The cloud's the limit

So it's April and, and spring is well and truly established, and I was promised a big hill walk this weekend. The weather forecast had indicated light clouds and sunshine.

Imagine my disappointment then, to wake up on Sunday morning to smudgy grey skies, and to hear Gail announcing a revised plan.

"There's no point climbing too high up today, is there Nobby? Looking at the cloud base, I think Scolty Hill is about the highest we can manage without disappearing into the mist.

It crossed my mind that there could be fun had in a low visibility scenario - perfect conditions for some terrier mischief. But I kept my thoughts to myself, remembering that Scolty is a nice enough walk, with plenty of scope for off lead adventures. 

The hill is topped by a tall tower, a prominent local landmark constructed in memory of local landowner General William Burnett, who fought alongside Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars. 

For some reason I was not allowed to ascend the spiral staircase up the tower, so had to content myself with surveying the surrounding hills, which were indeed cloud covered, and contemplating the possibilities (sadly unrealised) for stealing food off fellow hikers.

The land around here is owned by the Forestry Commission. They like to put up signs telling you not to climb on the stacks of timber, but I believe these signs are aimed at humans not dogs.

After we had descended through the woods to the River Dee I was given the opportunity to practice what Gail says is my improving grasp of the 'pose nicely' concept.

It was quite a long walk, despite only reaching an elevation of 299 m above sea level. At the end we stopped in a café in nearby Banchory. 'The Chatterbox' welcomes "well-behaved dogs" and I was kindly provided with a bowl of water and some tasty biscuits. 

Despite my initial disappointment, it was a totally satisfactory outing.