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Name:Mona Gowan
Hill number:1493
Height:749m / 2457ft
RHB Section:21A: Tomintoul to Banff
County/UA:Aberdeenshire
Catchment:Dee (Aberdeen), Catchment Boundaries, Don (Aberdeen)
Watershed:Aberdeen Bay
Class:Marilyn, Hump, Simm, Graham, Yeaman
(Ma,Hu,Tu,Sim,G,Y)
Grid ref:NJ 33594 05823
Summit feature:huge cairn
Drop:194m
Col:555m  NJ356048  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 37
(1:25k) OL59W 405W
Observations:standing stone by fence corner 40m SSE at NJ 33606 05783 is as high
Survey:Abney level
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill

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Logged Descriptions  (logged by 337 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
 yorkielad25/11/2023
Mona Gowan from small parking area near Culfork.JasonStark19/11/2023
Parked in a lay-by just S of the Glenfenzie track. Big track leads off this up to Scraulac then ridge top ATV route to Cairnagour Hill and Mona Gowan. Another track northwards to collect Meikle Charsk Hill before doubling back to Gowan and round the Slacks of Glencarvie on smaller paths to Mullachdubh. We found another ATV route which took us SW and over the Allt a' Bhreabair, which unfortunately required a bit of a re-climb to get on to a track between Mona Gowan and Tom Liath. Once the latter in the bag we rejoined the track all the way back to Glenfenzie. 4 hrs.summitter16/11/2023
Main objective on this first of three separate walks out and about with DD on a fine Autumn Baggerrambles Sunday. The two Simms and Lary Hill also added on this particular circuit.Alex C01/10/2023
Circuit from Glenfenzie. Scraulac, Cairnagour Hill, Mona Gowan, Tom Liath & Lary Hill. With Alex C.Dangerous Dave01/10/2023
3 of 6: From Cairnagour Hill. With Karen.ChrisR13/06/2023
Parked on the road to the north. Nice and simple trail to the topPilotralph 25/10/2022
50% of the old GrahamsGmacT12/10/2022
Round of MG and Morven from A939 near Glenfenzie. Sunny spells, high cloud, summits clear. Nice easy going between hills, except a few hags on Morven. Nearly at end of walk, passing bee hives, a bee stung me on back of neck. Unprovoked attack! Ran rest of way to car as a precaution... Rounsfell09/08/2022
see log for Morvencarole engel28/07/2022
From A939 parking for a round of Cairnagour Hill, Mona Gowan, Mullachdubh and Morven.rhalstead22/06/2022
From Culfork, up land rover track the whole way.mcbboyd15/05/2022
From Morven. Clear path west to point 731, then indistinct path through heather, long grass and peat fairly close to fence posts to the col at 560m. Contoured south of Mullachdubh to the next col at 630m, then rejoined the path to the summit. Descended south then SW on a path then tracks back to the A939 at Glenfenzie, emerging from thick hill fog at 620m asl.Owen B24/04/2022
from near bridge at 312 027 A939 biked up on tracks, cairnagour hill, mona gowan repeat, mullachdubh, tom liath, lary hill, mammie.robertphillips16/10/2021
By eMTB from StrathdonPeteF21/08/2021
After bagging Morven took the ridge line to Mona Gowan. Descent is south to LR tracks back to ruins at Glenfenzie. Total time 5hrs 50mins.Jhimmy07/08/2021
Headed W from Mullachdubh stopping off for lunch overlooking Castle Wilson (amazing spot)187lenny25/04/2021
Teaching until 3pm at Crathie then a calculated fast race against time for a round of 5 tops with just 2 hours of daylight remaining - as clocks went back yesterday. High road start (initially in rain - full waterproofs) from Glenfenzie at 3.30pm. 2km & 250m climb on ATV track up ridge through short heather and bog to main watershed ridge on Scraulac (4.01pm), jogged the downhills & flat to Mona Gowan (4.24pm), then easy going but further than was handy, to end Simm of Mullachdubh (4.42pm) -rewarded by moody, now dry, end of day clouds and shafts of sinking low sunlight (dark in 30 mins when the name Mullachdubh -black hill - would become very appropriate) -pushed hard on rough contouring to add Tom Liath as daylight ebbed (5.19pm) - too dark now to see watch face but puddled tracks conveniently reflecting enough light in half moon to guide a fast walk back to road (5.50pm) without the need to use the torch - being nicely atmospheric as well.Chris Pearson26/10/2020
