A Day in Scolty woods....28th Feb 2015

Well!  the day's disappointment of not spotting the salmons was doused by the new hiking plan in scolty woods which was absolutely blissful. Scolty woods is located on the outskirts of Banchory (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) but it seems miles away from the bustling crowd. It was only a 20 minutes walk from the falls of Feugh (Banchory), on a tar road passing a few farms where herds of sheep were lazily grazing. Most of them had quirky black faces, which reminded me of the poem "Ba Ba black sheep..." and in fact I was chanting those lines for quite a long time before my co-hiker gave me a bizarre look. Along the path we spotted a few birds and others were just heard as they sang the beautiful notes from their  hidden sanctums. There is no pedestrian path so, one has to be careful with vehicles sweeping past.

After walking for about a kilometre we saw an information board welcoming us to Scolty woods, but the starting point of the trail was another half kilometre ahead, besides a car park. Like most of the trails it is well marked and a detailed map of the routes at the start point gives an idea about the area and also the wild life that can be spotted en route (if you are lucky and very observant). There are three walking trails, a short Craigloch trail, a longer March trail and an optional Scolty hill trail to reach the summit on top of the hill. We planned to cover most of it and began the hike in the forest by following the longer March trail.  

Get Set Go.....

Everything here from the rocks to the wooden stiles was drowned in the vibrant shade of green. Unlike most woods we visited recently that have bare trees during this time of the year, Scolty is home to very tall Larch and Pine trees that refresh the eyes with its verdure. The path through this coniferous woods is fairly easy to walk and the fire road that continues along the trail, further eases the tension on legs. The walk can be shortened anytime, as there are several smaller trails on left to reach the car park.

Can anything be more greener...

Large piles of timber were stacked all along the fire road throughout the forest, for transportation and vast stretches of land that once bore the burden of majestic trees now lie bare staring at the sky. The scale of deforestation here is shocking. The massive fallen trees makes me wonder how long these woods would survive the test of time. I hope that equal number of saplings are planted to keep this serene dense forests alive.

Pine Trees reaching for the sky

That's for the timber transport

Roots propping out of the ground

On the Scolty hill trail

Half way through our walk we were met with cross roads, where one of the routes was leading up the Scolty hill. Hill walking is always very adventurous and the sense of victory on reaching the summit  is equally fulfilling. So the obvious next turn was towards the hill. There were four routes to choose from and after scrutinising the map thoroughly, we decided to embark on the longer route with a gentler ascent (As my foot wear would not have agreed with the steep rugged terrain that day). 

The green fades away

As we walked the winding path, the terrain and the vegetation drastically changed. The lush tall trees disappeared and we were in an open moorland with stunted thorny shrubs of earthly colour. 

The lone tree

On climbing higher, we could see the string of surrounding hills encompassing Banchory, with some peaks still shining in the glory of their snowy crowns. Every turn provided a different view, each one equally alluring.  Thick clouds were hanging low, touching the mountains and I kept looking back at the magnificent mountains in the dramatic setup. 

Looking back at the distant mountains

A nice contrast

The day had a grey start and the weather was getting worse every minute with visibility gradually decreasing. But still there were enthusiasts at the summit and we met quite a few people going to the summit while we were descending. 

I look back again...

The iconic Scolty tower sitting atop the hill, was visible from a distance and it motivated us to keep going.  It was built in 1840, in the memory of a General, who fought against Napolean's army. This monument still stands in all its majesty in the open heathland pointing towards the sky. Climbing up the spiral staircase of the tower was a dizzying experience, my knees almost gave up when we reached the top but the spectacular panoramic view of the Dee side town Banchory and the adjacent hills, was worth all the effort.

The Scolty tower

Finally!!! the summit

Partial view from Scolty tower

After relishing the view from the hill top, we descended via a different route, it was a steep descent along the steps cut into the craggy rocks. Though it was a shorter route it lacked the beautiful scenery overlooking the distant mountains, that the longer route offered. After descending, we rejoined the original circular route going through the dense green woods.

One last glance before descending

It was harder to get down

Towards the end, the road markings were so confusing that we lost our way and after a tussle with the map when we realised we were on the wrong track, we retraced our steps  back to the main trail. Internet and mobile phones don't work here so the best thing to rely on is the common sense. 

This time on the right track

The thin dirt trail through the conifers, hanging mist in the air with hardly any soul around that afternoon, I thought it was be a perfect location for a spooky horror movie. And after spending about four hours in those woods, we reached the car park where we started.

Snowdrops shying away

On our way back to the city centre, I noticed daffodils and snowdrops propping out along the grassy hedges of the farmland, marking the onset of spring. So, from now on we can expect to see more greens on our weekend saunter. But that day was committed to be gloomy. By the time we reached the bus stop it had started raining, my hands were freezing but I still enjoyed the short wait for the bus, admiring the beautiful mountains peaking meekly from behind the curtains of clouds. A perfect souvenir to carry in memory.

What a lovely day!!!!