[82] NJ 67198 02865 Hill of Fare

Click for map
6/10/07 Dave + Kathy
The weather forecast said best in the east, so we came here instead of Loch Etchachan. I wasn't convinced I'd found the top last time anyway, so a repeat visit in sunshine seemed like a good idea. Took my own advice and biked in from the south. The best route I know of starts at the western entrance to Raemoir Hotel (687993). Take the track for 400m to a junction, then take a path through the rhododendron between the two tracks. When this gets to another track, turn right, then left at the next junction. From there it is just uphill all the way. It's a good run or bike right to the plateau, then it gets a bit boring. The actual summit is marked by a few stones on top of a rock. It's barely higher than anything for a long way. The ride back is great.


1/07/07 Dave H and Iain Firth.
Since this was one of the warmest days we've had this year a run up Hill of Fare seemed an appropriate celebration. Unfortunately it was also one of the wettest, mistiest and gloomiest days we've had this year. I ran up here from the north, which I've never done before, and probably will never do again. Started from the Echt road at 671060 near Auchmore and ran south along the track for about 800m, then turned left onto another track intending to follow it up to the plantation. Unfortunately this track doesn't really exist in any useful way. There is a hollow in the heather, which probably means it was once well used, but not for a good 100 years I'd say. Ended up plodding through bog and heather along the edge of the trees. A wall runs from the end of the trees to the trig point. This is clearly not the top, but I took a picture in case I didn't see anything else until I got down out of the mist (ie back at the car). This turned out to be almost the case. Took a bearing and plodded on across the bog towards the 'summit'. After about the right distance I got to a track, at a point which seemed to be at least no lower than the surrounding area. Ran in a loop around it to see if I could find anything more summit like, without success, then amazingly out of the mist came Iain. Apparently he runs up here several times a week which at the very best shows severe lack of imagination. At worst he actually likes featureless bog. We ran together along the track to the north west until it petered out then went slightly left on another hollow in the bog. This came out at the plantation at 657036 where Iain went left to Dunswell and home, and I went right back to the car. Unfortunately even this track disappeared into bog and gorse, but at least navigation was easy enough and the mist was a few metres higher than when I set off so I got something of a view.

I only give all these details so noone else will try this route. Much better alternatives are to start from Raemoir House, or the high point of the B993 at 650047 (from where a good path goes through the plantation) or even my descent route. Or ask Iain.