Deciding to make the most of the comparatively fine afternoon we decided to head for Bennachie. It’s been a long time since we’ve been here, usually favouring munros or the smaller hills out Deeside way. However, a change can be good and this meant we’d get both an afternoon walk and an evening at home.
There are many routes up Bennachie, as is very evident from the multiple signposts now adorning the hillside! We chose to start our walk at the Rowantree Car Park today which gives a relatively gentle pull up the hill.
It was a great day for it. The rain from this morning had cleared and there was barely a breath of wind. It’s amazing how quickly you find yourself on the summit when doing a smaller hill!
We sat chatting with another couple for a good while before heading off, then making the decision to do the neighbouring summits of Oxen Craig, higher than Bennachie, but less visited. While looking quite far off there’s a very good path (as there is on all these hills) and it’s a very short hop between them.
We then retraced our steps a little to branch off onto Craig Shannoch before heading back down to join the path back to the Rowantree car park.
A fine afternoon out. The only disappointing thing was the amount of discarded litter we encountered. I wonder if people who leave their water bottles and other junk believe that there’s a refuse collection mid-week? We did out bit for the environment though and in true Womble style carried quite a few pieces off the hill.
Clare, happiest outdoors! 