Geo-Trips :: A Double Loop round Orbliston
Speyside
A walk from Balnacoul, Sun, 31 Jan 2021 by Anne Burgess
On another frosty day we left the car at Balnacoul again, and took the track through Balnacoul Wood, which took us to a corner just across a field from Trochelhill Wood. We managed to find a way through the latter, and emerged on a field near the Animal Country Hotel. Crossing the railway on the overbridge at Orbliston, we followed an unsurfaced road through Blackburn and along the edge of the wood to turn left for Cranloch. The next few hundred yards were not at all fun because the road surface was sheet ice, but we made it safely to the public road and back to cross the railway again. Then we made a detour past Orbliston Farm and returned to the car by the Rothes road.
Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
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Track in Balnacoul Wood
There's room for a couple of cars to park at the end of this forest track, which... more
Forest Crossroads
The maps suggest that this is the end of a firebreak, but if it ever was, it is... more
Not that Way!
It doesn't require much nous to realise that following the remains of the road... more
Boardwalk
The path avoiding [[[6745312]]] passes over a couple of sections of boardwalk, of... more
Footbridge
As well as boardwalks, the path avoiding [[[6745312]]] crosses a burn so... more
Boardwalk
This is the second length of the boardwalk that avoids [[[6745312]]].
Molehills at Millhill
The Millhill mole population has evidently been very busy. This is not a welcome... more
Trochelhill Wood
This ought to be a track, according to the map, but we had to divert off it... more
Forest Path in Trochehill Wood
This ought to be a track, according to the map, but we had to divert off it... more
Forest Track
A wonderful thing is a map. We stepped over the fence into the wood, hopeful that... more
Trochelhill Wood
To our left was the continuation of the track we had been following, which emerges... more
Path in Trochelhill Wood
A well-marked path that curves round to make a loop in Trochelhill Wood.
Fallen Trees
There seem to be a lot of fallen trees her, many with huge roots. Conifer roots... more
Pheasant Prints
That is, I think these are pheasants' tracks, in a field next to Trochelhill Wood.
Animal Country Hotel
Marked on the old maps as Smithfield, this has been a kennels and cattery for many... more
Blackburn Croft
Interestingly, the 19th century maps name this as part of Smithfield, but modern... more
Train at Orbliston
Given that it was Sunday, and that timetables have been reduced during the... more
Train at Orbliston
This is the end of the train in [[[6745356]]]; I just had time to run across the... more
Orbliston Station
The house is instantly recognisable as a railway building. It is now a private house.
Orbliston Station
The house is instantly recognisable as a railway building. It is now a private house.
Roslyn
A neat cottage between the railway and the road.
Cadger's Ford
The first edition of the six-inch Ordnance Survey maps names this as King's Ford,... more
Ben View
The nearest house in the row that makes up Blackburn is called Ben View.
Benview Bothy
The door of this little wooden house bears the name 'Benview Bothy'.
Benview
A traditional cottage beside the road at Blackburn.
A Row of Sheds
A variety of sheds of different types at Blackburn.
Blackburn
Blackburn consists of a row of houses beside a quiet road near Cranloch.
Blackburn
Blackburn consists of a row of houses beside a quiet road near Cranloch.
Path to Cranloch
North of Blackburn the road becomes narrowerand follows the edge of the forest... more
Log Piles
Our plan had been to follow the road shown on the map, until we arrived at this... more
Snow-covered Road
There is evidently not a lot of traffic using this road north-east of the farm at... more
Bellevue
An old cottage beside the road at Cranloch.
King of the Castle
One horse surveys the scene as the rest crowd round a feed hopper filled with hay.
Common Polypody (Polypodium vulgare)
There is a patch of this fern just outside the garden fence.
Cottage at Cranloch
The maps do not name this cottage, which stands beside the road at Cranloch.
Cranloch Riding Centre
The farm at Cranloch is now a riding centre. See... more
Beech Arch
The entrance to this cottage is covered by a fine arch of beech. One of these days... more
Clatterinbriggs
Looking across a wintry foreground towards the house and outbuildings at... more
House under Construction
A new house is going up beside the road to Clatternbriggs Farm.
Redbog
The farm at Redbog, with some of the plethora of intervening power lines.
Field Entrance
The bare earth at the entrance to this stubble field gives an idea of how little... more
Twisted Pine
This Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) seems to have had a difficult life, making it... more
Icy Access
I suppose a tractor would make short work of the ice in the entrance to this field.
Forest Entrance
It looks as if some of the timber from this small strip of plantation is being harvested.
Watch This Space
I wonder whether this has been cleared for use for building a house?
Woodside Cottage
A traditional cottage opposite the end of the road to Orbliston Farm.
Houses beside the Railway
Great for train-spotters, and not too bad for others because it's not exactly a... more
Blackburn Croft
Interestingly, the 19th century maps name this as part of Smithfield, but modern... more
Ice and Mud
Either way, not an enticing prospect.
Chapel House
This was originally built as a mission hall for the benefit of parishioners who... more
Chapel Window
It was the shape of this window that alerted me to the possibility that this house... more
Orbliston Cottages
Probably originally tied cottages belonging to Orbliston Farm.
Orbliston Cottages
Probably originally tied cottages belonging to Orbliston Farm.
New Fence
A strong new stockproof fence has been erected alongside the road at Orbliston. I... more
Red Burn
The water level seems to be very high. I wonder if the burn is blocked somewhere... more
Detail of a Strainer
I noticed that the stockproof netting was wrapped right round some of the... more
End of the Fence
I've been admiring the new fence all the way down the side road, only to find that... more
Field Entrance
At this time of year it seems to be a fact of nature that all field entrances are... more
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