Firmounth Road (Tarfside to Glen Tanar)

Date/Time

Date(s) - 20/09/2015
8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Walk Details

Pub Stop?: Yes
O/S Map Sheet No.: 44
Grid Ref. Start: 492 797
Grid Ref. Finish 480 965
Walk (Miles): 13
Walk Hours: 6.5
Bus Time to Walk:2.5 hours
Bus Time from Walk: 1.5 hours
Departure time from walk: 17:00

Walk Notes

N.B. 8.00am start from Aberdeen.

The walk today, takes your Club back into one of the Angus Glens – Glen Lee. Your Club last did the complete Firmounth Road walk in May 2006. The “Firmounth” is an old drove road used almost 200/300 years ago, between Deeside and Angus, to basically transfer cattle to the “trysts”(or cattle markets) of Laurencekirk, Crieff and Falkirk.

We travel almost to the end of Glen Lee to the small village of Tarfside (with toilets). Once we are dropped off here, our bus will travel back northwards into Deeside and wait for us to finish at the Glen Tanar Visitor Centre car park area. This walk is a through-one, so members who require a shorter, or alternative, walk – for safety reasons, please indicate your intentions with your committee member in charge of the bus.

We commence at the village of Tarfside (NGR 492 797) and follow the Fungle Road northwards for almost 4 miles, (passing the refurbished house of Shinfur en route) to a split in the path (NGR 499 852). We take the left option (the right path continues with the new “Fungle”, recently refurbished, track through to the Forest of Birse and Aboyne via “The Gwaves”). Our onwards path climbs N’wards to Tampie (723m) and onwards to Gannoch (731m) – the highest point of the day. From this summit, continue on the Firmounth Road, passing the east side of Hill of St. Colm (700m) and onwards past the headwaters of Burn of Auldmad and Burn of Corn, to eventually pass the east side of Craigmahandle (574m). Soon after this, the path swings NW’wards and descends into the Forest of Glen Tanar. Follow the Firmounth Road down into the floor of Glen Tanar, on the NE then, East side of Burn of Skinna. From the valley floor, head towards St.Elmo’s chapel (NGR 479 961) and onwards to the stone hump-back bridge at the Braeloine Visitor Centre. Cross this bridge over the Water of Tanar to the bus park (NGR 480 965).

Walking distance approx. 13 miles

Bus departs at 5.00 pm.

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 Janet Rickard

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