Mount Keen

Although not lauded as one of the great Munros there is still a lot to enjoy about Mount Keen, Scotland's most easterly Munro.  The views for one thing are pretty impressive, Lochnagar nearby, the Cairngorms stretching out on the horizon and over to the east a glimpse of Aberdeen and ships out at sea. I tried to capture this using the panorama setting on the camera but suspect I need a bit more practice !

We approached via Glen Esk which is a lovely mix of farmland and ancient woodlands. On the way up to the carpark we saw a cuckoo and a woodcock and the sound of woodland birds was all around.  Not far from the head of the glen a Redpoll whizzed into view.

The walk is fairly straightforward. A mixture of estate landrover tracks and nearer the top some well crafted granite style steps.  I suspect if it was raining it would be a little bit exposed, the first part of the walk is over moorlands and then after following the Ladder Burn for some way you emerge onto wide expanses of upland moor before reaching the rocky top. So a good walk on a sunny day but perhaps a bit open for a windy, wet outing.

On the way back to the car we had a good view of a ring ouzel, glimpsed a herd of red deer on a horizon, and enjoyed a visit to the Queen's Well, which was built to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria over 100 years ago. Visually Balmoral Estate isn't too far from the summit of Mount Keen and the network of paths includes one that heads for Braemar.

Not a dramatic Munro but the mixture of habitats makes for a good walking/wildlife outing.