Culardoch Pair

Today was wellbeing day at work where we can take part in lots of different activities. I had proposed a walk to Culardoch, but with many walks proposed, only one other signed up! Turns out we were both experienced walkers, so we decided on a larger walk to include two Corbetts instead.

Picking Scott up in Inverurie we didn't arrive at the starting point until well after 9am due to the large amount of roadworks on the way over! The car park costs £3.50 a day and includes a toilet which is a bonus.

From the car park we headed north west, past some buildings and along a decent road. Once in to the trees you approach Invercauld House, but before reaching that a trail heads north, but branches off a few times, but keeping left for around two kilometers we eventually exited the trees and joined another track.

Keeping to the track for around three kilometers over a few dips and bridge we reached a fork beside the point marked Bealach Dearg. Heading right we started the ascent of the first Corbett, close to another fork are some strange cloches, some sort of vegetation experiment, bear right and soon we struck off and climbed up east to the summit Culardoch.

We had a sizeable break just off the summit taking in the fantastic views of Ben Avon and Beinn a Bhuird. Very warm today, but quite windy at height.

Retracing our steps we headed back down, but just past Bealach Dearg, we struck west following a path directly up Carn Liath, a little steep and rocky in places. The summit has two cairns, the furthest away used to be a Corbett, but after a resurvey a number of years ago the Corbett is around a kilometer further away now.

Heading now north west, initially over rocky ground, we dropped down before a steady climb up to the Corbett, Creag an Dail Bheag, again very windy, but unfortunately not cooling in the slightest today!

Returning almost to Carn Liath we headed south following an old stone wall for just over a kilometer before heading very steeply down the heathery slope back towards the main track from the morning. Just before that we have to cross the Allt Cul, which was a bit tricky with the undergrowth, once over that it was a very short steep climb to the track.

We had intended to just retrace our steps, but close to the trees we missed the track, likely due to too much yapping and ended up sticking to the main track that heads south west then south east around Invercauld House around an extra kilometer.

On the trip home we stopped in for cold drinks and ice creams in Ballater