Date/Time
Date(s) - 09/12/201212:00 am
Walk Details
Pub Stop?: No O/S Map Sheet No.: 37 Grid Ref. Start: Grid Ref. Finish Walk (Miles): 8.5 Walk Hours: 4.25 Bus Time to Walk: Bus Time from Walk: Departure time from walk:Walk Notes
Our walk today traverses the hills and moors on the south side of Strathdon. We commence our route near Milltown of Towie and our bus will travel over the A97 to our pickup point at Tarland. Because this walk is a through-route, any member(s) who require (s) a shorter walk would have to travel to the finishing point with the bus and do their own thing in the Tarland area. This is possible, so if any member (s) should require a shorter walk, please advise your committee member in charge of the bus so that early discussions can take place with the driver.
The walk commences on an unclassified road about half a mile SW of Milltown of Towie (NGR 458 124). From the bus, head SE along the farm road towards Haughton Farm and pick up a path which climbs SE up the ridge to a split in the path at NGR 463 116. Take the left hand path and climb towards Craigengell Hill and onwards to the summit of Craiglea Hill (523m). From this summit go E’wards for about 300m, then head southwards from a split in the path (NGR 479 108) and contour the west side of The Socach (596m), passing Humphrey’s Well before eventually meeting a path at about NGR 478 091 coming in from the west from Broom Hill (576m). Join this path and head east to climb to the summit trig point on Pressendye (619m). Tarland Community (and others) have now compiled a new series of colour coded walks around this area starting and terminating in Tarland. (NB These new tracks are not shown on the 1:50 Landranger Maps). From the summit, take the waymarked track (blue track) S’wards which descends to join a track on the west side of Pittenderich. Continue on this “blue” track S’wards and keep to this trail (also keep a sharp lookout for waymarked posts). After passing under high power electricity lines, climb slightly on a path to your right to continue on the blue track, passing Ranna farm and Douneside to the west. Stay on the blue trail and soon head SW’wards to gain an unclassified metalled road, below Rowan Bank, and then head S’wards (do not deviate from your southerly track) into Tarland by way of large new houses on you left and eventually a children’s play park on your right. Turn right at the main Aberdeen road and walk to where our bus will be parked in Tarland square at a convenient spot.