Corrour Bothy from the Linn of Dee
Posted by Sam Harrison on March 21, 2014 at 13:32.
braemar cairngorms corrour bothy creag choinnich derry lodge fell running
It's the second time we've stayed at the Linn of Dee car park in as many years; there's no campsite open during the winter in Braemar, so the options are either to find a spot along the old road south of the village or drive the 7 miles west of the village to the Linn of Dee. We tried to find a spot on the old road on the Friday evening, but that proved difficult for both the minibus and my car, and so we ended up at the Linn of Dee instead.
After a slightly uncomfortable night with me and Lorna squeezed into the back of my car (which, annoyingly, is slightly too short for me), we awoke to a grey sky and swaying trees. Some of the fourteen of us headed down to the Spittal of Glenmuick as originally planned, whilst the rest stayed behind to make an attempt on Beinn a Bhuird. I'll save you the suspense; both groups got to around the 1000m mark before wind and machine-gun hailstones stopped their progress and forced an early retreat. The Spittal of Glenmuick lot did manage the top Meikle Pap though!
Within a few miles of the start of my run I was reassured that I'd made the right decision to scrap my original plan; even down in the valleys the wind was gusting 50mph. I had a relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable saunter to Derry Lodge, making the most of being out in what I think of some of the best countryside in the UK (if not the world!). After a short break, I continued on a lovely little gravel path which wound its way through scotts pine to eventually lead me onto the open slopes of Carn a' Mhaim, around which I contoured until the Corrour Bothy came into view. It was a battle against the wind (and rain) on this final stretch, and I was glad to arrive at the bothy for a spot of lunch, one and a half hours after I started.
My route back followed the banks of the River Dee to the White Bridge. The river was definitely in spate and the path dissapeared into it in a number of places. This made the waterfalls near the White Bridge particularly impressive and I rested here for a good while taking in the surroundings. The 4x4 track back from the White Bridge was a bit of a drag, and I was glad to be back at the Linn of Dee, 3 hours and 3 minutes after I started out. After a quick dip in the River Dee (in the absence of a shower, brr!), I settled down with a stove, coffee and Lord of the Rings, waiting for the others to return; there are definitely worse places to spend 4 hours relaxing!
Sunday's weather was equally as windy as Saturdays (if not more so) and so we went for a short walk up Creag Choinnich (aka point 538m) before retreating to a tea shop in Braemar. Despite the wind, I can't wait for our next venture to Braemar!
