Just tinkering with my route and can see that I can save a km or two of tarmac bashing.

Has anybody had any experience of crossing the Forthie Water at NO796796. According to the 25K map there is a FB at this point however I can not see anything on any aerial view.

Normally I would not worry as it seems a narrow crossing to wade however it appears to be a land drain rather than a stream and crossing them can be a bit more problematically i.e. can be much deeper with vertical sides.

So if anyone can advise I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Ray

Ray,

I can't help you on your specific query, but I'd make a couple of points. Firstly, aerial views reveal not only no bridge but also no signs whatever of a route through what are ploughed fields. I'd guess that any path which once existed has long been forgotten. Access law is probably on your side but, personally, whilst I'm happy to cross pasture land, I find it very difficult morally to make incursions through growing crops. Any occupants of local farms may take a very dim view.

I can see that the Explorer maps detail a bridge, which only goes to show how misleading some of the information on these larger scale maps can be. They've been updated for major landscape changes such as roads, tracks, forestry etc but a lot of less significant stuff is so out of date as to be historical. I'm not entirely sure of my facts here and very possibly some better informed person may be along soon to correct me, but I think that the original surveys on which Explorer scale maps are based are sometimes very long in the tooth indeed. Older maps used to detail the survey dates, information which has conveniently vanished from the glossy modern versions but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the data dates back over forty years and is deemed insufficiently important to be worthy of revision.

Colin

Colin

My approved route takes me through Glenbervie and I wanted to get to Nether Pitforthie (then Milton of Barass and Catterline) without pounding along the A90.

But I take your point entirely and I certainly wouldn't want to cross a growing crop field. Street view seemed to show the vestiges of a field boundary but again how old is the photography.

The other alternates 1) a path north Meikle Fiddes can't be seen on aerial views and 2) a indicated path south of Gyratesmyre Farm seems to peter out before reaching Brenzieshill.

Street view doesn't offer any help in either case.

So it seems a 2 mile trudge along Gasoline Alley may well be necessary, but thank you for your comments.

Ray

Ray,

Apologies if my response struck you as a being critical. I've just re-read my mail and it comes over more strongly than I'd intended. I was in fact more concerned that you might meet with an unpleasant confrontation. Folk in this part of the world tend to be unused to casual walkers and I'd hate you to meet with an irate farmer as you emerged from their fields! I take your point about the field boundary but I've been in situations in the past where the farmer failed to grasp that distinction. In my view, mapped paths in the eastern plains are only worth following if they're clear on the ground - otherwise they tend to lead you into problems of one sort or another. Better to simply accept the tarmac penance.

I think however that you could still avoid the A90. Why not take the track which leads from NO792811 to Meikle Fiddes farm. This does no harm and no-one would have any good reason to object. A simple crossing of the trunk road would then put you back on track.

Hope that helps.

Colin

Colin

No apology necessary, I didn't consider the reply critical.

The dichotomy of maps is that they are out-of-date the day they are printed. We have all experienced paths that are on the map not being visible and paths which clearly visible not being on maps.

To use a well known phrase the only reliable way is "boots on the ground".

I can imagine the reception I would get as a "Sassenach" being met by a Scottish Farmer who has witnessed my size 10 boots trampling down his crop. Challenge Control would be going berserk trying find out which well I had "fallen" down.

But seriously despite having a freedom to roam we have to be respectful of peoples livelihoods.

Thanks for the tip about NO792811. I was so intent to trying to find the path I had missed the obvious i.e. the farm track down to A90.

See you in Montrose.

Map updating takes time. Fields near me were surveyed well over a year ago and the new buildings and new (electric!) fences haven't appeared on the OS Getamap page maps yet. The surveyor definitely knew about the fences, because he put his hand on one while his other hand was holding a metal pole planted in a puddle.

Pity you didn't have a camera pointing at that surveyor, Marion! Would have made the fence very memorable.

I recall once being followed at ever-increasing speed by a large herd of young cattle, and just beating them to a (mercifully low-ish) electric fence. Didn't know I still had such effective high-kicks in me at my age.