Monday 20 May 2024 - A Clais Fhearnaig Circuit

We drove up to the Linn of Dee. Sue set off on her bike to Derry Lodge, from where she would climb to the 1182 metre summit of Beinn Mheadhoin, and enjoy another wild swim on the way down.

Meanwhile, I drove on to start an excellent circuit from the Linn of Quoich, pictured below.

Looking upstream from the bridge from which the above picture was taken, there's a Punch Bowl. The associated legend is that the Earl of Mar poured strong spirit into the punch bowl, which was then used to toast the Jacobite cause in 1715.

My walk continued up Glen Quoich, with views towards the towering summit of Beinn a'Bhùird. Given the morning cloud, I was obliged to substitute the missing mountain view with a curtain of Caledonian pinewood branches.

After an eroded section where the path has collapsed into the river (the river bed was easy to walk on today, with the river level low), a left turn onto a narrow path led to the end of a small loch, Clais Fhearnaig. 

It was a great place to sit with a mug of coffee, enjoying the changing light on the hillside and the water, from which fish were jumping. 

The resident stonechats were keen for me to leave, so I headed on past an upper lake that was full of weed. The only person I saw before getting to Glen Lui was around here; they disappeared up the hillside, avoiding any contact.

Soon I was on the descent to Glen Lui, where more hikers and cyclists were encountered. 

Here's a view to Derry Cairngorm from Glen Lui.

I lunched in the sunshine at this next bridge, but didn't cross it. My route went on forest tracks to Claybokie. 

After Claybokie, a good riverside path led past Mar Lodge and on past the Victoria Bridge footbridge and back to the car. 

Here's my route - 17km with 250 metres ascent, taking a very leisurely 5.5 hours.

Then I returned to the Linn of Dee to meet Sue after her successful Munro bagging and wild swimming outing.

I took many pictures of flowers today, of dubious quality so not reproduced here. The more prolific flowers were the following:

Bog Asphodel 

Wood Anemone 

Lady's Mantle 

Common Dog Violet

Marsh Marigold 

and various unidentified others

Birds included Song Thrush and Wren at Mar Lodge, Willow Warbler on Craig Leek yesterday, Oyster catchers by the river, Skylarks, and more.