Graham, yep that route still works and is straight forward. You don't have to go as far as 830873 though. There is a short cut leaving the logging road at NO 82404 86810

You can also avoid some road walking by taking a track from NO 84105 86111 to NO 85352 85784
You can get to the castle either by crossing the A90 near the garden centre (with café) then take a quick right down to the bus depot where you go right following a small road under the railway bridge. You can then walk around the outskirts towards Dunnottar Woods which you can walk through towards the castle or alternatively, before the vet surgery, kick off towards Kirkton of Fetteresso and onwards towards Touks where you can cross under the A90 and follow the coast road towards the castle.

Download my Fetteresso route at https://www.keepandshare.com/doc9/20779/fetteresso-route-pdf-515k?da=y


Piccies at https://www.keepandshare.com/doc9/19688/fetteresso-route-pictures-pdf-671k?da=y

The Cowie, Finglennie and Queel all have their source within the forest and well away from any habitation,or even farmland, there shouldn't be any risk of sewage in the water at all.

Although it has been a few years since I passed through the forest I distinctly remember seeing some very nasty looking brown sludge along the banks of some watercourses and a considerable amount of oil laying in puddles and slower burns. In lower elevation areas and agricultural areas I always boil water and only take it from fast flowing sources, so far I've been lucky. If you can't filter it or boil it I'd say don't use it.

As I say, the Cowie and the Finglennie both normally run crystal clear. I know that there were a fair number of people camped up there last year, did anyone have any problems? I can only assume that either the oily film and brown scum were simply the result of peat disturbance or was the period you are talking about during the windfarm construction? There is absolutely nothing up there that could produce sewage pollution except a few deer and the occasional horse rider.

Apart from the areas where logging is going on, and trucks bringing logs out of the forest, the only vehicles that go into the forest are workers at the elec. substation at Trusta, way over to the East, and the FC warden who patrols in his little van.

Because the forest has become very mature and a huge demand for wood pulp caused by a ridiculous government energy policy that assumes burning wood pulp doesn't create CO2, there is more and more logging going on in the forest these days. The areas where logging is happening does tend to create a lot of peat runoff and muddy roads.

As I say, if there is an issue, I can always cache some drinking water up there.

Talking of caches, if anyone is staying in the area and into geocaching, I have two sets of caches up there, the Cryne Corse Drover's Trail caches and the Finglennie Fungus Fun caches. One of which is very close to the bridge over the Cowie and another in the trees at Lady's Ley just up the hill along the road south from the bridge. Lady's Ley is also a good sheltered camping area under a big old beech tree, but which needs you to bring water from the river at the bridge.

i went through heathery Haugh in the Feteresso a few years ago & found a lovely camp & nice stream/burn. then looked to my right & there was a dead lamb in the water. took water above, no problems.

another time I took water from a burn elsewhere & drank it to find a rotting fully grown stag in the water, I tried to pull it out but its flesh fell away in my hands ... still no tummy upset :tired_face:

I remember it well Lilo....it was too ****ed heavy to shift, even for a big strong lad like you!

Thanks guys for the 'reassurance' - reminds me of a story Hamish Brown tells (in 'Hamish's Mountain Walk' I think) of a conversation between students on the hill. One is admonishing another not to drink from streams because there may be a dead sheep in the water upstream which will lead him to catch liver flukes - which is what old shepherds die of. The one being admonished thinks for a moment and replies 'as long as they're old shepherds, I'll risk it!'

I've never filtered or sterilised water on the hill - I guess we all take precautions or not as we see it (and I may already be older than many old shepherds!).

Hopefully I'll be in a fit condition:
a) to walk through the Fetteresso Forest (last year I only got halfway on my first challenge)
b) drink the water and live to tell the story
c) regale other challengers with my own horror stories in due course.

I think you've got what it takes Graham. Perhaps see you somewhere in the Fetteresso, taking our own risks and doing it our own way!! Good luck :slightly_smiling_face: