Twin Peaks (without the weirdness)

With spring in the air, and a spring in my step, I accompanied Gail up not one but two Aberdeenshire peaks on Sunday afternoon. 

It was a grey day, but not cold, not raining and, at least when we set off, not windy. 

Good weather in these parts tends to be defined by an absence of the bad stuff.

First we went up an old favourite, Millstone Hill and then, instead of looping back round to the Donview car park as per usual, we extended to the walk and bounced onwards towards Mither Tap, one of a range of hills forming the prominent Aberdeenshire landmark known as Bennachie. 

Well, to be more accurate, I bounced and Gail walked. 

So it's a steep initial ascent through pine and birches and up to the heather.

At the summit of Millstone Hill we encountered a family enjoying some sandwiches and cake, and Gail insisted on us moving further along the path before she took a photo of our ultimate destination, Mither Tap. That's the pointy bit in the picture below. 

We went down into the trees before ascending again, having checked the directions carefully.

I stopped to pose nicely and allow Gail to catch her breath. 

And again, just before the final scramble.

Apparently is is ALWAYS windy on the rocky summit of Mither Tap, even if relatively calm just a few meters below. 

Do you like my streamlined look?

So that was my 'Twin Peaks' experience.

Disappointingly, there was no cherry pie.

PS from Gail: a spectacular hill fort forms part of the Mither Tap summit. My excuse for not taking any photos of the impressive ramparts is that keeping my balance clambering over the rocks while making sure Nobby didn't go wandering off looking for foodables to steal from other visitors took all my attention...

A misleading impression

Gail is concerned that my Glen Tanar post last Friday gave a misleading impression of typical weather conditions in Scotland in November/December.

As a corrective, I offer you this shot from another walk last week, this one on Friday up the well known Aberdeenshire landmark, Bennachie.

Steve, the gentleman in the middle of the picture, brother of Imogen (in the red jacket), had come up from London for a family visit and had expressed a desire for a 'proper' Scottish hill walk.

On a clear day, from the summit of this hill you can see all of Aberdeenshire, from the North Sea to the Moray Firth to the Cairngorm plateau.

This was not a clear day. I could just about see to the end of my handsome WFT snout.

But Steve was at least rewarded with a genuine Scottish hillwalking experience...

Although we are not sure how genuinely grateful he was...

PS: By the time you read this, Gail and I should be comfortably snuggled up in the 'Hutch' with our dear friend YAM-aunty.