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WILDCAT TRAIL SECTION 2
"CRAGGAN"
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| From the village square proceed west to
the corner and turn right up Glen Road for half a mile (0.8 km) until
reaching the sign for Upper Knock. Follow the track past three houses
and fork left at the sign to Craggan. Proceed round the back of the hill
past the Craggan sheepfank. There is a signpost to Craggan, the rocky
hill overlooking Newtonmore, where there are the remains of an old stone
slate quarry from which some of the older houses in the village were
roofed. From the Craggan viewpoint you can see a panoramic view of the
village. Among the mountains to the east are Braeriach (Am Braigh
Riabhach -- the greyish-brown speckled slope) and Cairngorm (An Carn
Gorm - the blue cairn), part of the grampian massif. To the north and
west are the summits of the Monadhliath (Am Monadh Liath - the grey
mountain range). On the plinth is further information. You might spot
buzzards soaring over the moor where red grouse, curlews and peewits
breed. Deer may be seen, specially in the late evenings, and in autumn
the roaring of rutting stags can sometimes be heard. Mountain hares,
which in winter turn white, are common here. The vegetation in this area
consists mainly of moorland grasses and heathers with some blaeberry,
crowberry, bog myrtle and occasional juniper. There are signs of birch
and aspen regenerating in the fenced off areas planted by the Woodland
Trust. Before a mains pipe was laid from Loch Einich, (Loch Eanaich--the
loch of the bog), the moorland to the north supplied Newtonmore with
soft peaty water. An interesting feature is the march stones, recently
discovered nearby on the moor. They are a series of 12 or 15 large
stones or boulders that have a line and two initials carved on them - a
B and a G with an elongated plus sign between. It is thought that the
line of the stones is nearly the same as that of the boundary between
the former Banchor and Gordon estates. You can return to the village by
one of several signposted paths. Alternatively you may decide to
continue on the trail and through Strone moor to the crofting township.
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