Walking in the Angus Glens. James Carron
terrain where map, compass and the ability to use them come into their own.
Prolonged spells of wet weather do have an impact on hill paths and tracks, particularly those crossing peaty or marshy ground, making the terrain more difficult to negotiate.
Over the mountains, snow can fall at any time of the year. In reality, however, snow can usually be expected between November and March, although it can linger in the high corries well into the spring. During the winter, blizzards are common across exposed high plateaux and mountain peaks. While avalanche risk is low, heavy snow can render high-level routes impassable. Walks 1, 12–16, 25 and, 27–30 are those most likely to be affected by adverse weather conditions.
Depending on the severity of conditions, heavy and drifting snowfall can block access roads while icy conditions can make driving conditions in the glens hazardous.
Heritage paths and history
The Angus glens are criss-crossed by a network of old rights of way, long-established tracks and paths that run through the valleys and over the hills. Once vital links used by drovers, shepherds, traders and even smugglers, most fell by the wayside, superseded by modern highways. Now they are the preserve of walkers, backpackers and mountain bikers.
One of the most famous is the Tolmounth (Walk 30), a high-level route linking Glen Clova with Braemar. Better known as Jock’s Road, it played a key role in Scottish rights of way history. In 1887 a group of shepherds who regularly used the road joined forces with the Scottish Rights of Way Society to challenge a landowner who was intent on denying them access. After a lengthy legal battle that ended in the House of Lords in 1888, the old road was established as a right of way, setting a precedent that has protected public access to scores of other routes in the Scottish hills.
Negotiating high, exposed and largely featureless terrain, the Tolmounth is a challenging journey, particularly during the winter when the high ground is frequently swept by storms or blanketed in snow. It is among a number of old routes known as the Mounth Roads, so called because the range of hills between Angus and Deeside was historically known as the Mounth. Two – the Cairnwell and Cairn o’Mount – were incorporated into the road network while others, like the Capel Mounth (Walk 27), Mounth (Walk 28) and Firmounth (Walk 29) gradually fell out of use but remain an integral part of the landscape.
The Mounth Roads and a network of stalkers’ paths and hill tracks are a great resource for walkers, providing access to the high ground or offering satisfying day or multi-day hikes in their own right.
A carved Cateran Trail waymarker depicts the weathered features of a cattle rustler (Walk 2)
The only official long-distance path to meander into Angus is the Cateran Trail, a 103km (64-mile) circular route that, for the majority of users, begins and ends in Blairgowrie, in the neighbouring county of Perthshire. Heading north through the Perthshire countryside to Spittal of Glenshee via Bridge of Cally, Kirkmichael and Enochdu, the route turns south, crossing into Angus below Mount Blair. Passing through the hamlet of Forter, the way continues south through Glen Isla, passing Auchintaple Loch and Loch Shandra en route to Kirkton of Glenisla. From there, it heads south to Bridge of Craigisla beyond which it leaves Angus.
The trail is named after marauding cattle rustlers known at Caterans, who terrorised farmers from the Middle Ages until the 17th century and made good use of old drove roads and hill tracks to flee with stolen livestock. A quirky feature of the route is the carved wooden waymarker posts that feature bearded Cateran faces.
Deciphering place names
While some of the earliest place names in Angus derive from Pictish words, many of the mountain and hill names commonly in use today have Gaelic or Scots roots. One Pictish term ‘monadh’, meaning ‘mountain range’, was adopted by the Gaels to describe an upland moor or hill and the word is present in other forms, including ‘mounth’ and the Anglicised ‘mount’. Mount Keen comes from the Gaelic name ‘Monadh Caoin’, meaning ‘gentle hill’ while Mount Blair translates as ‘hill of the plain’ and Tolmount as ‘hill of the valley’. The Firmounth, Am Monadh Giuthais in Gaelic, means ‘the moor of pine’.
The Gaelic word ‘creag’ (‘craig’ in Scots), describes a crag or mountain, and makes frequent appearances on the county’s maps. Creag Leacach, for example, is the ‘slabby crag’, an apt description given its rock-strewn slopes. The word ‘carn’ (‘cairn’ in Scots) indicates a cairn-shaped hill or mountain and inspired names such as Cairn Bannoch, ‘the peaked hill’. Other hills in the county with Gaelic names include Tom Buidhe (yellow hill), Glas Maol (grey or pale hill) and Mayar, thought to derive from ‘magh ard’, meaning ‘high plain’.
Another word walkers will often encounter is ‘corrie’. It comes from the Gaelic term ‘coire’ and is used to describe a rounded hollow in a hillside. Corrie Fee, for example, means ‘corrie of the deer’.
As Gaelic gradually gave way to Scots in the glens, new words appeared, such as ‘shank’, meaning a long ridge (rising from Glen Lee, the Shank of Inchgrundle is a fine example), and ‘burn’, a term used frequently in Scotland to describe a stream.
Hill tables
A number of the mountains and hills in this guide are classified as Munros, Corbetts or Grahams.
Munros are separate Scottish mountains over 3000ft (914.4m) in height. The original list was drawn up by Sir Hugh Munro and published in 1891. It is subject to occasional revision, and currently (SMC, 2012) stands at 282.
Corbetts are Scottish peaks over 2500ft (762m) in height but under 3000ft (914.4m) with a reascent of 500ft (152.4m) on all sides (220 peaks are listed at present). Mr J Rooke Corbett compiled the original list in the 1920s.
Grahams are a more recent offering, a complete list of Scottish hills between 2000ft (610m) and 2499ft (761m) in height with a drop of at least 150m (492ft) on all sides. The table was compiled by Alan Dawson and Fiona Torbet (née Graham), and includes 224 hills.
The summits covered in this guide include 9 Munros, 3 Corbetts and 7 Grahams.
Planning and preparation
Crossing open ground en route to the distinctive cone of Broad Cairn (Walk 12)
Walking in Scotland is generally a safe activity, although – as with all outdoor pursuits – there is a level of inherent risk. Good preparation and planning play a key role in minimising the chances of getting into difficulties.
Before setting out consider whether fitness levels, experience, available equipment and hill skills of every member of the party meet the demands of the walk. Avoid taking unnecessary risks by tackling an overly long or difficult route. Do not hesitate to cut a walk short if someone tires or if the terrain becomes too difficult. It is better to retreat with all limbs intact rather than push on and risk accident, injury or illness.
It is a good idea to leave word of the intended walk with a responsible friend, relative or neighbour before setting off from home. If on holiday, details may be left with a hostel warden, B&B owner or hotel manager. It is important that contact is made with the person upon return to let them know you are back safely. If you fail to return at a predetermined time the relevant authorities can be alerted and, if necessary, a search or rescue mounted.
A route card – recording name and contact details, a note of everyone in the party, parking location, vehicle registration number, mobile phone number, start date, time and grid reference, intended route and end date, time and grid reference – is an efficient way of leaving details. In Glen Doll, the ranger service provides route cards that can be completed and left at the ranger centre adjacent to the main public car park. Don’t forget to collect your route card when you return so as to prevent an unnecessary rescue callout.