The walking calendar for 2002 has been compiled with many of our favourites and hopefully there will be many happy tales to write about for the Courier.

So far this year we have been pretty fortunate with the weather and when we get a dry day for our end of season barbeque we consider ourselves very lucky - we will forget about the five minutes of rain just as we were clearing up.

Our walk in April took us up to 'Lary Farm and beyond'. Starting from the Bridge of Cairn, just past the Pass of Ballater and with the River Gairn on our left, we walked on the road for just over 2 miles. It was a clear, dry, windy day, chilly at times. The trees were coining to their best and the Gairn was tumbling towards the River Dee.

We took the track, through a gate, and found ourselves at the back of the Lary Farm house, which is being modernised and the grounds around the house laid out beautifully. We will have to go back later in the year to see how the work has progressed. On good authority (a 'local' encountered earlier) we learned that the Farm now belongs to a Belgian couple.

Now we are on a track with Lary Hill on our left, Peter's Hill on our right and, some distance away, Morven Hill in front of us. As we climb higher and stop to take in the spectacular views, we see majestic Lochnagar still with snow, Mount Keen in the distance, Coyles of Muick and many more - unfortunately they do not have nametags on them!

Looking to our left as we go up from Lary Farm, there is a great clump of trees and nestled in there are the ruins of Morven Lodge. This Lodge was once the preserve (if you'll excuse the pun!) of Alexander Keillor, the Dundee Jam King, and seemingly was an imposing building once bustling with life when the gentry gathered during the shooting season.

We skirt along the east flank of Morven Hill towards Redburn and on to a secondary road leading back to Dinnet and a well-earned shandy at the Kinord Hotel. A wonderful day - weather, scenery, company, couldn't be surpassed. Here's to the next tale.

JEAN DUFF

Editor: Apologies in advance if there are mistakes in the spelling of the many places visited by our walking groups. As a couch potato, I am unfamiliar with most of them.