My father is visiting and as a day trip today we decided to check out Loch Muick. It’s a large fresh water loch bordering the Balmoral estate, just south of Ballater. We have never been there before despite making countless trips to Ballater. The loch is surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs with lots of good walking tracks and some lovely scenery. A full circuit of the loch is about 8 miles and passes an old hunting lodge which was built for Queen Victoria. We didn’t do the full circuit around the loch and instead opted to walk part-way around one side, eat lunch, then walk back again.
It was incredibly windy to the point where had I stuck my arms out and run 20m I’d have become airborne. It was the sort of wind that could lift and carry an infant over the edge of the cliff and into the loch. We couldn’t even really talk, the wind was so strong. This was a truly bracing wind and perhaps an authentic Scottish experience although I think my father would have enjoyed it more had we presented him with some whisky to go with the sandwiches. No wonder the Scots drank whisky although I can’t think how they ever managed to walk around in kilts with wind like that. I’m not sure whether it’s like this all the time because this was our first visit but I’m sure we’ll go back again one day and find out.
Afterwards we visited Burn O’Vat which is a favourite for the kids. It’s a pothole which was created at the end of the last ice age, about 15,000 years ago.
rachel.blog 
Glad you had a good time. It’s been very still and warm here today, but working in a coastal town, I know what you mean by strong winds. The worst is having it blow across you when running and having to turn away in order to breathe.
I love the flat cap, though it seemed to get around a bit. Also loved your sheepskin lined boots!
[…] time we visited Loch Muick it was so windy we had to shout at one another to talk. We haven’t been back until today. We […]