Glen Doll

Weather in Scotland is a funny thing. It tends to change faster than you can blink your eyes and you have just got to learn to venture out in any weather and always pack a change of clothes especially if going to walk in a nature reserve.

On Sunday we decided that the weather looked quite bonny or at least not as cold as it has been the last couple of weeks so we thought why not drive down to the Angus Glens. So off we set to go for a walk in Glen Doll (also spelt Glendoll) which can be found in the south-eastern corner of the Cairngorms National Park.

Glen Doll is a a nature lovers dream with six marked trails that walkers, hikers, horse riders and cross country skiers can experience. It is a U-shaped valley that was carved out by great glaciers giving it a dramatic beauty. Green forests lead the way to craggy mountainsides and valleys through which river and burns meander.

We decided to do the 3.5km walk to the bowl of Corrie Fee as it was already rather late in the day and in winter the number of daylight hours is quite limited. It was a little rainy when we left the car park but I should have known not to trust the weather to stay like that...

 

It was not long into the walk when the weather started to act like an annoying passenger who keeps changing the radio station as it would rain, then sleet then snow then rain again. I seriously considered walking turning around and walking back as my trousers were soaked through in the front and I could do nothing but look down at my feet to keep the rain out of my face and my feet from slipping on the ice/snow ground.

Yet we decided that we had come so far already that we needed to push through the last little bit. So we kept going through the Glen Doll Forest and follwed the trail to the end of the tree line where we emerged into the Corrie Fee entrance.

 

And it was breathtaking not just because the wind was howling through the valley at speeds that would put the concord to shame but also because even covered in snow the amphitheatre of Corrie Fee is gorgeous. It is one of those wow moments where nature just sits up and smacks you through the face. It made the snow, rain and wet trousers worth while and knowing now what lies at the end of the Corrie Fee trail I would walk it again anytime.

See here for maps and more information on the trails available at Glen Doll.

Parking can be found at the information and ranger center. Parking costs £2 for the enitre day, but overnights stays are not allowed.