Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/02/200812:00 am
Walk Details
Pub Stop?: No O/S Map Sheet No.: 44 and 45 Grid Ref. Start: Grid Ref. Finish Walk (Miles): 8 Walk Hours: Bus Time to Walk: Bus Time from Walk: Departure time from walk:Walk Notes
On our walk today we follow the ridge of low hills and woods separating the Dee valley from the Feugh between Aboyne and Banchory.
The walk commences near the top of Corsedardar Hill where the B.976 Aboyne to Strachan road crosses the ridge of hills before dropping down towards Finzean in the Feugh valley (NGR.596.940). Here, at the roadside, are situated two memorial stones – the older one on the east side of the road is the Dardanus Stone, which has given the name to the pass, and is said to commemorate a Pictish king. On the other side of the road is a local war memorial for the two world wars of last century.
We enter the woods on the east side behind the stone and pick up a path which climbs north eastwards over the top of Corsedardar Hill and leads on by Balnahard Wood before emerging on the open hillside and approaching Tom’s Cairn (310m.,l0l6ft.),the highest point of today’s walk. From the trig point we head eastwards along the edge of the wood towards Glack’s Hill. Continuing in the same direction from there brings us down to meet and cross the Potarch/ Whitestone road (commonly known as the Shooting Greens road) at a forest picnic site. Take a forest road north-eastwards from the site for a short distance before forking right and picking up a path in the trees which climbs up past Red Cairn to reach the trig point at the top of Hill of Tillylair (248m.,813ft.). The path then continues along the edge of the trees to a junction of forest tracks at NGR.646.943 where we go straight ahead, still following the edge of the trees, to contour round the Hill of Goauch. The track ends at the edge of the wood but from there our objective- the top of Scolty Hill – is visible about half a mile away across the almost level moorland.
Alongside the trig point on Scolty Hill is a circular stone tower erected in the 19th century in memory of General Burnett, a local landowner. The internal stair to the top of the tower gives access to a fine viewpoint.
From the hilltop two tracks descend northwards to meet at a junction of tracks at the edge of more trees NGR,680.946) from where we take the forestry road on the right which heads down past Aulton Farm to join a secondary road from Blackhall to Deebank. Turn right along this road for a short distance to the junction with the B.974 Feugh Bridge to Banchory road near where the bus will be waiting. (NGR.698.951).