Sunday, 2 February 2025

Pentlands and Monadhliath - Snow days

Decent cold weather eventually arrived here at New Year and blanketed my local hills, the Pentlands, with snow. My friend and I took the bus out there for a day walk and it was like flying to another country such was the contrast in conditions. There was no snow in Portobello or through the city but we stepped off into several inches of the stuff at Balerno.

The village and the woods en route to the open hills looked so pretty. We'd made a later start so by the time we were at Harlaw it was already lunch. We sat for ages at a picnic bench in the snow-covered wildlife garden watching the birds at the feeders before striking out up Bell's Hill. 


As we gained height, the Pentlands rose around us, their snowy ridges looking Alpine under a clear, blue sky. To the south the view stretched out over snow-covered fields parceled up into white squares by walls and hedgerows. The snow underfoot was perfect, dry powder and had been sculpted into wave-like patterns by the wind, although it was perfectly calm now. 

We made ourselves comfy on the top of the hill and wrapped ourselves up in our blankets to sit a while and watch the sun set. The light changed from dazzling white to soft peach then to a wonderful twilight blue as we descended. Eventually blackness crept in as we picked our way onwards through the dark woods and down Poet's Glen to jump on a bus home. 


The cold snap luckily lasted further into January and we headed off for a weekend of winter walking and camping near Kingussie. On the first day, we strapped on the snowshoes and had a fun walk stringing together the deeper sections of snow on the lower flanks of Carn an Fhreiceadain. 

A grey day turned the world around us monochrome, save for some brief late afternoon rays that pierced the cloud. As we searched for a camp spot in the woods the sun set with a golden flourish beyond the frozen waters of Loch Gynack. We pitched the tents in the trees close to the deer fence. It wasn't the prettiest camp spot but we had good views of the stars and planets as well as a hint of aurora further into the cold, dark night.


Next day, we left the snowshoes hiding under a bush and had a lovely walk up Creag Bheag on the east side of Gynack Burn. This was a modest little hill but without a path to the top and nobody else around, it felt wild, rugged and little-visited. The winter weather cast a bleak veil over the day as well which added to the hill's character. We'd followed a rough track up through the woods then out onto the open hillside before leaving it to climb up through the snow. We marveled at the snow-shoe shaped footprints left by the mountain hares. Clagged-in, grey weather stole wider views but a pleasant rocky ridge on top provided a nice focal point and an excellent back rest for our picnic lunch.

The weather has turned a little milder now, at least here in Portobello but hopefully there will be more snow days before winter is out.

Fact File
Pentlands. Lothian Buses number 44 goes from the city centre to Balerno. Walked out Harlaw Road and at the top of the hill, joined the woodland path that goes to the wildlife garden. Continued ahead skirting the east shore of Harlaw Reservoir then walked up the main path between Harbour Hill and Bell's Hill, heading off right to go up Bell's Hill. Descended to main path then continued down the track known as Ranges Road to link to Poet's Glen into Currie.
Kingussie. Edinburgh/Inverness train stops at Kingussie. Headed up the road then track up the east side of Gynack Burn. Track continues onto open hillside where there was deeper snow for snow-shoeing. For Creag Bheag, took a track uphill beside a bridge about 300m before Pitmain Lodge. It's really pretty as it climbs through the woods and gives good views to Loch Gynack. As it leaves the woods, it swings left onto the open hillside. Followed it a little way then struck out across the heather to the top of the hill. From the top we descended west to the top of the track at Pitmain to make a circular walk.

Monday, 13 January 2025

Speyside and Dava - One way ticket to Forres

In the last blog I cycled an old railway line north of Callander and for the second week of my October holidays I found myself on another old railway line but on foot this time. This was the old line from Grantown-on-Spey to Forres which is now re-purposed as the Dava Way. I chose the route because I'd wanted to soak up more autumn colour while it lasted and I wasn't disappointed.

I didn't start walking in Grantown though but started a few days earlier in Kingussie. Once off the train, I picked up the Speyside Way path beside Ruthven Barracks. I love this section of the route between here and Grantown because it passes through lots of birch and beech woods which are lovely at this time of year. Their russet tones were complemented by explosions of red from the rowan trees which have had an exceptional year of berry production! The path also meanders in a pleasant way between the little settlements that are scattered along the Spey Valley such that you see little snippets of the lives of the people who live here. My favourite spot however was on a new section of trail that dropped into Kincraig using an old path lined by mossy stone walls and beautiful beech trees whose gigantic limbs overhung the route. 

As the path left the woods, the view opened up to Loch Insh which was encircled by the golds, yellows and russets of the surrounding birch woods. The route is very close to the Inverness railway line here and at one point a fast train passed me close enough to send up a flurry of birch leaves into my path. The first camp spot of the trip was just beyond here, in sparse woods with a view across an open field to the railway line so I could enjoy watching the lights of the trains pass after dark.

After Aviemore the Speyside Way followed the steam railway line towards Boat of Garten where pines and birch dominated the woods. I had tantalising glimpses of the steam from the train as it passed by in a cutting but failed to get a view of the train itself. Forest tracks took me to Nethy Bridge. Then I joined a section of old railway line which provided a lovely camp spot on the banks of the Spey itself before transporting me the next day into Grantown.

Anagach Woods on the approach to Grantown were beautiful in their autumn garb with beech interspersed with pines and the occasional flash of golden birch. Beyond Grantown, I joined the Dava Way for its 24 miles to Forres. The Dava Way is a fabulous route. It travels through woods before striking out across the open expanse of Dava Moor, a fairly empty and desolate place. Then it drops back down into the woods again for its final descent. There is something about the atmosphere of the old line that I love. It feels like a wild place, where the elements dominate, and where an aura of the past lingers as you imagine the old steam trains chugging along the line. I have only ever travelled the Dava Way in late autumn when I have rarely seen another soul and so I think the solitude and peace of the route is also quite special. 

It was nice on this trip to camp high on the moor itself though my favourite spot is the Halfway Hut. It's about the size of a large wooden shed and was formerly a lineman's hut. There are tables and chairs inside and fairy lights to brighten the place up which are powered by a solar panel. On this occasion, the hut had also been decorated with cut out ghosts for Halloween. It was wonderful to sit there for a while and watch the world - a group of whooper swans flew over, pure white against a gunmetal grey sky; flocks of finches made their way along the line-side trees hunting for berries and seeds.

Beyond the Halfway Hut, I was wrapped up again in beautiful autumn woods as the Way travelled onwards towards Forres. I felt completely cut off from the rest of the world as I wandered along the old line, as if nothing else existed beyond the tracks. Occasionally the line would cross farmland and I could see farms and cottages in the distance but the peace of the route was never broken. 

My last night out in the tent was in a quiet birch wood a few hours walk before Forres. Leaves drifted down to the woodland floor covering it like golden pennies and the hooting of an owl sent me off to sleep. Trains may be long gone from Dava but fortunately they are still running from Forres and took me home the next day via Aberdeen. 

Fact File

Start: Kingussie by Glasgow/Edinburgh to Inverness train.
Finish: Forres by direct train to Aberdeen then changing for Edinburgh.
Route: Walked out of Kingussie to the south on the B970 (quiet) and the Speyside Way path starts opposite Ruthven Barracks. It is well signed and described online. At Grantown, the Dava Way starts just beyond the camp site and again it's well signed and described online.