Colpy to Gartly (Foundland Hill).

Foundland Hill is the highest point on the ridge of hills in Central Aberdeenshire which separates the Garioch from Strathbogie.

This walk is a through one, so members who require a shorter walk – please indicate your intentions with your committee member in charge of the bus.

The walk commences near the hamlet of Colpy (NGR 643 325) on the A96 (Inverurie to Huntly road), where a minor unclassified road heads NW’wards past a row of houses and then Colpy Farm,, before arriving at the farm of Jericho. This road was origionally part of an old road from Insch to Huntly and, at Jericho, there was a distillery which produced a brand of whisky named after Bennachie, a hill prominent to the south. The road then climbs to a dip between Hill of Skares (329m) and Hill of Foundland (467m), passing through a gate on the way. Just before another is reached, leave the road and turn left up a track which climbs the hill W’wards alongside a dyke. Your track then passes through another gate on the hill, skirting a plantation of trees on the left and also passes several disused slate quarry workings on the right, before reaching the building and masts of the radio station on the hilltop. Continue W’wards across the flat top for about a quarter mile to the trig point at the summit (467m). From here, in good visibility, most of the NE corner of Aberdeenshire can be seen. From the summit, descend W’wards, avoiding more disused slate workings and head for the trees in the dip between Red Hill and Wishach Hill, crossing the boggy headwaters of a burn flowing N’wards. A secondary road is reached skirting the trees at NGR 580 327, just where a forest road branches off to the right. This forest road is taken and followed W’wards over Malsach Moss before descending between Hill of Corskie and Knockandy Hill to the farm of Cults from where the B9002 – Kennethmont/Huntly road is reached, just before it crosses the Water of Bogie and, the railway, to join the A97 Rhynie/Huntly road about a half mile south of Gartly village, where our bus will be parked (NGR 523 323).