Mons Grapius View (by Eric Wm. Walker)
Early on Wednesday morning last week I trekked up the East shoulder of
the
Hill of Wirren
starting from
Lethnot school. The sun had just started to rise above the North Sea
and
Montrose. Standing over 2,240 feet high, this broad heather clad hill
in
the Grampian Mountains dominates the valleys, North , South, East and
West
giving spectacular views for miles around, by far surpassing those from
Lochnagar, MacDhui, Keen, Battock, Clochnaben and others North.
There are various routes to the summit. This time I took the easy one. On reaching the East Cairn, and after a drink and snack, I viewed the scenery for miles around. The North Sea stretched from beyond Aberdeenshire in the North, to the Forth coastline to the South with all the towns, fishing and farm villages. North was Glenesk and Deeside with mounts Keen, Battock and Clochnaben nearby. Further North was the unmistakable "Mither Tap" O' Bennachie.
My favourite mountain, Lochnagar, which I have climbed many times since 1948, stood rugged and grand to the North West and brought back many memories of walking, rock climbing and bothying with pals, some no longer here. In particular I recalled great days and nights, sometimes in sunshine and at times in blizzard conditions, battling through snow at bothies including Lochend and Glas Alt Shiel with Eric Leiper, Stuart Hogg, Harry Mason, Had Robertson, Iain Sutherland and many more including some girls of course Heath Reid, Isobel Smith, Shirley Covington, to name but a few. Reaching the shelter of the bothy the fire was lit, sausages, bacon, and eggs, cooked, then out would come a bottle and a dram or two would be enjoyed in front of a blazing fire. Mountaineering songs would be sung, along with some which had not been learned at Sunday School. Awaking on a Winter's morning in Bob Scott's bothy at Luibeg and a herd of Red Deer surrounding the hut is unforgettable. Great times, with good friends. What could be better?
Back on the Wirren last Wednesday, the sun was spreading over the Valley of Strathmore and its colours were beautiful. Kirriemuir was there, the 'Thrums' of it's native son James Barrie, author of Peter Pan and other famous stories. Near Kirriemuir are the beautiful Glens, Prosen, Clova and Doll. Further West the mountains of 'Bonnie Strathyre' picked up the rays of the morning sun. The Sidlaw Hills and the Tay Valley stood out clearly and to the Southwest the Ochils formed a barrier in front of Stirlingshire. South and West was the sight I had really come to see again; The Braes of Angus and the Howe of the Mearns, with all it's beauty outlined by the North Sea, formerly the German Ocean, lit by the morning sun. To me, nothing can surpass this view and it's interesting history.
Before I settled down to enjoy the beauty of the valley I walked along the crest of Wirren to it's highest point on the West shoulder between the high mounds of heather topped peat, gouged out by storms and snowfalls since time began, reminding me of pictures of trench warfare in W.W.I, while to a US. Navy Chief, Jack Jordan, walking with me once, it was reminiscent of shots of lunar landscape. I stopped as five red deer passed near me, effortlessly jumping the march fence, and watched me from a hollow closeby, staring majestically at me, knowing I was intruding.
On the top of the Wirren are the remains of two wrecked aeroplanes from W.W.II. One wreck of a small training plane lies less than a mile from the summit. The other however, crashed after completing a wartime mission. On October 17th 1944, Consolidated Liberator GRV1, number KG857, of 547 Squadron, Coastal Command, RAF. Leuchars, returning to base after an anti-submarine patrol over the North Sea piloted by Flt.Lt. Harold Ellis and his crew of nine, made landfall too far North striking the Hill of Wirren, disintegrating, and killing seven of the crew. Two of the crew suffered only slight injuries and helped the severely injured pilot out of the wreck. He was taken to Stracathro Hospital, where he made a good recovery. I recall the late Lar Ferrier who was a member of the Brechin Fire Brigade, telling me of watching the plane blazing on top of Wirren when the brigade were passing Unthank en-route to the scene.
With all the publicity of late about the US. Navy Base at Edzell, let us not forget that Edzell Base was established by the Royal Flying Corps during W.W.I, and was a Royal Air Force Base from 1940 until 1957. Lots of young men lost their lives flying in and around the base. Some, thousands of miles from home are at rest in Fettercairn Cemetery and should never be forgotten. They, were the heroes of Edzell. An inscription from the headstone of one young Canadian reads as follows
R200107 SERGEANT, T.E.R. DONNELY
AIR GUNNER, ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE.
26TH MAY, 1944. AGE 18.
NOT LOST, BLEST THOUGHT.
BUT GONE BEFORE,
WHERE WE SHALL NEED
TO PART NO MORE.
Although the only part of our Ancient City of Brechin visible from the Wirren is the spire of St. Columbas, the former East Free Church, and a fringe of buildings to the North, one can see Little Brechin, Cookston, Menmuir, Dalgety, Leuchland, Auldbar and many miles of surrounding countryside and interesting towns. A wealth of historic sites are on view. Here were many military bases of W.W.I and W.W.II. The airship base near Aberlemno dates from 1914. Secret Air Bases, Army Camps, Prisoner of War Camps, one of Britain's first RADAR stations is there, with it's buildings and defences still intact, of particular interest to Brechin, one of it's most famous sons Sir Robert Watson-Watt having been the pioneer of radio-location.
The whole valley is steeped in history. Here were the Picts, Celts, Vikings and the Roman Armies commanded by Julius Agricola, who built the Roman camp at Stracathro and the Roman harbour near Montrose. The Romans named the range of mountains, which includes the Wirren, 'Mons Grapius', known to us as the Grampian Mountains and certainly had signal parties on top, as they liked to march within sight of their fleet. The actual site of the battle cannot be established, but somewhere in those mountains the disciplined, battle hardened troops of the Roman Army under Agricola defeated the Caledonians led by their warrior chief Calgacus, 'The Swordsman'. I am sure my friend, the very talented sculptor Tommy Church could portray the two leaders in stone, which would create great interest and be a great asset to Brechin's tourist trade. The armies of Edward the First also marched along the valley in his attempted subjugation of the Scots, stopping at Stracathro Church on his way, to crown and humiliate John Baliol. Cromwell was here with his troops, as was the Duke of Cumberland and his Hanoverian army.
There is much more to be told of Brechin and District and it's history, not only military history, but the history of it's people, some who emigrated many years ago to the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and many other places. Their interest in their relatives who left the Ancient City of Brechin many years ago, sailing the world's oceans for new lands, and their relatives who still live here is of great value to them, giving them a feeling of belonging, to this land of their ancestors.