Mount Keen

A family party at an Aberdeenshire Air BnB provides an opportunity...

Mount Keen this way

At 1am I was (almost) the last man standing at a fabulous family house party hired to celebrate my Sister-in-Law's Birthday and by 2.45pm I was atop Mount Keen.

Overlooking a vast, exposed and bleak landscape, Mount Keen rises alone as the most Easterly Munro peaking at 3080ft. The route is not technical but is vastly exposed to the elements.

The party almost coincided with a long planned and booked Navigation Course ran by the Scottish Mountain Association in Arrochar but fortunately I had a one day buffer so both could be enjoyed with a bit of planning. Aside from the Mountains my second favourite place is in the kitchen so I was delighted to be asked to cook for the dozen or so guests and enjoyed the party to the full, safe in the knowledge I had a long but leisurely drive ahead of me the following day (once safely detoxified of course) and a wild camp by the shores of Loch Lomond before taking the course the following day.

Blowing off the Cobwebs

A late night ensued but all the guests bar myself were staying a 2nd night there was a degree of restraint on night one so everybody felt pretty fresh the following day. Whilst knocking up a huge breakfast for everybody I had a bit of a eureka moment as three thoughts hit me all at once. 1. It was a glorious Spring day, 2. That I had all my gear in the car and 3. That Mount Keen was now only a couple of dozen miles away and not the 200 or so from home.

The Queens Well

I had intended to walk this route in January with my brother and a few friends but heavy snow diverted us to Arrochar instead so whilst I didn't have my map or compass I knew enough about the walk to estimate the level of risk as low on a day where there was nothing but blue skies forecast and brisk wind higher up. I also correctly judged that it would be a fairly popular walk that day and I was never out of sight of other walkers. A small comfort I still enjoy on all solo walks that outweighs the desire for remoteness - in my view there is room for plenty to enjoy these wildernesses.

A long walk in via Glen Esk was punctuated by what I assumed was a Community Centre group heading for a visit to the Queens Well. Around 30 designer clothed, chattering and laughing teenagers provided some amusement as I remained with earshot whilst I caught up and overtook them. Whilst looking wholly out of place it was gratifying that not one of them had a mobile phone in hand and whilst loud, they were impeccably behaved. I do hope they enjoyed the experience.

Another highlight was the historic Queens Well, erected by the Lord Dalhousie after Queen Victoria and her consort Albert took refreshment from a spring on a Highland visit in 1861. Shortly after this Easter Burn, running by the handsome Invermark Cottage, proved a tricky bugger to get across, clearly still in fairly full spate from recent rains or melting snow. I did not fancy getting soaked this early in the day and it took 15 minutes of prospecting to get across, electing as I did for a narrow but deeper and more ferocious spot as opposed to a wider but sedate option - the latter looked like it was waiting quietly to catch walkers unaware by it's unassuming guile.

The Ladder Burn (a 2nd easier crossing)

The previous night's excesses caught up almost as soon as I started the serious ascent so my heart sank a little when once again I could hear the unmistakable rush of water up ahead. Fortunately the Ladder Burn crossing is eased somewhat by a metal grid which, on this occasion was below the water line but made crossing a quick hop and skip.

Thereafter what do you say about Mount Keen. It's one long ribbon of heavily eroded path cutting across the moorland almost to the summit where it gives way to a rockier and steeper final section. There are no such things as easy Munro's but this was not technical or challenging but I cant' think of many places I would not want to be in anything but clement weather. This summit sits alone crowing a vast expanse of exposed land and I can imagine the brutality winter could unleash here.

Looking back down to Invermark Cottage and the long route in

Gazing over towards Lochnagar you are aware that this Mountain has no sweeping cliffs, pinnacles, crags or dramatic sweeping drops but I grew instantly fond of it nonetheless, spending more time on this summit than I have for a long time. It was perhaps the forgiving hike it afforded me, or the deep sense of history, or that it stands alone so distinct from everything around it? There was an affinity to this place that spoke to a part of me in a language I don't yet understand but was happy to listen to nonetheless.