Category: Sub2K
Height:
Before the good lady arrived I took the opportunity of ticking off The Convals, which I have had my beady eye on since ascending their big brother, Ben Rinnes. Some believe the hills are linked with Rinnes as Conval can be broken down into ‘con, with or besides’ and ‘val, another way of Meall, hill’.
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| At least a track on side of road |
It is a bit of a roadside walk from Dufftown, cannot go wrong just follow the Tomintoul road. If I was doing it again I would pop into Duffton golf club, plenty of parking and say to them that I would pop in on my way back for refreshments.
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| The track I missed Meikle in view |
There are various signs pointing out The Convals walk so I expected one pointing the cut off track but wrong again. A bit further along the road I suspected I was too far, map out, yip backtrack.
Again from my memory of the description I thought there was a better track, nope. Up this one, hop into a field, just sheep, over another gate then a fence which thankfully had some light wrapping over the barbed wire. Whew now on a track.
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| Bleak moor and pylons |
Follow this up and do not deviate unless you want a deer fence to cross. I wondered why I saw quite a few pheasants, feeding stations for the slaughter en route.
If you see the two pylons you are on track but this is a bleak moorland view today. However as both hills clearly in sight the junction cannot be far away.
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| Little Conval |
A right turn and I followed the obvious track all the way up the steep hill to Little Conval with good views opening up to your right towards the Moray coast. A breezy day and the gusts were trying to knock me over.
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| From Little Conval both Meikle & Ben Rinnes |
Still it did not take long until I reached the summit. Plenty of rocks strewn around, many of which would belong to the iron age fort, most of whose ruins are down the hillside in the direction of Dufftown.
Now simply a case of back down the same way I ascended looking directly at the twin Meikle Conval and also there is a spot of blue sky above Rinnes, weather improving.
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| Rocks indicate moor path to Meikle |
Although Meikle is slightly the higher of the two the gradient is much kinder than Little Meikle. The track is good lower down but gets boggier as you ascend but no difficulty. The grouse are rising and confirming it is a shooting estate no raptor seen today.
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| Meikle top to Ben Rinnes |
When you crest the top there is a small stone marker in the grass, surely not the top, I continued for a few minutes then a small cairn, now I am at the top of the hill.
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| Lovely countryside |
Take in the all round views and also note the very dark skies over to the west, the wind is blowing it this way so down.
I took the faint grassy track heading east and as hoped it became a bit more of a conventional but narrow route. Pretty slippy so on the grass a lot.
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| Track to the road |
Meet up with the shooting track and take in the excellent countryside views as you descend.
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| Mortlach Kirk |
Again a tedious road walk back and past the turn in spot before taking the right minor road which is a tranquil walk back to Dufftown. I stop at the historic Mortlach Church, the original kirk originating from the 700’s, some of this one from the 12th century..
I was surprised how quick the walk was considering the apparent distance and terrain covered. A nice walk.
Wildlife: Stoat; Wren; House Martin; Meadow Pipit; Pheasant; Red Grouse.
Time: 3.01
Ascent: 812m
Distance: 13.1k
