TGOC'26 Day 9 Red House Bothy to Balmoral Woods Wild Camp

I slept in. Not exactly late, but I was not up and moving until 8 am. A far cry from the 5:30 am I am usually awake and thinking about getting up. I think the combination of yesterday's distance, but mostly the stress of making the late decision to leave the Feshie Bothy and the water fords, left me more tired than I realized. Most of the Challengers in the bothy had gathered their clothes from the drying racks and had packed up and either had left or were leaving now. One group of ladies, not Challengers, who were planning to go to Corrour Bothy in the Lairg Ghru, were having a leisurely breakfast before thinking about packing up. Depending on the total amount of rain and snow yesterday, they might find their plans a touch go. I eventually am ready to go by 9:15 and step out into a cold brisk wind, but some blue skies, which is a welcome change from yesterday.

Leaving the Red House Bothy, all but one or two tents remain. 

Walking along the track leaving the bothy, I can look up and see the tops of the Cairngorms. If I was up there this is what I would be walking in to get off the plateau today. 

First waypoint of the day is White Bridge. White Bridge is where I would have descended from the Cairngorm Plateau. This marks me being back on my original route. 

A great view down the River Dee, from the bridge. 

This first part of the day is just very nice flat walking in lovely forest as I head toward Mar Lodge for my lunch stop. 

Linn of Dee

Lui Bridge and Mar Forest. You might be able to tell from the photos, that the stormy weather has returned. 

Various Mar Cottages 

Closing in on Mar Lodge, The Lodge puts out signs letting Challenges know you can stop in to the stables for tea, coffee and a rest. It has been a tradition on the Challenge since the beginning.

Not stables in the conventional sense. The old stables are now the working office headquarter for the estate

I didn't take another picture of the "Lodge" this year, as I have done in the past, but if you are wondering what the "lodge" looks like... Here is one of my previous pictures.  Just a little shack by the tracks!

Inside they make a nice set up for Challengers with tea, coffee and biscuits. You can also send a resupply package here to be picked up. As it was starting to rain outside, I took advantage of the table and had my lunch in here. Graeme, Clara, Lucy and Danny all stopped in, heading for Braemar. 

Lunch done, I carried on. Last look at the snow covered Cairngorms. This was not the year to go high

I continued on and went to the spot that I would have stopped originally tonight. The Punch Bowl. Named for that hole in the rock. This is up the Linn of Quoich, which I mentioned earlier was one of the most beautiful glens I have walked in. 

The Legend of the Punch Bowl: During the 1715 Jacobite uprising, the Earl of Mar (John Erskine) gathered his clansmen and bannermen at the site. To rally his troops and boost morale, he purportedly filled this large, natural pothole carved by the swirling river with casks of whisky, honey, and boiling water, creating a massive communal bowl of punch

It is a stunningly beautiful area and would

 have made a great place to camp.

It was also the Queen Mother's Picnic lodge. 

A more modest size lodge, 😆 it sits overlooking the River Quoich. 

She would ride out from Balmoral Castle and have lunch here. Probably a much more elaborate affair than the lunch I just had! 

Fully restored on the inside 

The table in inlayed with these beautiful markers describing various features of the area in Gaelic

Mountain or high hill 

Snow 

Birch Tree or Birch wood 

Windy Place

Bridge

The Scottish language is very literal. This is why you will find so many places around the country with the exact same name. Most names describe the literal place it is located. 

Walking on from the lovely forest area, I continue on the Deeside (the side of the River Dee)... see what I mean?...  literal.

A lovely lonely Caledonian Pine. I good place for a break. I am on the opposite side of the Dee from the town of Braemar. It will be packed with people and Challengers all week. On this side, I am loving being all by myself. 

A first view of Braemar Castle. 

Looking south I can see the large outline of Lochnagar (1155m or 3789 ft) the highest mountain in the Balmoral Forest/ Grampian Mountains.

I made a small detour to see the Ivercauld Monument;

It was erected by devoted tenantry and servants to honor James Farquharson (the 10th Laird of Invercauld), who passed away in 1862

The monument up close

Looking ahead, I am in the Invercauld Estate. 100,000 acres. It has been in the control of the Farquharson family since the 1500's! 😲

I have walked for 2 days now and it will be three total and I have only been on 4 properties!! The Feshie Estate (45,000 acres), Invercauld Estate, Mar Lodge Estate (72,000 acres) and of course, Balmoral Estate (50,000 acres)

Looking back from the monument, over the River Dee to Braemar Castle.

The ruins of Balnagower Cottage (c.1840) on the hill above the monument.

It appears that in the last 25 years it has suffered a fire, which has destroyed most of the building

After the monument it a pretty walk along the edge of some woods. 

Because I took the small detour to see the monument and then regained the path, I have strayed off the main "tourist" path and find myself in an open sheep pasture. 

I am a bit apprehensive to be walking on such a large estate, perhaps were I should not be, but I move as quickly and quietly as I can, trying to cause the least amount of disturbance to the sheep and lambs as I can. 

I made it through the field of sheep and over a locked farm gate (so probably not the best route. Later I saw that I could have taken a short trek up the side of a wooded stream, that would have put me on the "correct" path, but there was no clear track or sign at any point.. 

The monument seemed like an obvious sight seeing visit, but I image most people just turn around and walk back to the little grass parking lot that was about half a mile back the way I came. 

You can't really get any clear look at the Invercauld House, even when are walking right beside it. (I am sure that is on purpose) This is the best photo I could get.

Here is what it looks like (internet photo)... amazing

They also have some impressive looking art work along their 2 mile driveway. 

Along the way, there are more fields of sheep, cattle, small lochans and even a saw mill.

After the almost 2 miles of road that parallels the Invercauld House driveway you cross the A93 to reach the Old Invercauld Bridge.(c.1753).

It is now just a foot and cycle bridge 

View from the Bridge 

This is now the Balmoral Forest proper.

I ran into two Challengers coming from Braemar via the new path that keeps you off the A93 road and brings you right to the end of the Invercauld Bridge. We walked together for the remainder of the day (I thought I wrote down their names, but I have misplaced it, sorry guys) 😞

A heard of deer just outside Gharbh Allt Shiel

The forest was beautiful and the weather held out nicely in the late afternoon 

Around 5:00 pm, the three of us settled across from Connachat Cottage but after a brief conversation, initiated by the fishing guide, about being too close to the building for his clients liking, we scattered to more remote locations up and over the hill back into the denser woods. (we were too close!)

I ended up being in a much better and more beautiful location for a quiet night in the woods 

First evening, of the Challenge, that was just beautiful. 

Summary and Stats:

Just short of 18 miles today. A nice pleasant walk