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Munros
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Mount Keen (939m, Munro 235)
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Corbetts
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Mount Battock* (778m, Corbett)
*see Alternative Routes below
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Ascent
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700m (2,300ft)
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Distance
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18km (11m)
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Time
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walking : 5:40hr*, biking/running : 1:20hr
*Naismith's rule : 4km/h distance + 600m/h ascent
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Main route summary
The most easterly Munro and Corbett !
Having summits on broad plateaus, Mount Keen and Mount Battock appear very similar when looking on a map.
Yet up close, they are very different.
Mount Keen has a rocky summit with fine views reached by fine tracks and well maintained path.
Mount Battock's summit with its trig point and few boulders is reached also by following tracks, however the views from Mount Battock don't inspire and while walking in, there's a constant feeling of intruding in on a pending shoot with all the hides and in-your-face electric deer fence.
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profile
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location
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start/finish
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Invermark car-park
(grid ref : NO447804)
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maps/guides
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GPX data
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download GPX file of this route
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| terrain |
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easy |
| difficult |
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| navigation |
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easy |
| testing |
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| effort |
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stroll |
| long day |
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| scenery |
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ok |
| stunning |
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| meanings |
Mount Keen :
'gentle hill'
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Mount Battock :
not known
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| main route outline | print route |
Getting there
These hills lie north-west of Montrose, with the A90 carrying the nearby heavy traffic. On the B966 between Edzell and Fettercairn, a minor road heads north into Glen Esk. To access Mount Keen, drive to the end of this road, some 20km from the junction with the B966, where there is a car-park and notice board.
Mount Keen
Leave the car-park and cycle across the bridge over the Water of Mark. Further on, just past a church, turn right up a track towards a house. Turn left just before the house and head through a gate. Still on a track, continue to another larger and older gate. This gate gives access through an electric fence - it was live last time I visited. Follow this track for 1.5km to a junction. Off left is a possible return route, though this is discouraged by the sign ! Continue towards the house at Glenmark, on the way have a look at the Queens Well and throw some pennies for luck. Up to the house at Glenmark, leave bikes here, unless you've got powerful thighs for the next bit of uphill. Beyond the house, two burns require crossing Easter Burn and Ladder Burn. Most of the time these burns present no problem, but in spate they can present some difficulty, Ladder Burn in particular. Once across, head uphill on the track for just over 1km to a cairn at c670m. The cairn marks a the start of a fairly recently constructed path continues directly to the summit with its trig point and fine views.
Return
Return by the same route.
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Invermark Castle built around 1526
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Queen's well built to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria
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Couternach and Glenmark Lodge
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Looking up Ladder Burn to Mount Keen
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A cairn 2km south of Mount Keen
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The path up to Mount Keen's summit
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The 'Boundary' stone just south of the summit
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Looking south back down from the summit
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Mount Battock
Ascent : 700m, distance : 15km
Heading up towards Invermark, 5km before Tarfside there is a sign for a phone - turn right and park by the phone-box. On foot, head up the road, pass the old mill and another building to Mill of Aucheen. The road splits beyond this, turn right, then right again infront of a tired looking cottage onto a track. Through a gate, continue to a wood where the track turns north. Follow the track for 1km to where it splits, just past some sheep-pens. Keep left on the track for just under 3km to another junction with a pony shelter overlooking it. Cross Black Burn, keeping left and continue directly uphill, passing some interesting stone-built shooting hides. Head through a gate and follow the track to its highest point, then look for a some ATV tracks heading off right. Follow this up to Wester Cairn, just beyond which an electric-fence appears on your right - follow this to the summit, on the way going through a 'gate'. The electric fence is looking quite old a delapodated and wasn't working when I last visited.
Return
You can return by the same route. Alternatively, keeping the fence on your right, follow it south-east over heathery pathless ground. Some large wooden posts appear and shortly after the electric fence crosses your way again - another 'gate' gives access through and as the top of Hill of Saughs is reached, a new track is picked up and followed downhill. A junction further on, you can turn right to drop to the pony shed and Black Burn, or continue straight on down to Hill of Turret, then drop to another junction, from where turn left and continue back to the junction just north of the sheep-pens. Return to the phone box.
keen from Lochstack Lodge
Ascent 1100m, distance : 16km
Not yet available
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