Our final road trip of my summer break was a jaunt up to the fringes of the Cairngorms National Park. The Angus Glens lie to the north of Kirriemuir and offer many walking routes within a remote setting. Public transport is extremely limited beyond Kirriemuir and refreshment options are thin on the ground. With access to a car, you can enjoy a peaceful break not too far from the City of Dundee and the Angus county town, Forfar.
We booked four nights at the Glen Prosen Hostel and they texted the door-entry code to us. The journey was a straightforward run up the A90, pausing at Forfar to pick up a takeaway lunch from the famous Saddler's bakery and tearoom. Kirriemuir lies a few miles further north and is known as the Gateway to the Glens. With a population of 6000, Kirriemuir has a good range of facilities and offers a number of tourist attractions. For further details, see my blog post about the town. Before venturing into the glens, we pulled up at RSPB Loch of Kinnordy. A mosaic of open water, reedbeds and marsh scrubland, the reserve is surrounded by farmland and attracts a wide variety of wildlife. Raptors are often spotted and we witnessed an osprey flying back and forth. At one point is was clutching a small fish. We visited all three hides before driving along the B955 as far as Dykehead, where a minor road split off for Glen Prosen. We passed a memorial to the explorers Edward Wilson and Robert Falcon Scott, who perished on the return journey from the South Pole in 1912. Glenprosen Village sits by the Prosen Water and has a cluster of houses and a functioning church. Our hostel was located in the old primary school building which had previously operated a tea room. Nobody else was inside and we assumed it was first come, first served with respect to room allocation. We had the place to ourselves for the evening, although the warden did briefly drop by. There was ample seating in the kitchen and lounge and the bedrooms were fine. The only potential downside was the cramped bathroom facilities. Not a major issue when a handful of people are staying but if all 18 berths were occupied it would surely be awkward. I wandered down to the information board at the village church and read about the Minister's Path that led over the hills to Glen Clova. It follows the eight-mile route taken by the local clergyman to conduct services at the two churches. Originally undertaken on horseback, the path was improved to allow use of a trap. I wasn't planning to walk the entire distance but reckoned a stroll up the hillside from Prosen would open up nice views of the surrounding countryside. The next morning, we awoke to the sight of rabbits running around the pasture land beside the hostel. It was a dry day and a trip to Glen Doll was on the cards.
Heading back to the B955, we drove along Glen Clova, past the hotel of the same name and out into Glen Doll along a single track road. Eventually we arrived at the ranger base, which has a large car-park and toilet facilities. The Forestry Commission ask for a fee of £3 to leave a vehicle for a few hours but I don't begrudge these charges as the revenue helps fund local projects. Six walking trails of varying lengths and degree of difficulty fan out from the car-park and I decided to head for Corrie Fee, while Nicole opted for a shorter and flatter excursion. Two miles along a rising stony forest track brought me to the rim of the spectacular natural amphitheatre, carved out of the rock by glacial action some 12000 years ago. It was a magnificent sight and I stood on a boulder, gazing towards the waterfall at the opposite end. It is possible to continue along the corrie floor and climb up to the Cairngorm plateau but I contented myself today with the green panorama that lay before me. I turned tail and worked my way back to the ranger station, rendezvousing with Nicole at a picnic table for lunch. Upon reaching the B955, we drove along the other side of Glen Clova (the road forms a circuit) and had to slow down several times due to red grouse running around. It was perilously close to the "glorious" 12th of August - the start of the game shooting season - and I wondered for how long the birds would enjoy their freedom. The plump Highland native feeds on heather and can be found on heathlands and moorland. Red grouse are often spotted when flushed, suddenly flying upwards with rapid, whirring wingbeats. They also eat berries, seeds and insects. Managed grouse moors have been part of Scotland's landscape since the 1850s. This practice involves burning heather, while raptors in the vicinity were historically persecuted by gamekeepers. Granting legal protection to birds of prey has apparently not eradicated the issue. The main ecological problem with managed territory is the fact the land is geared to foster one species only, when naturally a host of wildlife would happily share the space. There is also the question of whether large tracts of Scotland should be reserved as a playground for the rich, not to mention the actual killing of the grouse, many of which are subsequently dumped in pits as there isn't a big market for their meat.
