Shutterstock / Stephen Whitmarsh©This week, Willie Shand travels into the Cairngorms for day on Morven, a beautiful hill above Braemar.
In Scotland, hills over 3,000 feet high are known as Munros. Named after Sir Hugh Munro – who first compiled a list of them. Those hills falling between 2,500 and 3,000 feet high are known as Corbetts.
I was aiming for one of Aberdeenshire’s Corbetts this morning – 2,862 feet high Morven. My route started from the end of the road at Groddie, near Logie Coldstone.
This would be my second visit; the first being around 30 years ago when I climbed it with my dad.
Courtesy of Willie Shand – his dad on a munro in 1962.
Before leaving home this morning, I quickly checked the forecast. With the promise of being dry and sunny all day, I set off around 6am for the three hour drive to Groddie.
It was a great day for distant views and these only improved the higher I climbed. I took the shorter, direct route to the summit, saving the more gentle, longer route for the return.
A windy wander
Next time I check the forecast in a hurry I should maybe take time to look at the wind speeds, though! Dry and sunny it certainly was, but on the top the wind was so strong my bonnet was at serious risk of beating me to the bottom!
From the top, we look out over the fertile lands of Cromar; away to Bennachie, to Lochnagar and Clachnaben. It was all just as I had remembered it – even the wee summit visitor’s book tucked into the cairn.
Only one thing seems to have changed in these 30 years – the hill has maybe got a bit steeper!
Read more from Willie here on the website, and don’t forget to pick up a copy of this week’s issue, where he visits nearby Mount Blair.
