In response to Colin Crawford's challenge http://pub9.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=757451871&frmid=14&msgid=793186&cmd=show I've put together a route across the Fetteresso that provides an alternative to the more commonly used route that is dominated by the Midhill windfarm.
The route I have put together https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/1760528/Fetteresso-West-to-East is quite challenging to start with, involving travelling up trail-less peaty heather moorland to the summit of Goyle Hill before entering the FC managed estate and much easier terrain.
I had to do some recon work on parts of the route that I haven't used before or not for a while. The Eastern end of the forest is my backyard but the western side less familiar.

I have written detailed notes of the route but I currently don't have a public access website, could one of the 'bloggers' who has web-space please contact me about posting the pdf notes where folks can download them?

The route is a bit longer than the northern version more commonly used by challengers and, as I say more of a peg to start with, especially for anyone with a full pack and in bad weather, but hopefully avoids the windfarm more effectively and provides a little bit more interest. The turbines are however still visible from a couple of sections.

I have walked the vast majority of the route in short sections in the last few weeks but I of course accept no responsibility if challengers find a track blocked by forestry work in May.

I would be grateful for any comments or advice.

Thanks Brian, good to know that my tongue in cheek baiting bore some fruit. I can't help with a platform but surely someone will be along soon with an offer. I look forward to perusing your route and finding out what I've been missing over the years. It might even tempt me to wander through the forest on a future Challenge.

Colin

The alternative section mentioned in the route notes using the lower, more pleasant, landrover track. This route is slower but quieter and more attractive and could possibly be used for single tent wild camping as there are some small flat areas with nearby running water.
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/1780183/Fetteresso-route-Finglennie-burn-alternative

An update....I've been talking to the Manager of the James Hutton research farm at GlenSaugh near Clatterin' Brig. He is helping me put together some routes from the Cairn O'Mount and from Clatterin' Brig using Slack Den. There are some excellent camping locations in Slack Den and he has said that it will be possible to unlock some gates in the electrified deer fence while the TGOC is going on.

Brian, thank very much for the thought and effort you put into this. My paper maps have not arrived yet and trying to find a route through there on a small laptop screen was proving tiresome. I'm looking forward to to a nice walk through the forest on Tuesday!

I have been looking at alternatives to Goyle Hill (which is a bit of a trudge over peaty grouse moor)and as I mentioned above it will be possible to cross from the Cairn O'Mount road to the Fetteresso using Slack Den. You can get into Slack Den either by using a gate in the deer fence at NO 6659 8073 (or a convenient stile 100m down the hill at NO 66568060) The gate can be reached using a landrover track that leaves the Co'M road just south of the cairn NO 652800 or a less defined track that leaves the road just N of the cairn NO 649807.
Once through the fence you can either descend the steep slope straight down to the floor of the den or take the more defined route that follows the fence southwards down towards the entrance to the glen where it meets the road coming up from Clatterin' Brig.
Alternatively you can enter Slack Den from the ford across the road from the Clatterin' Brig café. There are some really excellent wild camping opportunities in Slack Den and the manager of the estate actively encourages challengers to camp there.
There is an old pony track that climbs diagonally from a waymark post at NO 67112 79771 up the eastern slope at a steady angle which brings you up to dry heathland on Loch Hill you then head for a deer fence gate at NO 67347 79781 which is always unlocked and then enter the forest at a gate at NO 6782 80376. This gate is normally locked but will be unlocked while the TGOC is happening. It is then possible to follow the forestry tracks to join up with my original via Goyle Hill route at NO 70336 81759.

While doing my recon I also met the landowner of the area around Leachie Hill which my route crosses. There are plans to plant trees in the area which will mean that the current fence which is crossed using an improvised stile will be replaced by a deer fence. I will keep an eye on the situation.
If you want any more advise on crossing the Fetteresso, email me anytime.

That is really useful information, Brian - thank you for all your efforts.

I was intrigued by Brian's info on a quite southerly route into Fetteresso. Seems to suggest a short passage thus missing out on the excitement and challenge of a long route through the Forest. Several people have told me of the interest of the long route including Durris Forest. Maybe they're just leading me astray!!! If I'm not at Montrose on Thursday .......????

The routes that I suggest, especially the Goyle Hill version do involve some quite steep climbs, shouldn't be any problem for fit challengers who have just walked across the highlands but it isn't flat country. Don't be fooled by the time estimate made by the OS website, it is vastly optimistic.

What exactly do you mean by "the long route, including Durris Forest"? Durris Forest is the relatively small, compared to Fetteresso that is, forest on the north side of the Slug Road, including Cairn-Mon-Earn, are you talking about crossing the Fetteresso to somewhere near the TV transmitter and then crossing the Slug Road to Durris Forest?

