Hill: Carn na Loine (Tufted/Snowflake hill?)
Type: Sub2k
Height: 549m
Today's ramble was a trip to the upper moorlands of Moray. I knew from my preparation that some of the lower sections of these hills would be typical horrible moorland terrain and it did not disappoint.
Whilst a lot of the country was still covered with low grey cloud Moray was almost all blue sky so I was happy that I was here. The most frequent option is to do a circular route but with my sore calf I opted for an up and down. As it turned out the distances would have been similar.
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| From the parking area a view of autumn trees was a nice start |
There was no obvious parking near the start of my walk so I parked up on an off road grassy spot, which would have been the finish if I did the circuit. Walked the kilometre to the start of the mast track at Knock of Auchnahannet. The kilometre was a lovely morning walk, albeit walking on an undulating tarmac minor road. The return final kilometre was just as pleasant viewing but much more painful.
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| Walking down the road I could see the mast track winding up in the middle of the picture |
A crisp morning, autumn colours on the trees, few sounds apart from cattle calling in a field somewhere nearby. A few up market looking houses were half hidden in the trees. On my right I also had a view of the track that I was going to use for roughly half of the ascent (the easy bit).
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| Lovely tree walk to the moor full of birdsong and a view of the hill ahead |
The track is a maintenance track for a mast on the nearby hill of Tom Mor. Clearly it was used by the farm/estate more than for mast maintenance but I was glad it was there. Lower down this is sheep farming but the upper slopes are patched heather indicating grouse shooting.
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| I had an option but followed this track, correct! trees were full of Fieldfare but they scattered as soon as they spotted me. |
It was one of those beautiful crisp autumn mornings that made me happy to live in Scotland. Air clarity meant great viewing and as the morning grew so did the temperatures.
One field had a large flock feeding and constantly on the move. Focused the camera lens on them and delighted to see my 1st Redwings on the year, 50+.
Walked up the track, listening to the birds, Fieldfares in good numbers; calf throbbing; probably a mistake but kept going.
As the crow flies I was less than 10 miles from Grantown on Spey but this felt like a different world, not that Grantown is big city stuff!! Big open landscape and no traffic noise, wonderful.
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| Entering the moor the target directly ahead |
Walking up the hill path onto the open moor it was absolutely stunning enjoying that beautiful autumn day. Just me and a lot of sheep. You know, when you go past an enclosure or a transportation van full of sheep the smell can be overpowering and frankly not pleasant. But out here on the open moor, in their natural environment it was actually a pleasant smell, a gentle reminder that I was here at one with nature.
Finally the good track walking was over and it was time to go off piste and head up towards the ridge. For a couple of minutes I wandered up and down but there was no path that I could see. So I just took the plunge onto the moorland. My first steps was full confirmation of what lay ahead for the next half an hour and it was not going to be pleasant.
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| Horrible, headed for the thin line in the middle hoping it would be better going, it wasn't! |
Think of your worst terrain and this was probably comparable. It was constantly changing underfoot to just remind me that the landscape was the boss here.
This section went something like this. Heather which was waist high at times making movement awkward and hiding everything underneath. Alongside and mixed with the tussocks, not quite Dumfries & Galloway worst but not far off, constantly twisting and rotating my feet thus constantly throwing me off balance. Bad thoughts beginning to be vocalised.
Not content with just those there were the boggy bits with the many hidden leg breaking water routes I could hear but not see. At one point when one leg was sunk into a narrow water slit, almost to my crotch, I did question my wisdom about this ramble.
My glass half full side was clinging to the belief that as I got higher the going would improve and thankfully it did but only marginally.
If I had kept heading to the ridge I would have met an ATV track but as I did not know that at the time I was now taking a contouring route to where I thought the summit was.
On the flatter rough ground at the top I now encountered proper peat hags which were shallow but still had to be avoided. I rambled around knowing the map showed a trig point but where was it?
Then over the top of a peat hag top I spotted a flat concrete shape. Finally reached it and it had a small peat hag trench right beside it.
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| Foreground the ridge I should have walked, beyond the Moray Firth. |
As it is a stand alone hill the views were good all round. Looking North the ridge I should have walked but further on were the waters of the Moray Firth which shimmered in the sunshine.
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| A good view of the best side of Corbett of Ben Rinnes |
Turning towards the east the pointed peak of Ben Rinnes was so clear on the horizon. Memories coming back of my hike up there which was a few years ago, probably one of my earliest Corbetts.
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| As I was heading down I was glad to see the track along with a superb view of the Cairngorms. |
Looking back the way I came I had a landscape view over Speyside with the Northern Cairngorm mountains in the distance. Some of the tops under cloud but most were clear. Worth the effort for these views.
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| Relieved to reach the track and spotted this grouse butt. There were many dotted around but no tracks beside them and no grouse seen or heard. |
There was a cool northerly wind, not strong but enough to chill. As said I returned more or less the same way. I thought I had spotted an ATV track that might be easier so took a slightly different route through the crap but I was wrong and it was still crap.
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| Quick not in focus snap of the Roe deer buck |
When I approached the farm buildings I spotted a Roe deer who had probably spotted me long before I spotted it. It ran about a bit, trapped, before it stiff legged bounced away as if on springs. That made me smile at how lucky I was to see it.
A lovely ending to a short ramble in our special country but not that terrain. With hindsight I should have done the full circular route.
Ascent: 386m
Distance: 10.1km
Time: 3.07
Wildlife: Buzzard; Roe Deer (buck); Wren; Pheasant; Redwing; Chaffinch; Greenfinch; Treecreeper; Coal Tit; Robin; Goldcrest; Great Tit; Fieldfare
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