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Our September 2022 trip to the Scottish Highlands was a trip of two halves, with the good weather of our ‘Behind Liathach’ day (see post #330) replaced by bad weather that drove us to the East Coast for some respite (see post #331).  Then, just as the expedition was about to draw to a close, the weather took a turn for the better in the Cairngorms – it was time to head back to the hills.

The mass of the Cairngorms is a major barrier to travel in Eastern Highlands of Scotland.  The range is about 60 kms x 40 kms of high country, crossed only by ancient valley tracks or wild mountain paths.  This effectively means that there are two main bases to explore the mountains – either the Aviemore side to the north or the Braemar side to the southeast.  We were already on the East Coast, so it made sense to head for Braemar, and a little-known hill called Creag Bhalg.

I had been saving Creag Bhalg for an ‘iffy’ weather day, and it soon became obvious that ‘iffy’ was going to be about right.  The high Cairngorm plateau, about 1100-1200 metres in altitude, attracts weather described as Arctic in winter.  Even September can bring life-threatening weather conditions, but Creag Bhalg, at 668 metres, was likely to be a little more benign – it was also reputed to be a good viewpoint for the main Cairngorm mountains.  So, Creag Bhalg it was to be.

There are two logical ways to approach Creag Bhalg, either by the Linn of Dee (see post #258) or by Mar Lodge.  I fancied the Mar Lodge option, mainly for its place in the history of mountaineering and climbing – in the 1960s-70s there was a public bar at the Lodge, frequented by the climbing fraternity as well as estate workers, stalkers, ghillies and campers.  Some of the tales have become the stuff of legend, but alas no longer.  The Lodge and estate are now both owned by the National Trust of Scotland, the house converted to holiday lets and the wild, impromptu ceilidhs of yesteryear are just a memory.

We didn’t have time to ceilidh on this trip, as our wee hill was still waiting for us!  After passing Mar Lodge, we set off through woodland before the path finally opened up to give wider views towards the mountains.   Fungus fans would have been impressed by the fine array of fly agaric toadstools growing by the path, adding a splash of colour to the heather.

The weather looked as if set to be fair, but there were glowering clouds out to the west, heading towards Glen Lui and Derry Lodge.  I had done a bit of research on Creag Bhalg, and one feature I was looking out for as a navigational marker was a lone Scots pine. Sure enough, as we turned towards the upper slopes of the hill, it was there – we were on ‘the trail of the lonesome pine’!

As we got closer to the summit, the clouds got closer to us, and we did have the odd shower of rain, mixed in with clear spells and long views towards the main Cairngorm mountains.  The potential of Creag Bhalg as a viewpoint towards the cairngorms was apparent, and if the hill was modest in size, it was worth the trip just for the panoramas.

We didn’t linger at the summit, as it was on the cool side for September, and after a few quick photos, it was time to head down.  We took a slightly different descent route, taking us round the other side of Mar Lodge – it all looks very tidy and civilised now, but I bet the fabled ‘stag ballroom’ could tell a few tales of the golden age of Cairngorm climbing.

Text and images © Paul Shorrock