Glen Doll

The Angus Glens are always a popular destination for the club. Travelling by JP Coaches from pick-ups in Blair and Alyth twenty members and one guest arrived at the Glen Doll car park to start their walks.

After such a spell of good weather, the mountain forecast for the day was not encouraging with high winds and cloud cover on the tops together with squally showers of sleet, snow and rain.

Following a group discussion on the coach the decision was made to avoid the high tops and to combine the A and B walks into a very enjoyable circular route of 12 miles. The C walkers had chosen the classic walk from the Ranger Station and along the track to Corrie Fee, this was to be afirst visit for 3 of the walkers who enjoyed the traditional ‘wow’ moment when the full majesty of the corrie is revealed as the track leaves the plantation.The group walked towards the end of the corrie to enjoy views of its water fall then returned by their outward route.

The majority of the group walked what was to be known as the A- route. Starting out from the car park and walking north along the path that follows the River South Esk, via Moulzie, to the head of its corrie at the Skellies. There were great views if the river’s gorge along the way with many tumbling waterfalls and slides. The path climbs steeply up to the rough moorland reaching a high point of 800mtrs. The route passes close to the diminutive Loch Esk along the way. It was here that the weather decided to throw rain,snow and hail at the walkers. After passing the Craigs of Loch Esk the walkers descended to meet Jock’s Road, the path that rises from Glen Doll and across high ground to Glen Callater and on to Braemar. The group had their lunch break at its famous shelter. Nearby is a memorial plaque to five walkers from Glasgow who perished on the path in the severe winter of 1959, having walked from Braemar.

The group made its way down into Glen Doll where the full devastation wrought by Storm Arwen was evident all around. All the walkers met up at the waiting coach and were dropped at the Clova Hotel where they enjoyed refreshments before returning to Alyth and Blairgowrie.

The next club event is the spring weekend away – to Ullapool on the 12th May. The next walk is to the Linn of Dee/Beinn Bhreac/Glen Derry on Sunday 4th June.

Our new walk programme for ‘23/’24 will soon be uploaded to our website.