'Who has not felt the urge to throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence'
- John Muir (famous Scottish born American Resident)
From the very first moment that I read that quote in Bill Bryson's Wanderlust inspiring book 'A Walk in the Woods' I was transfixed by its simplicity but also by the sheer sense of joy contained therein.
It has stayed with me as a sort of mantra and maintained my sense of Victorian boyish enthusiasm for little adventures (and flannel shorts). Luckily for me Living so close as I do to the Cairngorms national park adventure is never far away.
In terms of taking you, The American Resident, sightseeing To do my wonderful home justice would require a car (which I don't have) bread and tea by the hundred weight (which we would never fit in the old sack) and about 3 week s(which I'll never get off work). However if I were to condense down to just three key things, what it is about Scotland that I love, it is the solitude of her remote places, the natural beauty , and the fascinating sense of being lost within the long, rich history of people and places.
So how can I show you all three in a microadventure whilst keeping the bread and tea bills down and the transport public?
The answer Bennachie (BEN - ah - HEE) A small cluster of low hills in the Aberdeen country side. Not vast, or remote or dramatic, but prominent above the rolling countryside and perfectly accessible for a little adventure that won't take more than a day.
Bennachie above the Aberdeenshire countryside
From Aberdeen it is a quick 30 minute train Journey to Insch where we can alight at the little station, double check our rations before heading off to the Back o Bennachie car park where our route proper begins.
From here we breath deep wafts of pine scented air and stroll up the path through the trees. Soon enough the trees start to shrink as we climb and the soil thins.
Before long we emerge out onto the heath just below Little Oxen Craig the first of our small summits to be topped on our trip and the home of an Historic granite quarry. This is the lowest summit and wont take us long to top out but from here we will be able to see our highest point, the prominent Mither Tap summit. With most of the climbing done we can enjoy the views as we hop across the plateau between the remaining three summits. Stop for a dip in one of the lochans if you are feeling Bold:
If we keep our eyes peeled on the tops we may spot, Grouse, Osprey and possibly the Highlands famous red deer, and many other animals besides.
On reaching Mither tap our walk has reached its peak (literally) and we can examine the site of a former Iron age hill fort with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. A perfect place for a spot of lunch
The imposing summit of mither tap.
After that there's just enough time to pop back down a different route, through more ancient pines and into Insch for a final cup of tea and a train back home.
One day ; My three greatest passions for Scotland : Nature, Solitude and History.
Sounds like a great day out to me.
Sounds like a great day out to me.
What a gorgeous area you live in! Emma :)
ReplyDeleteDanke Schoen, I'm rather fond of it myself :)
DeleteWow! Great post for this Linky! Thank you so much for entering as your post has really shown me some places I didn't know about. And just today my husband and I were talking about a summer holiday in Scotland. We like to mountain bike and hill walk, and are getting interested in wild swimming. Scotland is so photogenic; great shots :)
ReplyDelete