It is a strange fact that the TV mast is called Durris transmitter but it isn't in Durris Forest or anywhere near the village of Durris which is over the other side close to the River Dee.

Hi Brian
It was a "tongue in cheek comment" as it appeared that one was advocating the shortest possible route through the forest. By "long route" I meant that I am going all the way through Fettersso heading NE to Spyhill Cottage emerging onto the A957 left and then right through Durris Forest to emerge near South Brachmont to finish at Porthlethen Village. Apologies for "leg pull". John

I didn't even realise that you were winding me up John, so don't apologise.


An interesting and unusual variation that you have there. Not many people go that way.
Be aware that there is a lot of forestry work going on around Burn of Sheeoch Woods at the moment and the track at NO 753905 is blocked for public access, I'm not sure where it is blocked at the Western end of the works. These felling works have been going on for several months and I'm not sure what the schedule is for completion. The woods are privately owned, not FC land. According to a site I found on t'internet.http://www.scottishwoodlands.co.uk/project_documents/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Scottish-Woodlands-Group-Scheme-Membership-List-to-end-July-2016.pdf

Burn of Sheeoch FIM Forest Fund 1 LP 403.17 Aboyne Euan Christie euan.christie@scottishwoodlands.co.uk 309 Full 06/04/2016 Scotland Aberdeenshire Banchory NO 761 915

If your route goes through that area I suggest that you contact the owners.

https://kvisit.com/PA/uJYB

Burn of Sheeoch Forest

I guess that this is the work that has been going on......
http://darkroom.fimltd.co.uk/original/c2f5c8a37e9fa066586837db140751ab:401aea86f0010553cfb608ab8567ef89/burn-of-sheeoch-2017-1.pdf

Update 21Apr18. The logging around Burn of Sheeoch appears to be finished and the track to Spyhill is now open. It isn't pretty, in fact a scene of devastation, but at least the path is useable.

A couple of questions.
1. I can't find Slack Den on any maps, or Google. Where is the wild camp site?
2. Right now it looks like I'm walking down the Water of Dye to the B974 at NO 647 844. Where would be the best place to enter the forest? (I know of the 'trudge over peaty grouse moor', just wondering if there's a better way).
3. Does anybody know of a good wild camp site still in the forest, but close to Stonehaven?

Hi Ulla
Slack Den is a feature at roughly NO 668 792 on the OS 1:50,000 map, just NE of Clatterin' Brig.
I went through the Fetteresso in 2016 and there were several of us passed a very pleasant last wildcamp at roughly NO 764 873 before heading into Stonehaven or Dunnottar Castle the next day.

Hi Louise, and thank you!
Slack Den is too far south of my route then. Too bad, it sounded like a nice, social spot! The other camp site looks nice, and there seems to be water close by as well =) If I can't find anything further east, that's a great place!

The area around the bridge over the Cowie as suggested by Louise is a frequently used site by TGO challengers, mostly on the north side of the Cowie to the east of the Bridge where there is a wide grassy area. Alternatively, if you don't mind carrying your water a couple of hundred metres there is a grassy clearing under a big old beech tree in front of an abandoned building at NO 76443 87177. This is legend has it, an old inn that was on the Cryne Corse Drovers route. Unfortunately the supply of beer is now somewhat restricted. The number of camping opportunities are restricted further east towards Stoney, in my route notes I was looking for potential camping areas in that direction. There is an old sand quarry at NO 76420 86547 which has good pitching but no running freshwater. There is a flat grassy area near the Quithel car park at NO 77357 85680 but again you would have to carry water in.

The only other place that I can suggest if you really want to get within sight of Stoney is to collect water at NO 80283 86193 and then go a few hundred metres to a clearing for a gas pipeline at NO 80567 86212 which has a flat grassy area. I reasoned that anyone getting that close within the scent of the pubs and fleshpots of Stonehaven wouldn't be able to resist the last few miles.

NB AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE....I think a lot of TGO challengers are tempted to leave the forest using the track along the Cowie, past Stonehouse and through Mergie Stables. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the route, it is a pleasant track that I walk the dog along regularly, the issue is that once you get to the road at Mergie you are faced with walking along the narrow, windy single track road towards Swanley and Stonehaven. I seriously do not recommend anyone walk along that road, I have had a few near misses with oncoming vehicles travelling too fast and cyclists, horses and walkers suddenly appearing round a blind bend. If you want to see what I mean drive along it using Google Streetview. I recommend that you stay in the forest until the eastern end or if you really do want to get out of the forest early head to the south side of the forest and the Stonehaven to Auchenblae road. It is a busier two lane road but much safer to walk along as, apart from one exception near Tewel, there are no blind bends and good visibility between you and drivers.

If anyone needs a copy of my route notes pleas email me.

