I wanted to view the regeneration efforts of the National Trust for Scotland on their Mar Estate. After centuries of deforestation of the native Caledonian pine forest, the Trust has implemented an intensive deer culling programme across the estate. This initiative aims to reduce deer populations to a level the land can naturally support, thereby allowing the trees to grow once more.
The day began splendidly: brisk and sunny, with clear mountain tops, albeit a touch chilly at 7°C in the valley. The vistas down onto Inverey and up Glen Ey were delightful, and a fresh dusting of snow adorned Cairn Gorm.
Our plan was to remain relatively low, yet we found ourselves climbing to 580 metres, where we discovered a quaint little shelter, scarcely large enough for one person to endure a night of discomfort.
We paused there for a picnic behind the shelter, reminiscing about our last visit to Braemar in February 2017. As we stood, I noticed Cairn Gorm had vanished behind a mass of dark, menacing cloud. Within minutes, a squall of hail enveloped us, affording barely enough time to don our waterproofs. Twenty minutes later, the sky was blue once again and the sun shone brightly.
It was a stark reminder never to be complacent about mountain weather.
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