Stunning Reflections at Loch Lee: Not a breath of wind

Up bright and early, I’d planned to go running as usual on Sunday, Bruce golfing. He was also up awaiting confirmation of the green conditions. The phone pinged alerting him to the course being on winter greens. For him, that was all it needed to sway the balance – he was headed for the hills. I swithered, torn between running and going out with Bruce, but on going to pick up my running kit decided that this was too good a day to miss. The skies looked clear, the sun was shining, it would be perfect!

A Quick Turnaround

Rucksacks packed, maps looked out, we were on the road pretty swiftly. For a bit of variation, we headed south towards the Angus Glens, our final destination being Loch Lee. This is quite a long drive down Glen Esk and I was glad that Bruce was driving as we dodged the carefully marked potholes along the road! There were many although the road is scheduled for closure and presumably repair for a day later this month.

Frosty Underfoot

The road was gritted but once out of the car park it became apparent how cold it had been with the full moon and clear skies overnight, the road being rather icy in places. This continued to be a theme along the track towards Loch Lee and we were often clung to the grassy verge to avoid slipping. On the upside, the puddles were iced over to varying degrees and I had lots of fun all the way along the loch side popping them with my walking poles. Some pops were deep, other sounding like glass shattering and a few giving the perfect tone of ‘pop’ to satisfy my sensory need!

Along the Lochside

Loch Lee was beautiful! There was not a breath of wind and this gave a perfect calm water with stunning reflections from the surrounding hills.

The hills themselves were dusted in snow, further enhancing the natural beauty of the area.

Path conditions improved as we moved alongside the loch itself, although there were still plenty of puddles to pop. This, alongside the beautiful views and warmth of the winter sun saw the time pass easily. Before we knew it we’d walked the first couple of miles to reach the path off to the bridge that we’d cross on our return.

Waterfalls

The waterfall was flowing well, some of the snow melting higher up with the sunshine. We followed the path up the edge of the waterfall, grateful that this was lightly dusted in snow with very little ice. Our microspikes remained safely ensconced in the rucksacks.

There was one small section which was a wee bit tricky. Previously there has been a very small landslip; another walker who had passed us indicated that this was somewhat slippery. Given that there isn’t too much to grip onto, we opted to head higher, following the long leafy plants up and around it to bypass this section of path. I was glad to be safely across here, confident that there would be nothing remotely challenging from hereon in.

Across the Plateau

We continued up to the top of the waterfall, then climbing gently to reach the cairns that indicate the route across the plateau. This area tends to be very boggy but we found it better with the snowy conditions only occasionally finding ourselves sinking into a marshy tuft unexpectedly. We did briefly lose the path but otherwise it was very easy, not a breath of wind even at the highest point.

Having successfully crossed the plateau, track down in sight, I surprised a mountain hare! Sparklingly bright with its white winter fur camouflaging it in the snow, it leapt off at great speed from very close range. I must have been nearly upon it, poor thing!

Descent to Loch Lee

Once back on the track we made decent time on the return leg. The track was snowy rather than icy but we walked on the edges where possible. Before we knew it we’d reached the bottom having stopped a couple of times to seek out additional views. It turns out one of the best is just off the path with no heather bashing required, definitely good to know of walking in tick season.

Obligatory Coffee Stop

I made Bruce stop off for coffee on route home, happy that he was willing to get out of the car while the football was in full swing on the radio! We stopped at Castleton Farm, the intention being to have coffee and cake. However, when faced with a menu that offered High Tea I couldn’t resist. My macaroni was so wonderfully cheesy and Bruce was amused by the offer of bread alongside his panini. Little cakes to finish and a pot of tea rounded the day off perfectly and saved me having to cook.

Very glad I went out today. I may not have got the running mileage i was aiming for this week but it’s all good endurance. A few hours post walk I’m feeling my muscles and am very glad I’ve got a sports massage scheduled tomorrow evening.