Hill: Carn Diamh
Date: Saturday 12th June 2010
Company: Myself and Beinn
Dog friendly: Yes (but numerous gates, stiles and sheep)
Time: 2Hrs 25Mins

I wanted to get up a hill today but didn't fancy a long drive. Fifty minutes after leaving home and I was parked at the Clash Wood car park on the outskirts of Tomnavoulin.

Start at Clash Wood car park:


Glenlivet Estate walking routes (My route marked in red):


From the car park I followed a good track for a short distance before taking a left onto a footpath running alongside a barbed-wire fence. After a few hundred metres of following the footpath, I crossed a couple of stiles to reach the good track leading to Westertown and beyond. There were lots of sheep beyond the stiles so Beinn had to stay on his lead.

Stile leading to track alongside Allt a' Choire:


Looking towards Carn Daimh:


I opted to follow the signs for Carn Daimh circuit and pretty-much abandoned using the map. This route has a good number of waymarkers. It would be difficult to get lost.

Follow the Carn Diamh circuit signs:


After passing Westertown I continued to follow the good track uphill towards Cairn Ellick.

Ruin:


Looking back towards Westertown:


There are lots of gates and stiles via this route.

Gate leading into forest:


In the forest, the path deteriorated significantly. Was glad I had my gaiters as the mud was a foot deep.

Signpost at very muddy junction:


On reaching the signpost at the muddy junction, I turned right towards Ballindalloch. A few hundred metres on and I reached the Speyside Way track. I then followed this much improved track as far as the summit of Carn Diamh.

Speyside Way track leading to Carn Diamh:


Speyside Way track leading to Carn Diamh:


Summit marker post:


Beinn at summit:


From the summit we descended North for a few hundred metres. At the signpost we took the footpath marked Tomnavoulin. This path took us back to Westertown.

Junction leading back to Tomnavoulin:


We then returned to the car as per our in-bound route. I then drove from Tomnavoulin to Grantown on Spey and then along the A939 and A940 to the starting point for Knock of Braemoray.

Hill: Knock of Braemoray
Date: Saturday 12th June 2010
Company: Myself and Beinn
Dog friendly: Yes
Time: 55 Minutes

There is room for several cars in the lay-by just past the highest point of the A940.

Parking in lay-by off A940:


From the lay-by we walked back along the road towards the highest-point until reaching a set of steps leading onto the hillside. Getting up these steps was possibly the hardest part of the day as they were covered in overgrown broom.

Broom-covered steps leading to hillside:


No path up this hill just lots of deep heather. 

Looking back towards Kerrow:


Looking West:


Looking towards Inverness and Ben Wyvis:


Bugle:


Beinn in the deep heather:


On a good clear day I think the views from this hill would be pretty-good.

Cairngorms:


Cairn 500m from summit:


Beinn at Trig Point near summit:


On reaching the trig point I used my GPS to head to the ten-figure grid reference that is the true summit. Possibly less than one metre higher than the trig point.

Trig point from summit:


Butterworts:


We returned to the car via the same route.