📌 Glen Isla, Angus
★★★
Mount Blair’s ugly summit is in stark contrast to the beautiful views it offers, helped by its slightly isolated position just outside the Cairngorms National Park. The transmitter mast at the top ensures it’s easily picked out from an array of Cairngorms summits; in turn, the hills visible from Mount Blair form an impressive list, as well as excellent views into lowland Angus and even Fife. With a high start point and good track underfoot, the effort to returns ratio is a good one. Roads circumnavigating the base also allow you to glimpse the craggier eastern and southern flanks from the comfort of the car.
📷 Chronological photo guide
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on B951 1 mi east of A93 junction at Lair, Glen Shee
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 155642
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.761888,-3.383757
❌ No public transport within 1 mi. Extremely infrequent bus stops on A93 at B951 junction (1.5 mi)
🚗 Layby at gate entrance – don’t block gate. Further parking to west.
📝 Key info
▶ 4 km / 2 mi | ▲ 390 m | ⌛ 1.5 hr
Features: △ Mount Blair (744 m, “Torbett”)
⬤ Moderate | Minor road at start then track to summit, faint at first.
Download file for GPS➡️ Out-and-back walk: start – leave road by gate at 🧭 NO 159644 – Mount Blair – return by outward route
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Lapwings, cows and sheep (with lambs) in the fields lower down. Large numbers of deer on the hill’s southern flank.
Weather: Blue skies to start with a gentle cooling breeze. Dry throughout, but clouds building to bring heavy showers later in the day. Snow patches on higher hills.
June 2013
