Hare Cairn
Height – 516 metres. OS Landranger 44.
Climbed - 2 January 2011. Time taken – 3.5 hours.
Distance – 11.5 kilometres. Ascent – 310 metres.
Trip Report Details:
The start of this walk was the Backwater Reservoir reached from the B951 Kirriemuir to Kirkton of Glenisla Road. My choice was either to park in the car park at the east side of the Reservoir or at the dam to the south. As I was in no rush I settled for the dam car park. Here the conditions were quite icy so I fitted my microspikes before setting off.
I walked along the snow and ice covered vehicle track on the west side of the frozen Reservoir. On approaching the north end of the dam I stayed on the vehicle track as it headed uphill hoping that there was a path through the trees onto the summit of Hare Cairn. Unfortunately there wasn’t, but it was possible to walk through the forest working my way round some fallen timber.
I was making progress, albeit slowly, until I reached an area of conifers which were impossible to penetrate. I followed deer trails north along the edge of these conifers, crossing a few fallen trees, and eventually came to a deer fence.
This deer fence was crossed and followed uphill over a mixture of heather and hard packed snow where a few roe deer were feeding. The deer fence had to be re-crossed, where it turned and headed north, as well as an old fence, before I walked south over more heather and snow to the summit trig point. Here I had views of the Angus Hills and the Backwater Reservoir as I took a coffee break.
On my return I continued east down the deer fence until a gate with a signed route was reached. This route led to the Reservoir and the walk back along its west side arriving at my car as snow started to fall.
Photos taken on walk.