[Lochnagar (Cac Carn Beag) (21)], Carn a' Choire Boidheach (White Mounth) (42), Carn an t-Sagairt Mor (83), Cairn Bannoch (117), Broad Cairn (142)

Walk date: 25/03/04
My Munro #'s: 14, 15, 16 and 17


Lochnagar (Cac Carn Beag) standing proud:















A Cambra engine on Carn an t-Sagairt Mor:















And its wheel:















Looking over to the Spittal of Glenshee from Carn an t-Sagairt Mor:
















Loch Muick coming into view at the end of a 5-Munro stomp:








This walk in the Lochnagar and Spittal of Glenshee Hills in known as The Lochnagar Circuit for obvious reasons, and is a great day out taking in 5 Munros in a surprisingly short amount of time. I was up and out early given the task ahead, being booted up and leaving the car by 10am. Good progress up Lochnagar. I realised at the top that the previous time I had been up, in a full-on blizzard (not a listed walk here), I had actually been about 10 metres off the summit peak. At the time the slight downward slope from the Cac Carn Mor cairn got me worried, and I erred on the side of safety and made the turn for going back home! Anyway today there was no trouble and I soon moved onto the uninspiring peak of Carn a Choire Boidheach, a large rounded featureless mound of grass! From here I made my way to Carn an t-Sagairt Mor and ascended its immediate steep front, disturbing winter hares and deer as I went! On this hill, I contemplated including some of The Spittal hills to the west, but a lack of map for the area kept me to my (relatively) sensible plan. Moving off down the west side of this hill, I came across the wreckage of what I later found out was a Cambra from a crash in the 50's; I was amazed so much was left! This was a nice find considering I had no inkling that it was there. Cairn Bannoch and Broad Cairn were formalities from here - the dramatic corrie of Lochnagar does spoil the rest of this day's hills! Despite a generally overcast day, the sun came out for the victory stomp alongside Loch Muick. Back at the car at 16:30 after 6 and a half hours.

Glenshee and Lochnagar Hills: Lochnagar (Cac Carn Beag) (21)

Walk date: August 2005
My Munro #s: 9/284

This was my first Munro of my Scottish residency and was a guided hike by Dan (from work) and Rebecca (wife of Dan) with myself and Jim (also work) in tow. The usual parking for this hill was the Spittal of Glenmuick at the head of Loch Muick (note: make sure you have change for pay & display - £2!). The path starts steady, only really climbing beyond the small wood and remaining on a landrover track until after Clais Rathadan where it veers west toward the obvious col between Lochnagar and Meikle Pap. At the col, make sure you press on to overlook the magnificent corrie containing the hill's assumed namesake Lochnagar. Continue onto the plateau via the short boulder field. If the wind is bad such as it was on this day, then reaching the top of this field is when you seriously notice it! From here a short climb takes you to the first cairn, Cac Carn Mor, which is often assumed to be the summit by Lochnagar-virgins (this included me). A short dip and rise and the true summit is reached after a brief climb on the rocks. On this day, Dan took us down Black Spout gully into the corrie and back via the shores of the Loch. Although quite safe in good weather, Black Spout is extremely steep and not for the faint-hearted. I would be daunted by it on my own, but it was exhilarating!