descended south-west following a fence and later the edge of a forest to a steep drop to cross the Linn Burn followed by a steep climb to reach the vehicle track leading into the forest. I followed this track north-west until I located a firebreak which took me passed some old shooting butts and out of the trees. Then it was over some rough heather and vegetation to reach the summit of Craig Watch which appeared to be close to a fence post. On returning to the forest track I followed it back to unclassified road.

  • Total time – 4.25 hours.
  • Total distance – 10.5 kilometres.
  • Total height climbed – 450 metres.