The parties proposing Scottish independence remain curiously tight-lipped on this affair, as well as the wider context of land ownership reform. Our next port of call was the Wilson-Scott Memorial. Edward Wilson grew up in Gloucestershire and served as a zoologist under Captain Robert Falcon Scott on the successful Discovery mission to Antarctica. Wilson was subsequently employed by the government to investigate the causes of grouse disease in the Angus Glens. Scott visited regularly and offered Wilson the position of chief scientific officer on the proposed trek to the South Pole. Much of the planning for the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition was done in Glen Prosen. The party reached the target in January 1912, only to find they had been beaten by a Norwegian team under the command of Roald Amundsen. The men were tragically overwhelmed by blizzards on the way back, their frozen bodies eventually being found just 10 miles short of a vital supply dump. Funnily enough, I had recently read up about Wilson after seeing an emperor penguin's egg in the Natural History Museum, London. Wilson had set off with two fellow scientists during the Discovery expedition, in search of evidence linking the evolution reptiles and birds. It was thought the examination of emperor penguin embryos might help solve the riddle and the trio walked a punishing 60 miles to the only known breeding colony at the time. Over five weeks, they endured harsh temperatures, hauling heavy sledges in complete darkness. Three intact eggs were brought back to the ship and eventually to London. The scientific theory wasn't proven but the tale is a great example of the human thirst for knowledge. I tipped my hat to two remarkable men and noticed the world globe and husky dog carved into the stonework. We headed back to the hostel and were in the middle of eating dinner when a French family of six arrived. They commandeered a room while I lit a fire in the wood-burning stove in the lounge. I had spotted half a bag of prime firewood round the back of the hostel, obviously left behind by a previous resident. A shame to waste such a precious resource! I soon had a blaze roaring and even though the house hadn't been remotely chilly, I always enjoy the process of nurturing a fire. The programme for the following day was a drive south to Glamis Castle, a few miles beyond Kirriemuir. This time, we took a more direct route along, or rather up and over the glen on a narrow unclassified road. Oncoming traffic was light and we stopped to pick a large cep mushroom that Nicole had spotted by the roadside.
Arriving in Glamis village, we turned into the castle entrance and paid for two grounds tickets at the gatehouse. We have been inside many stately homes over the years and often take the cheaper option nowadays of exploring the walking trails around the gardens. Castles always look best from the outside, in any case. Around three quarters of a mile long, the carriage drive led to the car-park behind the main building. It was lunchtime and we headed into the courtyard (via the gift shop) to sample the menu in the café. The bustling dining area was well-appointed but there was no table service and the venison burgers merely adequate. A slightly overpriced canteen. The melange of languages spoken among visitors indicated Glamis features prominently on the itineraries of foreign tourists. We wandered round to the lawn in front of the castle. Glamis is closely linked to the Royal family as the Queen Mother spent large parts of her childhood here. The property is the ancestral home of the Earls of Strathmore - the title held by her father Claude Bowes-Lyon. Elizabeth was his ninth child and in 1923 she married Prince Albert, Duke of York and second son of King George V. The couple's destiny changed drastically in 1936 following the shock abdication of Albert's older brother King Edward VIII, after less than a year on the throne. Albert became king and reigned as George VI until his death in 1952. His eldest daughter Elizabeth of course served as monarch for 70 glorious years until her passing last autumn. The Queen was born in London but her sister Margaret arrived in the world here at Glamis Castle - the first person in the direct line of succession to be born in Scotland since the 1600s. The two girls were regular vistors to Glamis during their summer holidays. We took photos of the castle and I noted the Great Sundial, erected in 1671. At 21 feet high it is one of the largest in the country and was originally used to set the castle clocks, rather than being a purely decorative structure. We passed an enormous chestnut tree where the Queen Mother played as a child. She lived to the grand old age of 101 and was still around in the early years of the 21st century, her longevity being partially accredited to a daily glass of gin. It certainly preserved her!
