Bennachie...my local hill

I had hoped to be away climbing a Munro today, but a combination of being late shift yesterday and feeling too tired to get up REALLY early to drive anywhere ruled this out. I then contemplated a day of lazing around, interspersed with an attendance at the gym, but knew I would feel guilty about not doing anything outdoors...and there is only so long I can stay on a treadmill before I get bored!!
So I decided that I could have a lie in then go up Bennachie, thus giving me my outdoor fix for this week, and still be home in time for tea. Bennachie is made up of a number of different tops, across a number of rises over a vast area of land beyond the small town of Oyne in Aberdeenshire. The highest top is Oxen Craig at 528m and the most strikingly noticable top is Mither Tap 518m (which can be seen from miles away in many directions). There are a number of different access points onto Bennachie also, with at least four different car parks scattered around the base of the hill. Today I started from the 'back o Bennachie' car park, just in off the Oyne road beyond Archeolink. The path starts from the signpost in the car park (which explains all the different routes around Bennachie and some of the wildlife you may be lucky enough to spot).

It winds up through some trees and crosses another path (the circular route around the hill) before disappearing into the trees again and climbing steeply for a short distance.

Once through the trees the path continues to climb up above the tree line and soon opens up views across the arable land to the north of Aberdeen. The higher you climb the better the views, especially on a clear day. From this route the first top I reached was little oxen craig...where there was an interesting information board about it's use as a quarry.

I scrambled onto the top of it and took a few pics, including one of  a rather noisy bird sitting below me.

I noticed a few other folk out walking from my vantage point (I think I saw another eight people on the path at various times throughout my walk), all taking their time and enjoying the dry weather. From little oxen craig I made my way along the zig zag path towards Craigshannoch, another of the main prominant tops.

The temperature dropped slightly and I was forced to stick my hat on, but it was still calm with very little wind. One thing I did notice was how dark it appeared in some of the pics, though it was only midday it did appear to be getting more overcast as I progressed.

I continued on my way along the vastly improved path (it was regenerated a few years back and is now in better condition than parts of union street!!), onwards and upwards to the Mither Tap.

I managed to get some atmospheric looking shots of Mither Tap outlining a mean looking sky...pretty impressed with myself and my camera today.

From the summit of Mither Tap I got some good views down to Glen Clova and out towards Aberlour (Ben Rinnes).

I stopped for a spot of lunch (chicken legs today) and found another information board to read...I never knew that the summit of Mither Tap had been the site of a Pictish fort.

I then carried on to Oxen Craig, the highest point on Bennachie. As I meandered along the winding path the temperature dropped even further and it was numbing my hands as I walked, so I stuffed my camera away for a while, at least until I reached the next summit, and warmed my hands inside my jacket.

When I reached the top of Oxen Craig the wind picked up and I really felt the cold biting into me.

I got a few more pics then headed off along the path and down the hillside...back along till I reached the access path and then followed it back down through the trees and eventually back to the car. Once back at the car it was time for some pea and ham soup from the flask to heat me up...no cake and custard today...then the twenty or so miles drive back to Aberdeen. 
All in I was on the hill for three hours today and felt far happier than I would have down the gym...fresh air rules!! Hopefully next week I will manage back on a Munro on my day off...but if not then perhaps I will try Ben Rinnes for size??

  

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