RoadToLochMuick.jpg
RiverMuick1.jpg
RiverMuick2.jpg
LowCloud1.jpg
ApproachingLochMuick.jpg
LowCloud2.jpg
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The 9th October was the only unflyable day of the week, with low cloud hugging the mountains and hills all day. So after lunch we decided this was a good day to walk around Loch Muick. It was a long tiring walk of 10 miles but the views even with the cloud were nice. It was also nice to see this loch from the ground for a change, and compare it to the more familiar aerial view from high up. We drove up Glen Muick from Ballater to Spittal of Glen Muick car park and walked from there.
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RoadToLochMuick.jpg |
RiverMuick1.jpg |
RiverMuick2.jpg |
LowCloud1.jpg |
ApproachingLochMuick.jpg |
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| Driving up Glen Muick to the loch. | Crossing a bridge over the river Muick at the start of the walk. | Low cloud hugging the mountains to the north. | Approaching the loch. | Looking ahead to the north track. We went anticlockwise round the loch. | |
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| Crossing over a bridge next to where the River Muick flows out of Loch Muick. | There was a boat house at the NE corner of the loch. | More low cloud hugging the mountains above us. | Walking along the path on the northern side of the loch. | ||
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| Views of the loch from the northern path as we walked along. | A forest surrounding a house built by Queen Victoria, and view of the loch from near that location. | Approaching the SW end of the loch. | |||
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 LookingTowardsDubhLoch.jpg |
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| The SW end of Loch Muick. | Low cloud 'smouldering' off the mountains on the north side. | Looking further up the glen towards Dubh Loch. | Loch Muick from the SW end. | Starting back along the southern path. | Another view ahead from the southern path. |
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 Waterfall.jpg |
 LochMuickPanorama.jpg |
| The house in the forest from the other side of the loch. | Walking past a waterfall half way along the southern path. | A 6 shot panorama of the whole of Loch Muick taken from the highest point on the southern path. |
I decided to climb Scar Hill on the north side of the airfield in the morning. I got a soaking going up there when I had to wade through long wet grass and bracken but got some interesting new viewpoints once I was on the rocks higher up.
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| Looking down the valley towards Aboyne itself. | Looking up the valley towards Ballater. | The heathers and other rock plants had a lovely colour. Airfield can be seen at the top of the pic. | A montage of 3 long range shots of a Pawnee tug circling as it descended to the airfield after towing a glider up. You can just make out the rope. | Looking NW to Morven. |
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| Looking N to Tarland. | A montage of 4 shots of a Puchaz as it flew over Scar Hill on circuit and coming in to land at Aboyne. | A 3 shot panorama of the airfield. | Another shot of the colourful heathers with the bracken and other thicker vegetation below the rocks. | A Rowan tree growing in a bowl in the rocks behind a grassy ledge. | Mushrooms growing on a track on the way down. |
Up until last year we stayed at Glendavan house (pics on previous Aboyne piccies pages). This year for the first time we stayed at Ravenswood in Ballater. This place appears to be an old victorian hotel, complete with reception desk, bar, visitors' lounge, dining room and big bedrooms. I could easily imagine the game of Cluedo being based on a place like this. we also saw Red Squirrels outside too. Here are some pictures I took inside and out during my stay.
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| Ravenswood from the driveway outside. | Some of the loos are antiques in themselves! | The dining room is big - easily accomodated the Booker guys the week before I was there. | Two shots of the lounge - a long narrow room. Conservatory exit opposite the hall entrance. | The hall. Front door on my right. Reception desk on my left. | |
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| The double front door and the reception opposite. | Two shots of the bar. | The kitchen. | Coats of arms at the top of the stairs. | ||
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| My bedroom - room 1 on the first floor. A large ensuite double room. | View from my room. The road is the A93. | The smaller lounge on the 2nd floor. | ||
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| Cirrus cloud formation seen on the 8th. | A montage of 778 landing on the 10th as I got back to the airfield from Scar Hill. | The Old Royal Station in Ballater. | Mackerel Sky |
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| Two lennies on the 11th at lunchtime to the SE and NW over the lochs. The SE one had all these curious ripples. The NW one later grew bigger and I climbed past it on my way to 22,000 feet. | Alto-ripples. | Two shot of Altocumulus Castellanus clouds. | Upper lenticular, part of an unreachable upper wave system on the 12th. | ||
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| Shots of the Aboyne Pawnee tug coming into land after the last aerotow of the day on the 12th. | This pic nicely sums up the 12th - not enough wind. | The 12th did produce a beautiful sunset though. | ||