We entered the Italian Garden, designed in 1910 by Countess Cecilia, the Queen's grandmother. A combination of formal borders and lavish plantings, the enclosure features a raised terrace and stone fountain. We inspected the memorial to Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, shortly before her mother. Nicole nudged me to say she had spotted a cat being taken for a walk on a lead. We went over to investigate and found the friendly Bongo, who seemed to be enjoying the experience. His owners chatted to us briefly and another meeting with the local "wildlife" awaited us around the corner. Glamis Castle has its own fold of Highland cattle, fully integrated into local commercial beef production. A dark brown cow was standing by a fence and happily posed for photographs, although one onlooker was pushing his luck by stroking the horns. The shaggy symbol of Scotland is known worldwide and the origins of the breed lie in the Western Highlands, where the animals were once of vital importance to the subsistence economy. The double layered coat, coupled with an ability to create a thick covering of fat allow Highland cattle to breeze through the harshest of winters. Despite the domestic nature of all modern livestock, the hairy beasts are able to consume large amounts of vegetation, which makes them important for conservation purposes. This rejuvenates heather pastures and the resultant dung is a haven for insect life, which kick-starts the food chain. We ambled through the pinetum, planted in 1870 by the Queen Mother's grandfather. There is a variety of trees, including conifers native to North America, which explains their great height. The Strathmore soil is especially favourable in this respect. The pinetum was revamped in the 1990s and the replanting programme uses only wild seed. A signed walk known as the Macbeth Trail takes in a series of seven sculptures representing key scenes from the play. The artwork is carved from oak and fir procured from the estate. Macbeth holds the title Thane of Glamis and acquires more territory by nefarious means, eventually becoming King of Scots. We encountered the three witches, who appear at the beginning of Shakespeare's famous work. Other characters to look out for are King Duncan, Banquo, Macduff and Macbeth himself, along with his wife. The play was written for King James VI after his accession to the English throne. Patrick, 9th Lord Glamis accompanied James to his new kingdom in 1603 and would certainly have met Shakespeare. It is thought he may have recounted tales of Glamis and, since there is no record of Shakespeare having visited Angus, the wily playwright may have adapted some of these stories. Poetic licence and all that!
We proceeded to the walled garden which was a riot of colour. I liked the slightly unkempt nature of the flowers and shrubbery. Having recently visited Hampton Court Palace, where the gardens were perfectly manicured, it was nice to experience a more natural feel. The compound contains a wealth of borders, shrubs, bedding plants and perennials complemented by a tranquil ornamental pond, a large central fountain and a Monet-inspired bridge. The walls display various species of heritage apple trees, trained on espaliers. They blossom in spring and bear fruit in the late summer. The glasshouses are now in a dilapidated state, having been erected in the 1950s as part of a market garden enterprise. The present structure replaced the 1864 original, which reached the top of the wall and stretched almost its entire length. The post-war design contained ten separate hothouses, each with its own purpose, temperature and layout. Behind the brickwork was the forcing ground - a large area under glass where melons and pineapples were produced. A programme of repair and replacement is planned for the glasshouses and it would be wonderful to see them fully functioning. It was time to head back to the car and we retraced our steps through the grounds. The building of the castle as we know it today commenced in 1400, adhering to an L-plan tower house design. The property was seized by James V in 1537 and he lived there for a few years. Upon the King's death in 1542, Glamis was returned to the Lyon family and major renovations ensued. Mary, Queen of Scots, spent two nights at the castle in 1562, dining the the Great Hall. Soldiers were stationed at Glamis during the republican interlude - causing substantial damage - and major restoration works were performed in 1689. Additional improvements were made over the years and piped water arrived in the mid-Victorian age. A gasworks was installed at this time, processing coal to create energy for heating and lighting purposes. Jugs of hot water still had to be carried around the building as plumbed bathrooms weren't installed until 1923. The castle was used as a military hospital for the duration of WW1. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon helped run the convalescence operation when she came of age. In 1916, a serious fire broke out in the tower and several family treasures had to be hastily removed. The heat melted the lead water tank in the attic and the main staircase was flooded. Fire engines arrived from Forfar and Dundee to quell the blaze, but the damage was considerable. Of far greater concern to the Bowes-Lyon family was continuing escalation of the conflict on the European continent, where four of the earl's sons were serving in the armed forces. Michael Bowes-Lyon was captured by the enemy and confined to a prisoner-of-war camp, while a worse fate befell his brother Fergus, who was killed by a grenade explosion while attacking a German trench.
