Three Stones Circular - 4th August, 2023

Less than 6 weeks to go to our walking weekend in the Lake District and we haven't done much walking this year. Yesterday, again just 4 of us available for a local walk. Dave picked me up and drove us over the Slug road to the car park at Fetteresso Forest where Balfour Beatty are upgrading the power lines. We were early so had to wait for Jeb and Vicki to arrive. Ruby was anxious to get started:

This is the start point and the road up the hill is clearly visible. Pretty much the whole route is well maintained forest tracks - wide enough for the contractors' lorries - and very cyclable too.

After Jeb and Vicki - plus Ozzie - arrived, we started walking at 1:40 pm and finished exactly two and a half hours later. The All Trails web site had indicated the circular walk was 11.9 kms and would take an average of 3 hours 23 mins but it was an easy walk and the quality of the trails allowed us to keep up a good pace, so even though the actual distance we walked was a little longer, we completed it almost an hour quicker than forecast.

There were a few optional turnings - e.g. up to the Durris mast - but we managed to stick to the planned route - with one brief exception when we strayed up the path that was leading to Glenbervie. Now that would have been some walk! While we sorted out which way to go, this slight faux pas afforded us the opportunity for a team photo on the bridge over the free-flowing burn:

We had planned to meet Colin for beers at the Legion after our walk, but first we had to drop off Dave's car - and Ruby - at his house, with Jeb picking us up and driving all of us over to the Legion, where Colin, having received our order by text, had already lined up the beers.

Vicki took the Volvo - and Ozzie - home after a swift half and the rest of us then raced through 4 pints before Jayne arrived to take Dave home.

A fine afternoon but we need a few more of them before heading to the Lake District. Here's the stats from yesterday's walk:

Dinnet - Burn o Vat - Cambus o' May - Ballater - 7 July, 2023

Amazingly, more than half the year had passed before we managed a 2023 walk. Friday 7th July, 2023 and just 4 of us available - Ken, Andy, Nigel and me. It was another Deeside bus trip and the plan was to end up in Ballater for beers and food so we came up with a fairly simple idea - get off the bus at Dinnet and walk round Loch Kinord, then past Burn o' Vat, down to Cambus o' May then the Deeside Way to Ballater.

First photo was taken near the start at Loch Kinord:

It was a slightly overcast but a fine, warm day. We went round Loch Kinord on the south side then crossed the road and up past Burn o' Vat, stopping at the usual viewpoint for a team photo:

Finding the route down to the main road and across to the Deeside Way proved slightly troublesome for some, but soon we were marching towards our destination. It's a flat, slightly boring and seemingly endless walk in to Ballater but eventually we were able to slake our thirsts with Braemar Pale Ale in the busy Balmoral Bar where the screens were showing Andy Murray's match.

From there, we popped across to the Barrel - Deuchar's and Windswept Blonde were on. A table had been booked at the relatively newly christened Balmoral Arms. The service was a little on the slow side but the food and the ale (Ossian and Bitter & Twisted) were very good. We managed to catch an earlier bus than originally planned and we were all home not long after 8 pm.

Here's the stats from our walk: