Wind and rain over Meall a’ Bhuachaille, Cairngorms, Scotland – September

It was another very windy day. We took the track that goes through Glenmore Lodge, stopped to appreciate the greenish water of the An Lochan Uaine, then headed up the ridge from the Ryvoan bothy after first having a look inside. It was another sloggy ascent up to the first top of Meall a’ Bhuachaille; after that it was an easier undulating walk west-north-west over the other tops of Creagan Gorm, other tops including the top of Creag a’ Chaillich, and Craiggowrie. At one point it was so windy that I sheltered behind a rock in order to take a photo. I saw some ptarmigan droppings but not the birds.

From Craiggowrie, the path took us south-west down its flank. We had a sandwich before heading into the woods, then walked along forest tracks, past the Badaguish outdoor centre, back to the main road by the Reindeer Centre. We were getting rained on by the time we got to the end. It took 5.5 hours to do the whole walk. We then decided to drive to the Braemar area on the south-eastern side of the Cairngorms.

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Trees and heather in Glenmore Forest Park in the morning light

A clump of Devil’s Bit Scabious. There are some pink ones in there, which I do not think I had seen before.

Cairngorm hills from the path up to Meall a’ Bhuachaille. The arcing road up to the Ski Centre can be seen on the right, and the shining water of Lochan na Beinne can be seen closer to the centre of the image. The highest point is Cairn Gorm, with the hills we had walked over two days earlier to the right of it.

View from the summit shelter of Meall a' Bhuachaille

View east from the summit shelter of Meall a’ Bhuachaille

View west, with the next top Creagan Gorm on the right, and the mountains beyond Aviemore in the distance.

One of the many rainbows of the day. Looking ahead to the rest of the ‘ridge’

The lower reaches of Creagan Gorm with the Queen's Forest

The lower reaches of Creagan Gorm (with Creagan Dubh sticking up a bit) with the Queen’s Forest

The Queen’s Forest and Loch Morlich

Looking back at Meall a’ Bhuachaille from Creagan Gorm

Sheltering from the wind behind a big tall stone to take a photo of the next (twin) tops. I think they are the highest points of Creag a’ Chaillich.

Looking back the way we had come. From the 688m top on the way to Creag a’ Chaillich?

One of the tops of Creag a’ Chaillich? You can start to lose track of how many tops you have gone over (especially when you are writing about it months later!)

Red plants. Looking over to the last top, Craiggowrie

And another rainbow, over Craiggowrie

Looking back from Craiggowrie before we head down.

A ‘bouquet’ of moss – found on the path (not harvested!), and returned where found

In the forest

Lichen on branches

Turkeytail fungus?

Looking into the trees

Down a pleasant forest path

On a wider forest track

Mist/cloud. I think the pointed peak in the middle is Carn Eirig, to the left (east) of which is the northern entrance to the Lairig Ghru pass, and to the right (west) of which is the entrance to Gleann Eanaich.