After perusing the gift shop and leaving the castle grounds, we paused in Glamis village to view the exterior of a thatched cottage before driving the short distance to Kirriemuir. No visit to the town is complete without dropping into the Star Rock sweet shop. Established in 1833, it still trades from the same premises, making it the longest-running business of this type in Scotland. Naturally, the ownership has changed several times over the decades but the recipes are handed down and they are still cooked up in the kitchen to the rear of the shop. Many varieties of boiled sweets are produced, along with Scottish staples such as tablet, toffee, treacle and fudge. Inevitably, some products are sourced externally, such as the bar of German marzipan I bought for my dad. Rows of traditional sweet jars sat on the shelves and I selected a few, from which the old-fashioned quarter-pound measure was weighed. Kirriemuir has a number of quaint shops and still has the atmosphere of an old market town with rural surroundings. I made a metal note to place an online sweet order for my dad's birthday. It's vital to give these traditional businesses some support from afar. We took the easier B-road option back to Glen Prosen and once again we had the hostel to ourselves for the evening. We made plans for our third full day and decided to drive along to a waterfall at the foot of Glen Isla. The map showed a nearby farm shop and café. It sounded like a nice little outing. Another journey back to Kirriemuir and this time we took the B951 past RSPB Loch of Kinnordy, before branching on to a minor road that skirted Loch of Lintrathen. We located the car park for Reekie Linn Waterfall and followed the path through the woods. The falls consist of a six metre drop, followed by a cascade three times as long. When the River Isla in spate, the two sections combine to form a single torrent of 24 metres. The viewpoint at the top of the gorge allowed us to see the tumbling waters in action but there always seemed to be overhanging branches in the way, no matter where you stood. Someone needs to be sent round with a long set of loppers. The plunge pool at the base is 36 metres deep and will eventually undermine the falls, causing them to collapse and form a new feature further upstream. It was this constant process of erosion that formed the sandstone gully over a lengthy period. A slow-moving natural tunnel boring machine.
Steep-sided gorges provide a habitat for unusual plants and Reekie Linn hosts a dense mat of wood sorrel. Birds such as dippers and grey wagtails love this sort of environment - the former being able to withstand strong currents while feeding underwater. Brown trout swim in the waters but salmon are blocked by another waterfall further down the river. Even if they could reach Reekie Linn, the salmon would surely find it impossible to leap. We headed along to Peel Farm shop and had an ice-cream in the sun. I picked up a bottle of local ale to consume later on. We had spotted a sign for a reservoir and decided to drive up for a look. After a few miles, we arrived at a thick concrete retaining wall. Backwater Reservoir was opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1969 and supplies 300,000 people in Angus and parts of neighbouring Perthshire. The dam where we stood is 600 metres in length and it holds back an artificial loch that stretches two miles up the valley. Scottish Water is responsible for maintaining the reservoir, which was the first in Britain to use chemical grouting to create a waterproof barrier below the dam embankment. All very interesting from an engineering point of view but the grey skies and man-made nature of the surroundings meant the outlook was rather uninspiring. Still, another part of Scotland had been ticked off. We followed the B951 up Glen Isla and spotted several signs for the Cateran Trail. A fully waymarked circular route, the trail follows old drove roads and ancient tracks across a varied terrain of farmland, forest, hilltops, moors and lochans. Some of these paths trace the steps of the Caterans – fearsome cattle thieves who raided Strathardle, Glenshee and Glen Isla from the Middle Ages to the 17th century and after whom the circuit is named. This part of Scotland is off the beaten track in hiking terms but the trail never strays more than a few miles from civilisation, making it ideal for beginners looking to experience wild landscape. I'd like to complete the Cateran at some point. People wondered in Beethoven's day what would happen when all available tunes had been used up. Two centuries later, new possibilities are still appearing. You could apply a similar argument to walking routes in Scotland. We stopped at Loch of Kinnordy on the return journey but not a great deal was happening. Back at Prosen Village, I decided to walk a small part of the Minister's Path.
