Ben Rinnes (Edinvillie to Dufftown Golf Club)

Date/Time

Date(s) - 17/09/2017
8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Walk Details

Pub Stop?: No
O/S Map Sheet No.: 28
Grid Ref. Start: 261399
Grid Ref. Finish 311391
Walk (Miles): 11
Walk Hours: 6
Bus Time to Walk:2.5 hrs
Bus Time from Walk: 2 hrs
Departure time from walk: 5:00 p.m.

Walk Notes

Link to Full Album

O.S. Map 28 (Elgin & Dufftown).

8.00 am departure from Aberdeen.

Ben Rinnes is the second highest hill in the old county of Banffshire and commands a glorious view over the Laich of Moray and also across the Moray Firth to the hills of Sutherland and Caithness. Graham Sangster suggested this walk and your Committee included it in the 2017 Programme. This walk is a through-walk, so members who require a different, or shorter walk, please liaise with your Committee member in charge of the bus today.

The walk commences on a secondary road near the scattered hamlet of Milton of Edinvillie (NGR 261 399). Take the road which heads SW’wards from here and passes the Allt a’Bhainne Distillery to pass under a high voltage power line, before beginning a gradual climb up the broad ridge ahead known as Baby’s Hill. After about a mile, an outcrop of rocks is reached above the headwaters of some tributaries of the Aberlour Burn. Here, the ridge turns SE’wards and climbs to the unnamed 738m top on the summit plateau. To the left will be seen the rocky Scurran of Well, one of the three tors on the hill. Continue SE’wards to the highest point – the Scurran of Lochterlandoch (840m). From the summit, a good path descends E’wards to pass Blacks Banks, Roy’s Hill and Round Hill before reaching a small carpark in the Glack Harnes, the narrow pass between Ben Rinnes and Meikle Conval. From here, there are 3 options – (1) either take the road down to the right to join the B9009 Glen Rinnes road and follow it N’wards for about 2 miles to reach the carpark at the Dufftown Golf Club where our bus will be parked (NGR 311 391) or (2) turn left (NW’wards) into Glack Harnes for about a mile, to the lonely house of Braeside. Pick up the highest forestry track (NGR 279 373) behind this house which contours, in the trees, the west flanks of Meikle Conval to eventually reach the Glach-en-ronach. Pick up a path which heads NE’wards and descends to join the B9009 road, near Home Farm, a few hundred yards from the Golf Club or (3) from the small carpark, climb up the opposite hillside and follow the ridge over Meikle Conval to then drop down into the Glack-en-ronach, to then follow route (2) to the Dufftown Golf Club. Walking distance approx. 11 mile

Bus leaves (at least) at 5pm

In the event of an emergency arising, the person in charge of the outing should be contacted, if possible, before the police are contacted.

Relevant telephone number for Grampian police is 0845 600 5700 or 999.

Committee member in charge today is Alastair Condie

Bookings