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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲

@countrysideben.bsky.social

1.6K followers 55 following 990 posts

Ranger in the Cairngorms, occasional writer, general evangelist for the great outdoors. Winter's biggest fan and prone to blethering. Definitely my own views!!

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 9h

Very close tonight 🦌

Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 10h

Gorgeous light at Corndavon as I was pedalling out 🙂

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 10h

Bit of an odd encounter all the way up Glen Gairn this morning. A weirdly unflappable barn owl - it was just a couple of metres from me to start off with, as I surprised it as I cycled around a corner. It sat there for 10 seconds or so but it then flew to this safe distance and watched me.

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 10h

Most of the day was actually pretty overcast except for first thing in the morning and lunchtime. After blazing sunshine on the summit of Ben Avon I had to get my compass out to find my way around the next four tors.

Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 10h

How the day ended 😀

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 11h

How the day started. Lochnagar looking pretty damned fine in the morning light 🙂

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 12h

Big 9hr jaunt up Ben Avon today.....with 22km of cycling and 20km of walking. There's nothing quite like getting back to your bike after a long walk on a big hill and knowing your feet will be getting a rest. The pedal out of Glen Gairn was sooooooo nice! 🙂

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 1d

Day off, and another stunner of a day. Tomorrow, I *might* actually leave the estate for a change 😆

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 1d

It’s looking fantastic here just now. The birch are almost there, but the larch haven’t really got going yet.

Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 2d

I mean.......😀

Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 2d

Oh my word what a day!! ☀️🍂 #rangerdailydiary

Reposted by Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲

Iain MacGilleBhràith @aeonmach.bsky.social · 6d

This is a wonderful article all about The Rut by @countrysideben.bsky.social - full of interesting details and explaining the biology and lifecycle of deer! 👏

I just sent it to my son bc he heard it for the first time on a cracking walk over Maoile Lunndaidh et al a week or so ago.

Looking SWish down towards Loch Monar (not the nearer lochan!) from the - quite low 😏 - bealach between Maoile Lunndaidh & Sgùrr a’ Chaorachainn

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 3d

Cheers Iain!

Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 3d

Thanks Mo 🙂

Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 3d

Yep, storm damage gets left unless it is blocking access or posing a danger.

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 3d

I don't get up Glen Derry often......so it's nice to have an excuse 😉 #rangerdailydiary

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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 3d

A day with our regular John Muir Trust volunteers yesterday, planting extra trees in the new Mar Lodge hedge 🙂 Nice spot for lunch 🙂 #rangerdailydiary