Banchory Veterans' Hill-walkers

The November walk was the long-promised trip to Aberdeen to "do" a semi-cultural/sightseeing round Footdee and Old Aberdeen. Four of us - Ian, Colin, Nigel and me - caught the bus in to Aberdeen and we were joined on the bus at Culter by Dave, fresh from his Pilates class at Kippie. The early part of the walk from Union St, along Regent Quay was pretty busy and industrial, but when got to Pocra Quay and Footdee it became much more interesting. The iconic Roundhouse and Silver Darlings restaurant beckoned us onwards: Scarty's Monument - actually a ventilator shaft Team in "Fittie" Fittie house Fittie house 2 We were getting a bit peckish so a quick lunch stop at the famous Inversnecky: We then marched a couple of miles along the beach and turned back up towards Bridge of Don and Donmouth Nature Reserve and the bird hide there: Heron Across the bridge and down to the north side of the Don, we headed inland half a mil...

Our October walk was one featured in the Times recently as one of Britain's 20 Best Autumn Walks. We decided to expand things a little by doing a combined cycle/walk, starting at the Retreat in Glen Esk, where we'd cycled on a beautiful day last year. Our leader, Ken, made a relatively rare appearance, joining Dave, John, Ian, Colin and me. The distance from the coffee shop at the Retreat to the end of the tarmac at Invermark Lodge was just over 5 miles and after that there was a good track that ran along the north west side of Loch Lee for another couple of miles.  Time to tether up the horses: Then a small change of gear: Some nice, if ever so slightly daunting looking hills in the glen: Some interesting items of apparel too: Who was brave enough to wear the multi-coloured headscarf?: John wasn't the only one looking slightly dodgy: Soon we arrived at the Falls of Unich: Then it was a fairly steep and slippy climb upwards, wit...