Mortlich Hill Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A scenic hillwalk up to Mortlich Hill overlooking Aboyne and Deeside. Gentle warm-up through trees and open heathland leads you to a steep final section to the top, where remains of a hillfort and a more recent memorial structure lie.
Turn off the A93 to the east of Aboyne where 'Auchinhove and Kirkton Cottages' are signposted. There is a decent parking layby just over the cattle grid - see waypoint. Take the path leading up ahead to the trees and the hill. Just over the stile, take the fork leading straight on, not to the left. At the next waypoint you will see a fork in the path and a small wooden post with a red triangle arrow pointing you on to the right. This is soon followed by a second fork and arrow pointing left. After these stay on the path straight to the top. As the path passes through the open heath land, it does get very boggy and muddy in places and there are stepping stones over one section, so come prepared for wet feet and very muddy dogs! Part of this walk passes through Dess Estate, and access through here has been improved recently with stiles and swing gates and the arrow markers, so you would be advised to stick to the way they want you to go! The final section of the walk is on a narrower, steep path up through trees, but fairly quickly you come out to the summit. Instead of going straight up to the top, stay on the faint path leading through the heather to find the cache just out of view of the summit. A leisurely walk up took me about 45 mins, but then I do have a big dog to pull me up steep bits...
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Sbyybj cngu nf vg fybcrf qbjauvyy fyvtugyl, pnpur va gerr ebbgf va pyhzc bs guerr gerrf gbtrgure