Another grouse moor estate track.....Hill of Wirren

Hill: Hill of Wirren (The hill of the springs)

Type: Fiona

Height: 678m

For a few weeks I had lost my mojo for hillwalking thus enjoyed a month or so doing other things including a couple of away trips with the good lady. “Strange holidays” she commented at the end of the last one, “no hills involved”. Still we had enjoyable low level rambles, pubs and quite a few unexpectedly good meals. So overweight and having had enough of each other I decided to have a short break and get a couple of small hills ticked off.

The weather in our so called summer is still poor but the forecast suggested east was best, normally it is but as it turned out not this time.

I got within 4 miles of my walk start point when I was inconvenienced by a succession of minor roads with closed ahead signs. I followed detour signs for a while until they disappeared when I was going well away from where I wanted to be. The sat nav had taken the huff and given up just telling me to go back. A rat run of minor country roads ensued. No idea where I was most of the time but after around 10 miles of self guided detour my sat nav decided to become friendly again and took me to the start of the walk. Close by I passed a sign saying road closed ahead. If I had continued on my original route I would have ended here without the detour, a few sweary words followed.

Abandoned school surprised it has not been turned into a private home.

Typical Angus moorland grouse hill with landscape scarred of course

I parked up at the old school in Bridgend of Lethnot, an atv was passing and knowing this was a grouse moor I asked the driver if any shooting was on today. Thankfully the reply was negative, not exactly a friendly type, maybe thought I was a hunt saboteur on a recce or just did not like walkers.

The walk started with a steep road leading up to a couple of houses where at the first house dogs were going mental when they heard me, glad they were in cages.

The track splits into three and it is a case of take your pick as any of these as all go up to the Hill of Wirren but in the case of the right hand turn quite an extra distance.

I wanted no hassle so the middle route looked the most straightforward on the map.

Manmade reservoir and Hill of Wirren ahead on left

Just me and the sheep until a small hydro reservoir was reached, pretty, in a nice setting, circles breaking the water, small fish or just a hatch?

In the distance the hills were gaining a cloud shroud but down here it was muggy and I was perspiring.

Y junction ahead left for me 

Not a lot to say about 2/3rds of the walk, simply followed the uncomfortable for walking stony estate track until nearer the top it becomes more peaty and there is a left or right option. Plenty of grouse were flushed as I ascended, maybe their death sentence is still to come.

Butts disappearing in the cloud

I went left, the more direct route to the top. The cloud had descended and short term visibility was fine but it was cold.

Climbed over a gate onto the moor. There is a track of sorts which brought me to aircraft wreckage strewn over a small area. This was the remains of an American Liberator bomber where amazingly 2 of the 9 crew survived the impact. I wonder if the soft peat ground was a factor in their survival?

Go left here

After that an animal track headed for a large peat hag after which which I then went cross country and aimed for the gate higher up in the distance. I knew that the trig was on the other side so easier to climb over the double fence at this point, a peat hag channel makes it more messy further up.

A short moorland crossing and the trig was reached, in the light cloud and nae views. Even on a good day this would be a wet place as its name suggests.  I should have had good views of Mount Keen amongst others but not to be. I was in between two glens but no sign of Glen Esk from here.

Had it been a clearer viewing day I would have made it a circular ramble via East Wirren but the rain had started and I could not be bothered so took the easy option to retrace steps. It would have been interesting as I read that there is also a trig on East Wirren, very unusual to have two trigs on the same hill.

View of descent with reservoir top centre

The descent was sorer on the feet than the ascent, glad I had heavier soled boots on. Plus I had a light rain in my face all the way to the car, so much for the better weather forecast. I was surprised to hear the spot a pair of ravens. These Angus estates have a very bad reputation for killing anything that might interfere with grouse numbers.

Perfect for honey ale!

Back at the reservoir I was taking a snap of theses geese when below me a flock of over 30 Peewits took  off. Great to see as these are now becoming endangered and I cannot remember seeing so many at once for a few years.

On reflection a straightforward ramble that would have been a better ramble as a circular and of course I missed the good lady but survived on my own!

Ascent: 552m

Distance: 12.8km

Time: 3.16

Wildlife: Roe deer (hind); Wheatear; Buzzard; Raven; Red Grouse; Peewit; Greylag Geese