Hello Tony et al.
This is my first post so please be gentle.
A long time ago - a long, long time ago - I used to do a bit of primitive camping way back in Western Pennsylvania where I grew up.
Now that I live in the Northeast of Scotland and summer is coming on, I think I'd like to do a bit of it (my wife agrees as long as I take her dog with me to protect me from wolves, bears, big cats and any other creatures that may be roaming the forests).
What I'm looking for is a reasonably sized stand of deciduous forest where I can go for a two-day retreat and hopefully not see a single human being. My problem is I can't seem to find any.
We live in New Deer which is about 40 miles north of Aberdeen. The closest forests to here are White Cow Woods and Louden Woods. For primitive camping there are two problems with these. First they are wholly coniferous and building fires, even tiny, tiny ones is not a very good idea. Second they are being timbered off as we speak. White Cow Woods looks to be about half gone and there is a big sign at the entrance to Louden Woods that tells me timber cutting operations are in progress.
So, following that tirade, do any of you nice folks know about some nice deciduous forests in Aberdeenshire where I might do a couple of days of primitive camping - with my Mary's dog, of course?
Thanks in advance.
Warmest regards
Bill Rice-Johnston
This is my first post so please be gentle.
A long time ago - a long, long time ago - I used to do a bit of primitive camping way back in Western Pennsylvania where I grew up.
Now that I live in the Northeast of Scotland and summer is coming on, I think I'd like to do a bit of it (my wife agrees as long as I take her dog with me to protect me from wolves, bears, big cats and any other creatures that may be roaming the forests).
What I'm looking for is a reasonably sized stand of deciduous forest where I can go for a two-day retreat and hopefully not see a single human being. My problem is I can't seem to find any.
We live in New Deer which is about 40 miles north of Aberdeen. The closest forests to here are White Cow Woods and Louden Woods. For primitive camping there are two problems with these. First they are wholly coniferous and building fires, even tiny, tiny ones is not a very good idea. Second they are being timbered off as we speak. White Cow Woods looks to be about half gone and there is a big sign at the entrance to Louden Woods that tells me timber cutting operations are in progress.
So, following that tirade, do any of you nice folks know about some nice deciduous forests in Aberdeenshire where I might do a couple of days of primitive camping - with my Mary's dog, of course?
Thanks in advance.
Warmest regards
Bill Rice-Johnston