Our next day meet is on Saturday 7th February and will be a west to east traverse of Moray’s finest peak, Ben Rinnes.
We have decided to run a 19 seater coach for our day meets between now and May. This is a trial to gauge if members prefer the comparative luxury of coach travel over the minibuses we’ve previously been using. All meets from February to May will cost members £22 for a place on the bus, and we’re hoping they prove popular.
On the 7th February the coach will leave St. Margarets in Aberdeen at 8.00am and head north on the A96 towards Huntly, then Dufftown. Pick ups en-route can be arranged.
The traverse will start at Marionburgh Farm (part of the Ballindalloch Castle estate), then head up through forestry and onto the hill on the west side of Ben Rinnes. Before reaching the summit we will detour and visit two of the mountain’s impressive granite tors (Scurran of Morinsh and Scurran of Well). At the summit we’ll get to see the work done to the OS trig point. Last year the original pillar (which was suffering from the elements) had a shiny steel casing fitted over it. A new granite base and inscribed granite disc on top were also installed, transforming it into probably the snazziest trig point in Scotland. We’ll then descend by the ‘tourist’ path, finishing at the car park at the east of the hill. The map below shows the route of the traverse.
If anyone fancies a shorter route, for instance climbing Ben Rinnes by the tourist path, this is also possible, just indicate this when booking.
The main walk is around 13km, with an ascent of 720 metres, and won’t be an overly long day (approx. 5 or 6 hours walking). Ben Rinnes is a Corbett (height 840m) and at this time of year we should expect the winter conditions experienced at this height. Those attending will need to be equipped for these conditions. We should be finishing the walk at approximately 4.00pm, and after a pub stop in Dufftown the coach will return to Aberdeen around 7.00 – 7.30pm. There isn’t a meal planned for this meet.
Please email / message Craig if you would like to book a place on this walk, and to secure your space on the coach please pay £22 asap by bank transfer, giving ‘Ben Rinnes’ as a reference.
Our last visit was November 2022 – trip report
