Excellent stuff Charlie, and we look forward to your further reconnaissance! When I passed that way this year the earthworks had just begun - but they're confined to an area stretching from NO 711 880 moving E to NO 713 852 (Wild Mare's Loup).

I know this area very well - it's my preferred Challenge finish, giving elegant access to the coast with minimal road-walk.

Frankly in the grand scheme of things this particular wind factory is not too intrusive. It is in no way comparable to the excesses of the M*n**li*th outrages - or indeed the suggestions for factories in the extreme North-West - north of Ullapool for example. I don't quite understand why the developers have chosen to site their factory facing SE when our prevailing winds come from the SW, but I guess that's the way it goes down in Hollywood.

Challengers should be aware that there is a substantial heavy equipment depot around NO 790 858. It's about the size of Wales . . . And the excellent campsite at NO 765 874 had been commandeered by PortaCabins - but again maybe Charlie can give us an update!

One other little wrinkle. Although we have a broad freedom of access here in Scotland, there are a few provisos. One of which is that there is no implicit access to construction sites. Fair enough. When I trundled through the Feterresso in May these notices only appeared after I'd exited the area.Which gave me a fine old giggle!

The loss of that lovely camping spot is a real shame. I stopped there towards the end of 2012. Reminiscing, I have just been looking at photos I took early in the morning as I slipped away leaving a couple of other campers snoozing. You can see what it DID look like towards the end of my 'Trundle' story for 2012.

http://lindywalks.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=3

I passed very close to your heavy equipment depot at NO 790858 but not close enough to see it, I had planned to walk right through the middle of it for my final day (before I knew it was there, thanks for that info) but due to the situation with the wind farm, I now think I'll be keeping a tadge further north.

Quite coincidentally the good bivi site you mention at NO765874 (major track junction) is basically what i was in there to recce, its my planned last basher area. There was only one scabby, small cabin just beside the wee bridge right on the main junction, it didn't look used tbh. I found two ideal spots within a 150yd radius of NO764874, ive got photos of the whole area and exact grids of the decent sites if anyone desires them.

The main point though, mid hill 1 & 2 looks a bit more of a drama than I first anticipated, doing some online research I came across the map of the site which has at least 3 turbines exactly on my planned path, (south on the builg through patons den) map below. I think I'll have to re route north on the builg road and east below kerloch, it actually saves me a mile and any grief from the windmillers so its not a deal breaker.


I still plan on going in some day soon for a wander anyway, as its a handy prep area for me, I found navigation in there to be a piece of pi cake, maps, gps and paths are all accurate


PS
Sorry for any bad grammar, sweary words or doric, Santa's been trialing lidl's fantastic red wine

Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ùr

Thanks for this current info, Charlie - much appreciated! Coming from the West (where else?) there are two main entry points to Fetteresso. First being a direct line from Spittal Cottage then 1.5km north on the road before taking a right along forest tracks via Garlot Hill > Bog of Saughs > NW of Tipperweir and then across the current wind-factory construction site to gain South Dennetys/ North Dennetys and then the shy and retiring slip-track that leads you to NO 717 879 and then onto clearer paths.

This has always been a favourite of mine. And I'm keenly interested as to whether the Tipperweir > South Dennetys stage is still accessible.

The other entry is via Heatheryhaugh and the farm populated by Radge Bullocks. Then skirting Kerloch to Glenskinnan and taking the SW track. Other entry from the N from E of Mosside (NO 699 916) presents no probs. Neither of these should be directly affected by the current construction - but there'll certainly be heavy (as in 18-wheelers) traffic in the main body of the forest until the project is complete.

Any further info much appreciated! And a Merry Ho Ho Ho to you all!

Thank you for that Charlie, I look forward to the update in due course.

I believe that the project is running behind schedule as it was supposed to be finished in August.

However found a video on the 'net showing the rotor blades in-transit from Dundee. They only just, and I mean by inches, managed to get past the roundabouts.

They were expecting to moving them every weekend for 14 weeks from September.

I also understand the finished wind turbine will be 400 ft high !!

Also Fred Olson Renewables have been given permission to add another 9 turbines to the 24 already being built. So I assume construction will continue well past May 2014.

I'm planning to head that way again this year so the information being provided is very useful, thanks.

I did find an idyllic camping spot near Heatheryhaugh by the Builg burn in 2012 at about NO 666872 if that is of any help.

After some advise of my good friends Leendert & Karin, together with the remarks in this post I came to the following:

From Bridge of Dye, E and N to Heatherhaugh->NE and at NO 667 874 SE->
at NO681 868 NE to Glenskinnan->SE to Burn and camp at NO 721 876.

Anyone??

Will meet in the Fetteresso

Willem,

Don't underestimate the time needed to do the leg from roughly NO671873 all the way to NO707888 as it has been extensively washed out and for the most now resembles a very rocky river bed- -coupled with the winds and frequent snow showers on the penultimate night of GOC2013 it was not very nice. If you need to stop short you can just about squeeze an Akto in near the gate at NO707888 and there is a small burn there with reasonable water

To all my old and new Challenge chums out there may I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2014 - hope Santa has got new batteries in his GPS as, given the severe weather conditions we have up here in deepest Aberdeenshire this evening, he may have difficulty locating some of the chimney pots, no doubt much the same for the rest of the UK....

Thank you for this Colin.

Merry Christmas!