Looking back to Glen Doll

The rest of the gang decided to go looking for a Bothy someone saw on a Christmas card once. 

So I did Tom Buidhe and Tolmont alone. I made sure I had a good route guide and a GPS and it turned out to be an amazing day. 

The forrest walk up Glen Doll is lovely. I followed Jock's Road onto the plateau and had a look in the shelter called Davy's Bourach. You would have to be pretty desperate to use it rather than face the walk down to the lodge. 

I took a bearing and headed up to Tom Buidhe, a round hill I last saw in winter looking like the Glass Mountain, today it was green and round and featureless, except for a Hooley of Hares. They were still in their winter white, but looked plump and bouncy as they skipped across the hill. 

Thirty minutes later I was on Tolmount and it wasn't even lunch time. So I decided to head back to base via the Glittering Skellies, which is basically a huge bog. 

After struggling down a steep slope through knee high heather on peaty ground for what felt like hours I found the river South Esk and followed it back to the track. The Glen turned back into a green verdant forested landscape which welcomed me back to civilisation. 

I beat the Bothy gang back, meaning I got first shower and I was sitting on a bench in the sunshine with a wee glass of something in my hand when they finally turned up back at the bunkhouse. 

A pleasant evening and an early night. 

One of the nicest walks I've had in a while.