I picked up a hire-bike pre-arranged from Braemar Mountain Sports and headed down the Linn of Dee road. I'd done this with the same Munros in mind in winter a few years earlier but have got to close to the Hutchinson Memorial Hut before I was thwarted by a blizzard and an impassable river in spate.
Today however, the conditions couldn't have been better. I cycled past the Linn of Dee car park to where the main landrover track reaches the road and then double backed along it. At the Linn of Dee (one of my favourite wild camping spots) I locked the bike up and started along the track towards Glen Luibeg and Luibeg Bridge. However, soon after having crossed Derry Burn - in the vicinity of Derry Lodge, I noticed a faint track heading up to Carn Crom - a subsiduary top of Derry. I as by myself and had the whole day to explore so thought why not give it a go. There were no major obstructions according to the map although I couldn't see the plateaux. It was a pleasant path and off the main walkers routes and soon I was up at the plateaux of Derry Cairngotm. A large, rough-boulder field. I leapt from one boulder to another and these became more scree-like and easier to walk on as I neared the summit cairn. Despite the stunning weather I'd seen no other sole. I basked in the sun for a short while before hearing towards Loch Etchan with a view to crossing the exit river at it's eastern end. The river was quite passive - a far cry from the roaring torrent I'd encountered in winter and I crossed with ease, only taking my boots and socks off.
I followed a faint track NW for about 300m before starting up the more gentle slopes of the generally steep ascent of Beinn Mheidhoin. I was heading for the 1163m subsiduary blob. From here I could see for miles in all direction and the late spring/early summer haze with a few remaining mist patches in the glens made for a beautifully alpine view. I had lunch at the summit of Mheidhoin before heading back and down the Derry Burn from Loch Etchigan. I kept to the north side of the burn as I knew I would join (and I did) a good track running down from Beinn a' Chaorain through Glen Derry back to the bike. Despite the stunning weather the road - normally packed with tourists, walkers and coaches of biddies was surprisingly quiet and I returned the bike before the shop closed.
Area :
The Cairngorms
The Cairngorms are ‘a little piece of the arctic in Scotland’ according to the SMC Munros Guide and the area contains many of the tallest peaks in the East Highlands. Ben Macdui (1309m), Cairn Gorm (1244m) and Braeriach (1296) are probably three of the better known and the whole area is full of steep corries and high plateaux. Access to the mountains is typically from Aviemore or Braemar.
