Alan Rowan finds clarity in the Cairngorms

WE WERE ON the final push through deep snow cover to An Socach’s summit when the weather finally began to clear. It was the first settled day after three of continuous snowfall, but the promised blue skies had so far failed to materialise. Instead, we had indistinguishable lines at every level, a pure white landscape of almost imperceptible changes.

We had chosen the whaleback of An Socach for ease of approach. Its central position amongst the hills between Glen Clunie and Glen Ey also means that it is one of the finest viewpoints in the area.

The track that runs by the Baddoch Burn makes for a fast entry, the only