There were 28 out on today’s walk with good weather forecast for the whole day. 4 alighted at Aboyne to walk the Deeside Way along the old railway line stopping for lunch at the Cambus o’May Creamery , 23 carried on to Glen Tanar to do the main walks with 1continuing to Ballater to do a walk around the river and golf course. The main walks started at the Glen Tanar visitor centre following the Water of Tanar passing the Half Way Hut to soon emerge from the trees giving us good views of Mount Keen ahead. We then split into two groups, one continuing up the glen with the other group taking the right of way path to Ballater. The group on walk 1 stopped for lunch at the Shiel of Glentanar ruins. Screams and shouts of SNAKE!! as people jumped to their feet to see a snake slither along the base of the wall and disappear into a hole in the wall. The track soon disappeared and we had to heather bash our way to a landrover track which we followed taking us over Cairn Leuchan and Pannanich Hill where we met up with some of the group doing walk 2. We then descended into Ballater where the bus was parked in the main square. We were all back in good time and everyone had time for well earned refreshments before our journey home.
Alan