There is a big area of really good potential camping in Slack Den. As mentioned above it is further south than most challengers travel at the moment but it could easily become a social point if people are aware of it, especially as the Clatterin' Brig café is so close.

I've finally found a way of sharing the route....
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc9/view.php?id=19252&da=y

Howdi Brian
You got a logon for that baby?

Rats. I thought that it would be public access. Didn't realise that there was a tiny little box to tick. Please try again

Great work Brian, sir. Appreciate that, thank-you

An update...the council have done some work clearing the forest of broom and gorse along the road from Mergie towards Stonehaven in order to improve visibility. Although it is an improvement, giving walkers somewhere to jump if a car flies round a bend, the road remains highly unsuitable for walkers as it is still a narrow single track road with tight blind bends and summits.

I've been warned about chemicals in the water due to the forestry work. I have a katadyn water filter, but this doesn't remove chemicals as far as I know. I will be in the forest too long to carry all the water I need. How do challengers usually treat their water in the forest?

Ulla,
The forestry work can make the water supply quite peaty in places, it isn't synthetic chemicals but rather the stuff that is used to make whisky so wonderful. Having said that it can be very overpowering in your coffee. A water filter should remove most of the peat. I wouldn't recommend using any water that was really cloudy though as even if your filter removes the solids, the peaty taste remains.

Something to consider though, and I guess this is relevant to all wild camping, is a controversy regarding the contamination of public drinking water supplies south of Glasgow as a result of construction of the giant Whitelee windfarm. Large amounts of organic material caused by peat disturbance ended up in the reservoir. The main issue was that the routine treatment of the water with chlorine resulted in nasty (carcinogenic) by-products caused by the reaction of chlorine and organic material including trihalomethanes. http://www.windsofjustice.org.uk/2014/08/169/

The obvious question to be asked is "does this also happen when peaty water is treated with chlorine based water sterilising tablets?"

Specifically, regarding your question, the major streams like the Bervie and Cowie tend to be fairly clear, but can be affected if there has been a lot of rainfall and peat disturbance. I was walking up the Bervie from Corsebald the other day and it was crystal clear.

Whereabouts are you thinking of camping?

If you plan on camping at the frequently used site at Cowie Bridge NO 76453 87384 take note that you are close to the confluence of the Cowie Water and the Finglennie Burn NO 76415 87293 which has a smaller and different catchment area to the Cowie. If the Cowie is peaty the smaller burn might be running clearer. As far as I know there isn't any logging work going on near the Finglennie. There was some going on but it finished last year. There is also a small local burn, Queel Burn entering the Cowie from the Southeast at NO 76513 87392, again with a totally different and smaller catchment area.

I'm not to up to date with the North side of the forest but I do know that there has been an awful lot of logging work going on around Burn of Sheeoch for a good while now. See my comments on this thread on 25th Feb. I recommend that anyone planning on going that way contact the landowners and check that access is open. It was still closed the last time I was in those parts.

I bow to your superior knowledge Brian, but I have to say Laura and I walked that route two years ago and and had no problems, a very pleasant stroll in fact :thinking_face:

Yea me too, Louise. I must've gone through the Fetteresso some dozen times with multiple variants. Never a problem with water or navigation. It's a lovely easy finish with only a couple of km track/minor road walk to the coast at the very end. Followed by ice-cream yum yum. No sweat.

Louise,
the logging around Burn of Sheeoch has been going on since last summer. Prior to that they were clearing the area closer to the Cryne Corse Road up to the TV mast.

I mention the peaty water because last May I met Darren Long who stopped for a brew on his way past. He told me that the water in the Cowie was cloudy. I know that it can be.

Logging is always a pain in forestry, but I meant to refer to the walk on exiting from Mergie and the road walk via Snob Cottage? We rather enjoyed the easy stroll, no traffic to speak of.

Well everyone on the TGOC is over 18 and able to make their own decisions Louise, but I wouldn't be happy walking along that road myself. I have neighbours round here who refuse point blank to drive along it, preferring to drive into Stonehaven and out along the Slug Road to get to Banchory etc.
The recent work on the thick wall of gorse and broom that lined both sides has improved things a bit, giving pedestrians somewhere to dive to when a car comes flying road a blind bend, but in my opinion it still isn't a good choice, especially since safe alternatives exist staying in the forest. If anyone really doesn't want to stay in the forest, I really recommend coming out onto the road on the South Side which despite being a busier road, is much safer for pedestrians and cyclists. They can also drop in on my place for a cuppa on the way past as well.

I wouldn't like to think of someone getting hurt walking along the Swanley to Mergie Road when I had not made them aware of the risk.

Which way are you going to dive?





Images from Google Streetview

Not doubting your superior local knowledge at all Brian.