On the way to the foot of the hill it became evident that there would still be a lot of snow on the path. This did not fill me with joy! However, the car was parked and my walking boots put on.
The path at lower levels has been my source of wild raspberries and thus wild rasp jam. To my dismay Scottish Woodland have carved a big track up the hillside and destroyed the gorse and rasp bushes in the process. Hmmm.
The snow was surprisingly deep and was easily 15" in places. Luckily there was a bit of a frozen crust so the walking was not as bad as it could have been, but still quite tiring. I passed the usual buzzards (?) in the copse of trees and wondered if I could be bothered going all the way to the top but I eventually made it with several stops on the way for photos (and to recover).
The top was very sheltered because of the stone ramparts and I prodded the ground in a few places to see if I would be able to pitch a tent later in the year. Most of the ground was very lumpy because of grass tufts but I'm sure I will be able to find a reasonable spot. It was actually very pleasant out of the wind and in the sun and I am really looking forward to going back. The only drawback is the lack of a water stream.
Stopped at the Lumsden Shop on the way home - what a strange place!
