Weekend Meet: January 17-18, 2026 – Braedownie Cottage, Glen Clova

Eight club members and a guest partook in a challenging weekend of weather: ARob, BR, CS, IH, MMon, MMcE, LA, GM

Collectively, it was described as “Very, very, wet and cold.”

Saturday Jan 17th

Group 1: MMcE, CS, LA, GM + guest - Hill of Whirren

The Hill of Wirren, a Fiona east of Glen Clova and north of Brechin, was a wee drive away from the hut. Weather forecast had been for light rain in the morning, then a dry afternoon. This turned out to be a work of fiction! The walk began up the track from the hamlet of Bridgend, leading past a man-made fishery lochan, and up the Shank of Ledmanie and then off track across challenging, boggy but frozen and snowy ground to find the summit trig point near a fence line. Visibility was maybe 10m. Careful navigation across lumpy terrain with lots of help from OS maps app got the group safely to the trig, and back to the track at the east side of the summit (which was hard to spot covered in snow). Rain never stopped and all were soaked to the bone. To quote LA, 'I can't say this was one of my favourite walks'. 

More interesting views underfoot than ahead...?

Can we go home now?

Wee Flick braving the elements

Some great smiles despite the suboptimal conditions.

Group 2: ARob & IH - Mayar via Kilbo Path

This duo climbed Mayar (munro) directly from the Carn Dearg Hut. The weather forecast wasn't great but it was wrong and, like the first group, they were confronted with constant rain and high winds alongside mist, frozen access paths and a Kilbo Path fully banked-in with snow. The snow-filled path and weather were demanding and had them questioning their own determination to summit a hill at all, a couple of times on the ascent to the col . A huddled stop for a hot drink and food (they were soaked through already) by the cairn at 888m strengthened their resolve to summit Mayar (928m), which they duly did. No photographs and only a quick minute at the summit cairn and they were retracing their steps, with the helpful assistance of ski goggles. Their exit, same way down the Kilbo Path was quick but still treacherous and it was a relief to regain the road. Surprisingly, they weren't the only people up there – they saw nine others at high level, including two who needed help getting back on the path as they had missed it in the mist. 13km, 5hours 20 mins.

Group 3: BR and MMon - Loch Brandy (visited the following day by GM).

Sounds like this duo had a similarly miserable day out and didn’t want to relive the experience by its re-telling!

Sunday Jan 18th

Slightly less miserable from the looks of it. Some pictures from outside the hut early in the morning.

Group 1: MMcE and LA - Airlie Monument and across to the 2 summits of Tulloch Hill in Glen Prosen.

Group 2: BR and MMon - Wet and misty on Green Hill, but did manage a little bit of skiing above 600 metres.