I quickly gained height and had a fine view across the rolling green hills. The grassy path was in fine condition but I scrambled up through the heather to achieve an even broader panorama. I angled my way back down to the trail and pushed further along the valley. Stony tracks on the other side led to outlying crofts. Probably best accessed by Land Rover. I assume Amazon don't venture out here and probably make use of Royal Mail's universal service obligation. Or perhaps there's a parcel pick-up point in Prosen? A group of people were heading towards me and I could hear them conversing in German as they drew closer. I shouted out a greeting of "Guten Tag. Schöner Ausblick hier" and no doubt left them thoroughly bemused. I wandered a while longer then turned back towards the hostel. A Scottish family had arrived and also a couple from France. Next day, we were homeward bound but various activities were planned. We stopped in Forfar for breakfast and found a community café that offered a full Scottish for £5.50. At these rates, you obviously aren't being served gourmet fare but it was a hearty plateful. We then cut across to Montrose Basin on the coast, via the small village of Aberlemno that has three Pictish stones standing by the roadside. They can only be viewed during the warmer months and are encased in wooden boxes during the harsher times of year. The position of the sun made photography very difficult, rendering two of the stones in total shadow. I managed to snap the northernmost boulder at an angle, which allowed the symbols to be discerned. The rock is carved on one side with fantastic images of a serpent over the Pictish motifs of a double-disc and z-rod. A mirror and comb appear at the bottom. The stone was found in the field immediately behind the adjacent stone wall. Another example can be found in the village churchyard but I was happy with what I'd already seen and we moved on. Montrose Basin is one of my favourite nature reserves and we arrived for the second time in as many weeks. The glass-fronted visitors centre looks across the tidal estuary and the water was starting to recede. A good time to arrive as the mud flats would soon be exposed and birds would fly in to find food.
As expected, many eider ducks were bobbing on the surface and an added bonus was a group of seals lounging on a sandbank. As the tide slipped out, groups of waders began to appear and I was delighted to witness a handful of greenshank probing the mud. Montrose is my favourite sort of nature reserve. Good viewing opportunities and an exhibition to peruse. Almost a mini museum experience. Refreshments available too. The staff are highly knowledgeable about the local area and are always on hand to answer queries. We spent an hour and a half watching the wildlife and then drove along to Brechin. Nicole's friend John lives on the edge of the town and we dropped in for a cup of tea and a pleasant chat. Hunger pangs made their presence known on the drive home and we pulled in at the Horn diner on the A90, between Dundee and Perth. Unbelievably, we had never been to this Scottish culinary institution before. Sadly, that statistic didn't change tonight as the place had closed an hour beforehand. The Horn's history can be traced back to the 1960s when Jim and Norma Farquharson began selling fresh produce from the family farm. A milk bar was established and the restaurant building (opened in 1973) has a life-sized model cow on the roof. The retro American diner theme has attracted visitors from far and wide and many TV crews have used the interior for filming purposes. The Horn is well-known for its deep fried bacon rolls. Legendary rock singer Meatloaf once came to sample them. Apparently the operation is poised to move into new premises a mere 100 yards away (and thankfully still incorporating the cow). Covid caused a delay and the project has yet to be completed. Either way, we must visit in the future. If it's good enough for Meatloaf, it's good enough for me. Today however, we had to settle for a McDonald's further down the road.
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