Wednesday 3 September - a shelter occupied again

"In Glen Shee and all its side glens, the green hills, the rocky bluffs of varying colour from pink to black, the many fine big burns and the fertile grassy river flats give the scenery a distinctive character and charm" (Adam Watson).

The weather had turned raw as we arrived at Cairn of Claise's top. We spoke with a walker studying his map at the cairn, then noticed the group of three having lunch in the shelter; the same three we'd met on Carn a' Gheoidh the previous day. Their next objectives were Tolmount and Tom Buidhe and they asked us how they should pronounce the names. We had to admit that although we did our best and made every effort get the pronounciation correct, only a Gaelic speaker could make the names sound like music.

As they were leaving in deteriorating weather, one member of the party commented that she wished she hadn't consumed all her hot drinks. Maybe not the wisest thing to do given the cold weather and their day only half done, but I dare say she survived. Most of us do.

Hot tea for us plus scones on jam (no clotted cream!) and a flapjack fortified us and after donning some extra clothing and gloves we picked up the Monega Road for our return to Glen Shee. Thin mist drifted across Glas Maol's plateau changing the atmosphere of the place instantly.

Earlier in the day we had seen an elderly walker suddenly fall to the ground just as he started his descent to Meall Odhar. The fall looked heavy and we feared the worst so set off to help but before getting very far he got up and continued his descent. He must have been fine for we found no body on our way back.

As usual blue hares were everywhere their coats beginning to show patches of white; the first of the winter snows not too far off perhaps. Now that's always an exciting prospect.



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