Dee-ciders Walking Group
IT can't be autumn already! It's a lovely time of year - the vibrant oranges and reds to the more tranquil pale yellows into green make for a stunning spectacle when walking in the countryside.
We have had some tremendous days away with our group. One of the bonniest was to the `Rocks of Solitude' at Edzell. The day didn't start off too well here in Aberdeen but by the time we reached Edzell it was brightening up, which gave us an uplift for what the day might be.
Walking along that wooded path above the North Esk River was a painter's paradise. The sun was filtering through the beech trees casting beautiful shadows as we walked along and the orange beech leaves were just beginning to flutter down onto the Rocks below. We made our way back along the other side of the river, crunching through the fallen beech-nuts then returned to Edzell and the Panmure Hotel for a well-deserved shandy - sitting out in the sunshine.
Now I'm going back to a gorgeous summer's day when our walk was Morrone - up to that weather-recording mast you can see for miles. This time we went from Braemar just along the Cluny Road from the Braemar Golf Course Club House. What a day of heat! Morrone is 859 metres high and dominates Braemar. `Morrone', by the way, is another variation of `Morven' meaning simply `Big Hill'. (Apologies to all little girls called `Morven' - including my granddaughter. She is dainty and I am sure so are all the others.) It was one of those days of great joy and satisfaction on its completion but - and a big BUT - never again, well not in that heat. Another time we may just do Morrone Birch Wood, one of the best examples of an upland birch wood in Britain. It's certainly one to put in the diary for next year.
Glen Girnock was our trip in mid October and were we lucky with the weather; not brilliant sunshine but very pleasant. Drove to Balmoral, parked the bus at Lochnagar Distillery but, unfortunately it was closed. (If it had been open, perhaps we would never have made the walk!)
This is a peaceful glen yet it has had a curiously violent past. One of the most tragic feuds of the 16th century had its roots in Strathgirnock. The Forbes of Strathgirnock and the Gordons of Knock (Knock Castle is about 1 mile from the Bridge of Muick) had a hatred of each other. It reached a terrible height when Alexander Forbes slew Francis Gordon who had wanted to marry his daughter. Forbes later slaughtered Francis' seven brothers while they were cutting peat and stuck their heads on their Flauchter spades (peat-cutting spades).
On that grisly note, will leave you.
Jean Duff