We had 21 walkers get on the bus at the usual collection points with 3 boarding at Bucksburn and another 2 getting on outside Inverurie making a total of 26. The day was overcast with the probability of rain, 21 left the bus at The Bin Forest car park to do either walks 1 or 2 while 5 including one out with us for the first time stayed on the bus till Keith to do a shorter walk there. Everyone donned waterproofs on leaving the bus as it was already spitting rain and set off on good paths and tracks parallel to the Burn of Hogston till the end of the plantation, from there till the vehicle track at Drumhead the path was barely used and rough as we wound our way between gorse bushes. After Ruthven there was a short stretch of road walking before turning up towards Balloch wood and some good forestry tracks. After a short lunch stop in the shelter of mature trees during which the rain got heavier we set off round the base of Meikle Balloch. Where the track turns towards the west most took the narrow trail up onto Meikle Balloch while one stayed on the low path. As there were cows in the field at Mains of Auchoynanie most of us took the road down to Ediniach Road and the lorry park where the bus was waiting for us. Everyone was back early so after time for refreshments we set of over an hour before the planned time arriving back in Aberdeen about 4.30pm. Hamish