With Rob. Followed the SMC guidebook round from Glenfenzie. Occasional gunshots. Windy and occasional showers otherwise good views.alexmaclennan09/09/2020
From A939 parking at ca NJ312027 along tracks past Glenfenzie ruins directly up Cairngour Hill, then along the ridge to Mona Gowan, Mullachdubh and onto Morven (joining ATV track to summit after 731m spot height), returning down ATV track, which continues down to main estate track at ca NJ357026), and followed tracks past Morven Lodge to Glenfenziekdbennett05/09/2020
With Steve & RodOik29/07/2020
With Rod and Grant from top of road along ridge to Mona Gowan then on to Morven on almost exclusively good dry going. Followed excellent atv track down from Morven to track then out by lodge to second car and quick run back to pass.SS29/07/2020
With Alma, Matt, Willie and Geoff. Langie Burns weekend, Ballater Hostel.Grinner26/01/2020
From A939, #3 of 5, revisit in passingRHW26/12/2019
From Glen Fenzie, parking by bridge, Tom Liath, Mona Gowan, Cairnagour Hill and Scraulac. SMMC Ballater meet, with Liz M + Jim J.clashcityrocker07/11/2019
Andrew, FionaNHWC09/09/2019
Parked by bridge just down from track to Glenfenzie. Took next track up to Scraulac, then Cairnagour and finally Mona Gown. Blowing a hooley, lashing rain, no views. Impressive cairn. Descent down Glenmore to remains of Glenfenzie Lodge. Now sunny!MichaelF22/05/2019
along ridge from Cairnagour Hill KeithByTheC16/05/2019
From Culfork, returning via Slacks of Glencarvierjf3531/12/2018
From Glenfenzie.Smudge26/12/2018
Mountain bike Ballater to Lary and then on good tracks to Morven Lodge. Walked round of Morven and Mona Gowantrimarc216/05/2018
Circuit of Mona Gown and Morven from road-end near Birkford.PGCE19/02/2018
quick walk up from strathdon, very windy day good views eastNozzer25/10/2017
Really good view point. Cracking hill.BigJ25/10/2017
M J O. Very windy but dry day. From top of road and over the tops.Martin6603/09/2017
ghaley31/07/2017
Parked the car near Birkford. Good tracks for most of the way, there has been a lot of timber felling so forest track I followed was a bit churned up. Higher up to Mullachdubh the track was in a good condition. No real path to Mona Gowan summit, made a wee detour from the compass bearing to walk down into the Slacks of Glencarvie - very impressive almost a mini Chalamain Gap. A very windy summit - impressive cairn. Landrover track all the way back to the car via Lynemore farm. Wildlife count Grouse & 2 chicks, Plover, mountain hares, meadow pippet. On the way to the hills 2 red squirrelsLizzieG24/06/2017
tickchazzyboy1914/03/2017
Mona Gowan and its three associated tops. Easy going from south west on snow free ground, it had been thigh deep in places only a week earlier. A lot of track so speedy going.dickscroop20/02/2017
From A939. Snow showers, 8/8 cloud. Summit in cloud. With PM.CJM05/02/2017
Parked at Glenfenzie at the start of the forest road. Good tracks to 335051 then followed the fence. 5.4 miles and under 3 hours with CJM.bolton05/02/2017
With Peterb. After Geallaig Hill we drove back towards Corgaff and climbed this Graham starting at Glenfenzie. As others said they have extended the estate track to within 60-70m (height) of the summit. Reaching the top was tough with very strong winds impeding progress and coming down was only slightly easier. No views as mist had come in from west. Reversed inward route for return.bowlesy03/01/2017
On GMCdaviemore13/11/2016
From A939 nr, Glenfenzie, with mora, then on to Morven, long day, some rain, more flies.BLACKHILL05/07/2016
From parking area on A939 SW of Glenfenzie. I obviously hadn't read the logs below as I was surprised to find the track now goes so far towards the summit. Route and write-up at: http://gayleybird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/mona-gowan.htmlGayle20/05/2016
Weather fair.MountainMac28/03/2016
From Lary, via Morven, on a day with improving views. The walk along the ridge is surprisingly arduous, with lots of very lush bog vegetation, but the tracks on and off the hill are dead easy. There's a nice rocky gap before the climb onto Mona Gowan which adds interest.Gill19/03/2016
OtisGlenford29/08/2015
approxhornet01/08/2015
Did this from Strathdon after climbing Ladylea Hill earlier in day.IanHHill11/06/2015