Tom of Ruthrie Wood Banffshire

Images are sourced within 2km of 57.4359/-3.2413969 or Grid Reference NJ2539. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Craighead

The house and farm buildings in the middle distance are Craighead. This is the Craighead in the parish of Edinvillie, not to be confused with any number of similarly named farms in other parishes. The hill on the skyline is Meikle Conval.

Anne Burgess

Milltown of Edinvillie

The Milltown is at the foot of the slopes leading up to Little Conval.

Anne Burgess

Rose Hips

A row of bushes bearing scarlet rose hips lines the roadside near Benrinnes Distillery. The house in the distance is so new that it isn't yet on the maps.

Anne Burgess

Fields at Edinvillie

The foreground fields are all in square, but the more distant parts of this view, including Ben Aigan on the skyline, are out of square.

Anne Burgess

Moorland at Knowe of Blairnain

Jennifer Jones

Field near Edinvillie

Jennifer Jones

Fields at Shenval

Jennifer Jones

Field by Benrinnes distillery

Jennifer Jones

Hair Moss (Polytrichum)

Probably Common Hair Moss (Polytrichum commune) but it is difficult to tell the various species apart from a photograph.

Anne Burgess

Rowantree Burn

This is the largest of the numerous burns we had to cross on the low road, but it presented no problem as it was narrow enough to step over before it spread out on the road.

Anne Burgess

Nameless Ruin

The ruin is marked on the 19th century large-scale maps but not named. It is on the far side of the Lowing Burn from the track. Meikle Conval is the hill on the skyline.

Anne Burgess

Is It a Grouse Butt?

We notice several strips of heavy right-angled metal at intervals along the track, and it looks as if they are used as corners for what looks like a grouse butt, though we didn't notice any others. Nor, for that matter, did we see or hear any grouse. Red Grouse are usually easy to spot because of the way they fly and their unmistakable call, but it may be that they do not flush so readily when they are nesting.

Anne Burgess

Lowing Burn

It's not easy to see the Lowing Burn because it is in a gully it has carved and almost hidden by vegetation, but there is a glimpse of the water here. Note the snowdrift, still lurking two months after the big snowfall in spite of now being partly in the sun. The Convals are in the background.

Anne Burgess

Hard Fern (Blechnum spicant)

This is a common and widespread fern, lurking here in the shade of a damp peat hagg.

Anne Burgess

Simple Style of Stile

We were impressed by the simplicity of this stile, especially the piece of wood laid over the barbs of the wire. There were several similar ones at intervals along the fence.

Anne Burgess

New Planting

The plastic tubes protect a variety of young trees planted on the moor above the Lowing Burn, so in time this view will be obscured. It doesn't matter, however, because there is plenty opportunity to enjoy similar views from the four miles or so of the low road on the north slopes of Ben Rinnes. The hills are Little Conval on the left and Meikle Conval on the right.

Anne Burgess

Benrinnes Distillery

The distillery from the track down Tom of Ruthrie.

Anne Burgess

Lingering Snow

The ability of snow to linger often amazes me. This drift is mostly in full sun, and must have been for most of the day. Yet it's seven weeks since there was more than a sprinkling of snow at this altitude, and certainly since there was enough wind to pile it into drifts.

Anne Burgess

Tom of Ruthrie Wood is located at Grid Ref: NJ2539 (Lat: 57.4359, Lng: -3.2413969)