15th – 16th April 2023 : Wild Camping Weekend

Cateran mini trail, wild camping weekend.
Cateran Mini Trail
OS Landranger Maps 43 & 53

Last year’s introduction to wild camping, walking the Dava Way proved very popular so we’ve decided to hold another this year.
Learning from the experience of ’22 the walk has been simplified so that car sharing will be easier and walkers will carry heavy overnight gear for an even shorter distance, furthermore only one van will be needed.
As no accommodation is required any number of members may take part.

Outline of planned walk
The Cateran Trail, one of Scotland’s National trails is a fully waymarked trek through the Angus glens. Some of these routes follow the ones used by the Caterans; cattle thieves who raided Strathardle, Glenshee and Glen Isla from the Middle Ages to the 17th century. The Cateran Minitrail samples some of the best bits of the main Trail including the trail’s highest point, the remains of hut circles and Iron Age buildings.

The Cateran Minitrail is a circular route of approx. 30kms (19 miles) starting from Kirkmichael, via Spittal of Glenshee and Lair with optional diversions to bag the Corbett Ben Gulabain and/or the Graham Mount Blair, both approximately a 4kms round trip from the Trail.

All walkers will meet at Bridge of Cally (distance from Stonehaven 62 miles, drive time 1hr 15min) where overnight kit will be loaded into the van, the van and one car will drive to Spittal of Glenshee where the van will be parked, its driver and car will then head for the rendezvous at Kirkmichael where they will meet up with the remaining cars who have proceeded directly there from Bridge of Cally.

All cars will be parked overnight at Kirkmichael and the walk will start, following the route of the Trail NW to Enochdhu then NE over the hills to the bealach An Lairig at 653m the highest point of the Trail.
When the walkers reach Spittal of Glenshee 16kms (10 miles) camping gear will be retrieved from the van and a suitable camping place found, this will be somewhere reasonably close to Spittal, most likely NW up Glen Lochsie where there is a river and flat areas. Once the camp is established there will be the option to bag the nearby Corbett, Ben Gulabain (806m)

Sunday morning, back to Spittal where the camping kit will be deposited in the van. The walk will continue SE towards Lair where we head SW back to Kirkmichael approx. 18kms (11miles), with an option to divert via the Graham Mt Blair (744m) an additional 4 kms.

Van with camping gear will be collected from Spittal of Glenshee and will meet up with walkers and remaining vehicles at the original rendezvous point at Bridge of Cally when camping gear will be reunited with its owners and participants will make their way home.

Cateran Mini Trail