Wednesday 21 March 2012 - Choinneachain Hill

Apologies to those who tried and failed to view yesterday's Salford Trail slide show. Sadly I've been unable to 'read' a barrage of 'Googlies' and I keep getting stumped. However, the link should now work. Enjoy!
I can't re-insert the link here due to my further lack of competence, in this case it's the dreaded Blackberry that I've failed to master.

Today's picture of Choinneachain Hill (on the right) was taken from the dam on Loch Turret Reservoir, just outside Crieff. It was a fine day for a hill walk, albeit a bit noisy with seriously vocal gulls. No people at all though, until I met a farmer feeding his sheep at the end of the 14km walk.

The sound of raucous gulls was soon replaced by the melodic trill of a curlew, as I sauntered along a pleasant track laden with frogs and their spawn. Then the 400 metre ascent was by way of a thin path, not marked on my map, beside a burn to the south of Ton Eich. After that a short heather bash took me to the hill's cairn laden summit.

There was very little snow up there at just under 800 metres. The hares, still in the pure white of their winter raiment, provided a rather amusing sight as they stopped and started in unison. To be fair, when stationary they probably looked like rocks from above.

Good views towards Ben Chonzie were enjoyed as I strolled across to Auchnafree Hill, which seems to me to be of diminutive stature compared with Choinneachain Hill despite the protestations of the Ordnance Survey.

Auchnafree Hill does however take first prize on the peat hag front. Some bog dodging was necessary.

But it was warmer and calmer than expected - hat and gloves were not required, the old Vapour Rise fleece proving ideal for the 'early Spring' conditions.

Meadow pipits tweeted high above me, but there was no sign yet of the wheatears having returned from their holidays.

An easy descent with fine views across Loch Turret Reservoir soon had me back at the car and emptying the dregs from my flask before setting off to tonight's Bothy, where a good dose of Chardonnay can be blamed for any unintelligibility within these scribblings.

Slideshow now here.