OM mini-meet on Bennachie

I'll give my best shot - but are you sure you want to compromise your walk to cater for the sick puppy?

I really don't mind if you want to do another route and I'll just get dropped and then collected again later if I can't do it.

Oh, and can we make it arrival between 9 and 9.30 because I ALWAYS get stuck behind some tractor or another?

I've definitely got the day off now. Really looking forward to it. Mind you, if it's bucketing down like today.....










.....we'll just get wet. Who cares! Anything to not be in work on a Thursday!!!!

Hi I've just posted a pic for you.

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/gallery/image.asp?sp=&v=6&uabn=423&Position==1&uin==2232

Sunny in my shot hope the meet has as good weather.

Jord

Where's that taken from Jord? Nice pic, btw

My memory fails me, it was near a castle... Alford side maybe? I've been up the hill many times as I am from Aberdeen but through personal reasons I'm stuck in Chester now! One day I'll return home...

Only castles I can think of are Haughton House and Castle Fraser. Might have been one of those perhaps. Oh well...

What? You want to come back to Aberdeen? But you've escaped already! Don't do it!!! ...lol

Jord: Nice pic, I noticed it and voted for it earlier! ;¬)

Jan: I'm happy with this route if you are, I've ammended the start time.

'aboot: I'm glad you could get the day off, is this route OK with you?

Right, seeing as we're on a new page here is a recap:

Thur 5 May, between 09.00 and 09.30 (to allow for tractors, drovers and voters) at Esson's car park (Bennachie Centre), map ref below (Never mind the weather, as long as we're together; we're off to see the Wild West show!).

The route: Follow the Gordon Way from Esson's (NJ 699 216), to the bottom of the Monymusk Triangle (NJ 680 212) and follow the path up between Garbet Tap and Bruntwood Tap to NJ664 221, that's about 4.5km so far.

That gets us on to the top, more or less. The Gordon Way then follows the 450 metre contour line to the west. We follow it (past some aircraft wreckage!) to Watch Craig (NJ 653 224) which has a path to the top, 8km so far. Come back via Oxen Craig, Craigshannock, Mither tap (all short easy scrambles) and down through the triangle back to Essons. That's about 12km in all. With stops for food, water, pictures, breath and gear changes etc it'll take about 5 to 6 hours.

Depending on how Jan feels and if anyone's up for it; we could add a couple of kilometers and about 45 mins or so if we nipped across to Hermit seat from Watch Craig before doubling back to pick up the path to Oxen Craig ;¬)

The route is on paths and tracks all the way except for the short easy scrambles above.

If anyone else wants to join us they are most welcome; if other OM meets I've heard about are anything to go by you'll find us easily ;¬))

Jord: Was it by Monymusk? There's a pink castle there and the aspect looks right.

Dick that sounds spot on - it was from a field not far from the entrance to the castle at dawn.

Jord

Dick: Sounds like an excellent route. I'm sure it'll be great, whatever the weather. Aircraft wreckage? I didn't realise there was any up there. Nice one! A colleague at work will be soooo jealous :) He's well into that sort of stuff.

Jan: I'm sure you'll be fine. Just think...you've got three "strappin' loons" there to help you if your finding it hard. :) I don't think we're in any hurry, so we can go with whatever pace suits you best. (Except maybe Dick who has to get back to put the supper on, or else his wife will kill him :))

Jord: Monymusk! Doh! Why didn't I think of that. I fish regularly near there. Brain's obviously not turned on today.

Re wreck: Aye, some poor sod flew his Westland Wappiti (or similar) into a cloud containing Bennachie and that just ruined his day. A gun from the aircraft hangs from the ceiling in the Bailies room at the Bennachie Centre. I don't know if the wreckage (just a few small pieces) marks the crash site or if it's been moved there.

<bump>

Any one else interested?

Trying to persuade hubby to take day off and join us.

Re aircraft wreckage: I did a bit of Googling. There are remains of a Gloster Meteor, which going by the pics are the few pieces I spotted, and a Westland Wallace which, again from the pics, is below Bruntwood Tap or there abouts.

Good news Jan; the more the merrier! ;¬)

re: aircraft wreckage... Ex-ca-llente! My mate'll be even more jealous now!

"... into a cloud containing Bennachie and that just ruined his day." lmao at this. Poor sod. You can just imagine the pilots last words... "WHAT THE F*CK IS THAT? ... Argghhhh....."

I've asked a couple of folk, but they can't come because of work. However Dick, I've got plenty of people I should say hello from. Won't mention any names now, but there's a few names that may ring bells from your time in Brechin.

Love to be able to join you on this walk but can't as I'm based in Cumbria and I'm walking the Cumbria Way this weekend.

Perhaps next time I'm up staying with my brother, who incidentally lives in a cottage near Rowan Tree car park, I'll be able to tag along.

Aye Lorraine, you'll be welcome when you can make it up. Thanks for calling in.

<bumpity bump>

....to see if anyone else is interested in a mini-meet.

Hiya Dick. Bet you'll be glad to get back on dry land soon!

Just noticed that you tried to organise a meet on Bennachie back in Jan.

Did that one happen? Was it good?

Canna wait for Thursday! Sitting at work today, bored shirtless. Most folk are off and the place is like a graveyard.