Robin Howie: walk on the wild side - by Jock's Road to Tolmount

Published on Thursday 16 October 2008 15:17

IN the recent Autumn Woodland Walks booklet I wrote for The Scotsman I described a walk in Glen Doll, with an extension into the craggy upper glen to a shelter below Cairn Lunkard. On 28 September Jimbo and I repeated that walk, though this time extending it even further with a climb to Tolmount.

I was keen to pay another visit to the shelter which is maintained by the Forfar & District Hillwalking Club. I had received a letter from a reader, John Norrie, mentioning that a work party from the club had partially re-turfed the roof and was due to return on that day to complete the work. With the newly opened information centre at the Glen Clova car park having toilets for the disabled, Jimbo was keen to check out a path in the forest that might be suitable for his disabled ramblers group. Alas the path in question is too rough for the scooters, though there are other options.

You will need Ordnance Survey map 44, Ballater & Glen Clova. The car park at the entrance to Glen Doll lies at the end of the Tarmac road at map ref 284762. Head west on a broad gravel track past Acharn Farm for one mile to map ref 268760, from where a path goes off to the right. Though it rises slightly, the path gives a lovely sheltered walk. However, once clear of the trees the rugged upper glen may come as a shock, the first hint of being on the edge of a wilderness area. Fortunately the well-renovated Jock's Road climbs high on the north side and eases its way through craggy terrain to reach the shelter at map ref 233778, revealing the open slopes of the Mounth plateau.

Known as Davy's Bourach, the current shelter was built by Davy Glen in 1966. Bourach is the Gaelic word for a guddle, mess or shambles. With a turf roof atop corrugated iron, the surprisingly capacious shelter may not be the prettiest but undoubtedly could be a life saver and, if approaching from the Clova side, the repainted red door means that the refuge is now less likely to be missed in bad weather.

The shelter is opposite the site of an older shelter, now demolished, marked by a small discreet plaque, Universal Hiking Club Glasgow. It was erected in memory of five members who died on New Year 1959. They lost their lives in adverse weather conditions on a traverse of the Mounth plateau, heading for Glen Doll.

When we arrived the work party had finished their task and, with rucksacks laden with spades, were about to depart. After a blether we went our separate ways.

A right of way linking Glens Callater, Doll and Clova, Jock's Road, not of course a road, is the highest of the ancient routes over the Mounth. It now has a sustainable path, part of a mountain path improvement scheme for the eastern Cairngorms. From the shelter follow Jock's Road as it climbs NNW. Despite a lower short rough and muddy section, the path gives easy walking and passes by the east side of Crow Craigies at a height of 920m. Make the short detour to this subsidiary top, then, back on the path, descend a short distance north-west. The right of way continues across the featureless plateau, but leave the path and curve WNW to a boggy area ENE of Tolmount. Join a worn Munro path and climb drier slopes to reach the stony conical summit of Tolmount.

Tolmount's rough granite summit at 958m/3143ft is perched very close to the crags that form the headwall of Glen Callater, and the view down the glen to Loch Callater is impressive. From the ruins of a stone cottage just below the summit, the views south-east down the higher grassy slopes of Glen Doll are altogether more placid. The name Tolmount comes from the Gaelic toll, a hollow, or small valley, and monadh, corrupted to mounth. With the summit lying close by the crags overlooking Glen Callater, perhaps hill above the toll is the likeliest explanation.

It would be wrong to dismiss Tolmount as a dull Mounth hill. It deserves more critical appreciation. Even with the excellent new Jock's Road path, as the Mounth is often cloud-covered, accurate navigation is crucial. Keep this traverse for a good day.

Factfile

Map Ordnance Survey map 44, Ballater & Glen Clova

Distance 11 miles

Height 800m

Terrain Track then path most of the way

Start point Glen Clova car park at entrance to Glen Doll

Time 5 to 6 hours

Nearest town Kirriemuir

Nearest refreshment spot Clova Hotel, Glen Clova