LOCHNAGAR AND THE STUIC

More familiar to me at least as a winter destination, Lochnagar and the surrounding summits offer some wonderful running and the possibility of some seriously long days on the tops.

The combination of the well known round of the five White Mounth Munros with an easy scramble to the summit of The Stuic is an old favourite and gives a mostly very runnable round of around 18 miles.

Requiring a slightly unorthodox descent from Lochnagar, The Stuic looks distinctly improbable on the approach, particularly in its upper reaches, but proves to be no more than a simple Grade 1 ridge with a couple of steep rock steps.

Returning recently after an absence of several years, I ran via Eagles Rock, cutting across to Cairn Bannoch and the Cairn of Gowal before following the normal route home. Descending with the last of a late autumn day’s light, the clash of antlers as stags battled beside the loch was clearly audible from far above, giving a fitting finale to a fine day on the hills.