The farmer does not want you on his land.....Corriehabbie Hill

Hill: Corriehabbie Hill

Type: Corbett

Height: 781m

I had made a very late decision to change my walk. Sometimes it works well other times not so, this was the latter.

Car GPS playing tricks so took longer to find the start. I had downloaded the route onto my Garmin, started it up nothing showing. Not expecting to walk this area I had not brought a map but thankfully before leaving I had downloaded a basic route triangle on phone OS maps, it did not have all the twists and turns but better than nothing.

Hill track just seen far left

I membered the route was anti clockwise starting through fields teeming with livestock. The first field was full of cattle and calves a no go for me. In the distance I could see an estate track going up to grouse butts so navigation was line of sight and hoped that track rewarded me.

Quite a few livestock fields but mainly sheep although from fresh droppings cattle were around. It soon became clear that all gates were locked and all had barbed wire to stop climbers. All the fences were taught barbed wire, sometimes with a second barbed wire about six inches beyond. Throw in a few electric fences and definitely no paths, you get the picture awkward going.

There is a burn in there as well

After the fields the next barrier was a huge nettle plantation which may have been young gorse but if not a type I was not familiar with, waist high with very sharp needles, not the best day for shorts. After that a fast flowing burn safely negotiated then more grazing before I got to the track I wanted. The start seemed ages ago.

The track before the track

A typical stony estate track, not the best walking but long zigzags got me up to the ridge where I met an historic drovers track called 'Mortons Way'. 

A pleasant enough ridge walk but a nearby windfarm spoils it somewhat. 

Ben Rinnes

However Ben Rinnes on my right was looking better. I opened OS maps as I wanted to find another hill, easier to see than the GPS. Interestingly it showed my location as being about a kilometre away to the east. Now I rarely use this app for navigation and this made me even less likely to do so.

Finally a large cairn is reached which surrounds a trig with a metallic pointed hat, very strange, must be a story. This was the coldest day for many a month but the clearer air gave views over the Moray Firth and over to Sutherland.

Heading off to lunch a bit more sheltered. Decided to just retrace my steps. Sprung quite a few red grouse and one Black grouse, much larger white wing patches, i hope it survives the shooting season.

Scotch Argus looking a little worn

On the descent I could see that the cows had spread out in my field so detours over barbed wire required. I ended up in the next field but they became interested and came to the fence boundary, some were agitated. Six calves went for a run and that set them all off spooking them further. Glad I was not in the field.

Had to go through weeds and nettles which stung my legs big time, just a final reason that once will be enough.

Ascent: 543m

Distance: 15.1k

Time: 3.46

Wildlife: Black Grouse (1st this year); Red Grouse; Pheasant: Meadow Pipit; Curlew; Field Hare; Pied Wagtail; Wood Pigeon; Peacock butterfly; Scotch Argus