Scotland Trip May 2024

In May, 14 of us rocked up to the amazing Mar Lodge, near Braemar. It’s an old Victorian hunting lodge, liberally bedecked with stag heads and furnished in dark wood and tartan with some huge bedrooms and spacious bathrooms – this was sheer luxury! And slap bang in the middle of some stunning mountains.

The Munro-baggers set off on the first day to hire bikes which would enable them to cycle between 5-7 miles up the valley to access some otherwise hard to reach (in a day) mountains in the Southern Cairngorms. They were keen and the weather was very kind – Carn a’Mhaim, Ben Macdui and Derry Cairngorm, The Devil’s Point, Cairn Toul and Carn an Fhidhlier among some of the 17 big summits they achieved. A few were more easily accessible from the nearby ski centres.

Others in the group preferred more middle-sized walks and mountains with both Glen Quoich and Glen Lui easily accessible from the door of our accommodation, allowing some beautiful circular walks including Carn Mor and Morven, as well as explorations of Glen Derry and Deeside. The local birds and wildlife were spectacular – plenty of red squirrels deer and eagles to be seen around the lodge.

We enjoyed the usual high standard of Highdown Merry Meals – it was a pleasure to sit at the enormous long table in the dining hall surrounded by lush grounds and we enjoyed two meals out in Braemar, one of which was accompanied by traditional local music. And of course, porridge for breakfast!