Wind speeds were predicted to be high and the wet snow started before Braemar. Getting round to the Linn of Dee Bridge we found it closed for no specified reason, later found a local lady who had been as surprised as us, she thought it might be something to do with a tree the Mar estate thought might be a bit wobbly. Anyway, we detoured back around to the Mar Lodge bridge where the BBC were assembled in some force filming Winterwatch.
Eventually we got to the Linn of Dee car park and booted up. Off into the wind and driving snow we set. Heading up through the woods we saw that we were being watched:
The S95 doesn't have the best zoom so here's a crop into the centre of the frame:
He watched us for a while as we walked up through the woods until he sauntered off.
As we came out of the trees onto the open hillside we saw that the stag had merely been keeping an eye on us for his pals:
At least 60 deer were spread across the hill in the dead ground ahead, just before the open hillside.
As we left the cover of the trees the full force of the wind became apparent and, with the depth of snow, poor visibility and increasing winds we decided we'd had enough for the day and headed down off the hill.
Still, one photogenic dead tree to paparazzi before descending:
Down we came and the snow was falling thicker and very much faster. Windspeed had increased a lot since we entered the trees, it would have been a very miserable time just to the top of the first hill, let alone the ridge.
A good, if short, day in the hills, grand breakfast at the Braemar Mountain Sports cafe and a good yarn. I count that as one in the win column.
No comments:
Post a Comment