With perfect weather forecast for the weekend it was a 4am rise to pick Peter up in Glasgow at 5am and head off to the Lochnager circuit to hopefully complete all 5! (you've got to set your sights high after all). Had a backup plan drawn up for the Cairnwell 3 if the weather hadn't been great. We were very pleased to be able to speed on past those Cairnwell 3 on the A93 up to Lochnagar :D

We parked up at the carpark at 8am and due to the continued lack of power the 2 machines were out and a sign said "Enjoy your walk", so £3 saved. We followed the walkhighlands route so headed off in an anti-clockwise direction to tackle Lochnager first. It's a right tease of a mountain by giving you a wee glimpse now and again but saving the BIG WOW for when you first climb onto the lip of the Coire.

We headed along the long flat section before the houses, amazed at how tame the deer appear to be here. Then it''s into the lovely woods, a section that is just far too short as soon you are on the excellent path and gaining height quite easily. It's not too long before the views are opening up around you and then you reach the fork, where you veer left for Lochnagar. The climb gets a bit steeper here and then you are there - looking over the Corrie of Lochnagar. WOW, WOW, WOW and WOW. It doesn't get any better than this!

Our decision to attack the circuit is vindicated as the Corrie is fully illuminated by the sun (we reckoned if we'd left it to last, then it's have been backlit).

We take lots of photos and have our first cup of tea and a snack.

Then it's time to experience the ladder, a well built path of large stones, which gets you right up onto the Corrie Rim. This is FUN! Camara out again for pictures of the cliffs. Can't get too close to the edge as its VERY blowy up here!

The further round you go the better it gets. After a bit, you need to follow the path which is a bit away from the cliffs, to reach the upper parts of the Corrie and ultimately the summit cairn. Just before the cairn, there is the spout, which is a high gulley, still filled with snow.


The summit is quite busy and there is both the trig point and the marker stone which points out the surrounding munros.


After shooting another few dozen photos, it's time to descend he obvious path in a south westerly direction to catch munro No2. You detour just opposite the point where you'd head right to get to the viewpoint that is The Stuic, heading left. Not far and you have bagged another munro - I like this route! Rather than retrace our path, we head diagonally down to ragain the main path.

At this point the path crosses a burn - easily crossed but you can't miss it! A chance to replenish those watherbottles and have a bite to eat.

Then the climb begins to Munro No3, the one with the aircraft wreckage from the crashed Canberra. You don't bump into this stuff on the patch you need to hunt for it. We found some nose gear and a bit of wing less than 100 feet near the summit.

Then downhill before a gentle climb to catch Munro no4, then another nice walk down and up to get Munro no5 - Broad Cairn. This is the pointy one visible from the carpark.

WOW, 5 munros completed, now for the rub. The walk back to the car is LOOOOOOONG. It's a great walk mind you.

On descending Broad Cairn, we disturbed a pair of ptarmigan, and I managed to get a few photos of them before they eventually flew off. The descent down from Broad Cairn is a boulder field. You do regain a path which leads down to the "bulldozed" path, which you follow all of the way back. At this point you have a choice, drop down to the banks of Loch Muick to take the lowroad or stay on the highroad (I'm sure there's a song in there somewhere 8) ).

We stayed on the highroad, to stay in the sunshine. The Loch Muick watherfall looked great as did the Queen mum's house right on the shoreline surrounded by the conifer forest.


Eventually the path decends ina steep zig zag manner and you meet up with the lowroad. The carpark is getting nearer and nearer, the feet sorer and sorer. It's not long until we are back in the carpark for a well earned seat in the car!

5 munros in 1 day, WOW, what a day.

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