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Section 0 Galloway and Border Hills
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Section 6 - The Southern Grampians, Glen Garry to Glen Shee Mountains
Section 6 - This section refers to the hills and mountains of the Southern Grampians between Glen Garry and Glen Shee and include the hills to the north of Blair Atholl and west of the Cairnwell. They cover the Corbetts, Grahams and Munros that I have climbed in this area since 2003. Index to hills in this SectionAn Socach6 January 2008
I had neglected this area during the past few years for mountains further west so it was nice to return to Glen Cluanie, which was just under ninety minutes drive from my home, to re-ascend a hill I first climbed many years ago. In fact I wasn't certain where in Glens Cluanie or Shee I was going as I was waiting till I arrived in the area to check out the snow conditions. They were in fact variable with some bare patches, icy crusts which wouldn't hold my weight, some drifts, fresh cornices and a thin covering of wind blown snow on the plateau. I parked beside the small forest plantation on the A93 Braemar to Perth road at the entrance to the road leading to the unoccupied property at Baddoch. I walked along this vehicle track, avoiding some drifting snow to this old building and crossed the Baddoch Burn by a bridge, which was a bit unstable. This was a new route for me as I would normally go further up the Baddoch Burn before climbing onto An Socach but this route looked rather inviting from the A93, due to the snow. I set off up the north-east ridge of Sgur Mor with traces of a path winding its way through the heather. Visibility was good at this time and other walkers in front had made a route through sections of snow. Height was gained fairly rapidly with views back down to Baddoch and across the A93 to Creag nan Gabhar. I reached the summit of Sgor Mor, classed as a Corbett Top, where it was cold and windy with some low cloud floating around so I descended to the bealach with the 855 point before climbing to its small cairn. From here I had a view into Glen Ey but the low swirling cloud curtailed views of the hills further west. A short descent followed before I climbed through some drifting snow to An Socach's East Top, where the views were now restricted by cloud. I continued along An Socach's windswept ridge through some spin drift before reaching its highest point. I still had no views and it was cold and windy so I returned to the East Top with the sun trying to break through the cloud giving an orange glare. At the East Top I descended its east ridge, through some deep snow and spotted a herd of deer. I reached the large cairn at Socach Mor and beyond that it was rather icy in places with evidence of deer foraging for food. Once down at the Baddoch Burn I followed the vehicle track, with its covering of ice and snow, back to the start on the A93.
An Dun and A'Chaoirnich28 - 29 April 2007
The starting point for this outing was the A9 Perth to Inverness Road at the junction with the unclassified road to Trinafour. This is on the west side of a section of dual carriageway near to Dalnacardoch Lodge. Parking is available on this unclassified road but extreme care is required crossing this very fast section of the A9 on foot or on a bike. The weather forecast was for a pleasant weekend although the east coast was to be plagued with haar so I decided on an overnight trip further west to climb these two Corbetts. It was early Saturday evening when I set off up the vehicle track to the deserted Stronphadruig Lodge where I found a suitable spot to pitch my tent looking north towards the next day's hills. Low cloud shrouded the hills when I woke in the morning but during breakfast it slowly disappeared and I left my tent and set off up the steep north ridge of An Dun. After an hour I was on the summit in the sun taking in the views of the surrounding mountains. I descended the steep south ridge of An Dun which was relatively easy as visibility was perfect and I could pick the most suitable route. En route I disturbed some mountain hares and grouse. Once on the valley floor I crossed the Allt Loch an Duin, which was very low, and climbed steeply up the west side of A'Chaoirnich. The heather on the hillside had been burnt by the estate staff so the going was a lot easier than on my previous expedition with lots of animal trails to follow to gain height. Eventually the going became very easy as I approached the summit of A'Chaoirnich at the same time as another walker who was doing the circuit in the opposite direction. Again in the sun there were some good views but there was now a cool breeze so I headed over to Creag an Loch and commenced the descent back to my tent at Stronphadruig Lodge. I did take what I thought was a short cut but it was very steep and awkward in heather and boulders so descending to the bealach above Stronphadruig Lodge, which I did last time, is much preferred. Once back at the tent I had a brew and my lunch sitting in the sun before I packed up my gear and cycled back down the glen after a pleasant outing. A'Chaoirnich has also been referred to Maol Creag an Loch but the OS map shows it as A'Chaoirnich and Creag an Loch as its south ridge.
Meallach Mhor and Leathad an Taobhain7 - 8 April 2007
My plan was for a overnight trip to climb the rather remote Corbetts, Meallach Mhor and Leathad an Taobhain. I had climbed these hills on a backpacking trip a few years ago from Glen Feshie and included Carn Dearg Mhor. On this occasion I was looking for a different approach and having never visited Glen Tromie I decided to use this Glen for the start of this walk. I arrived at Tromie Bridge on the B970 a few miles out of Kingusie but there were no parking facilities in the immediately vicinity. However I found a small parking area within the woods on the Drumguish road about 300 metres north of the bridge. I walked back to Tromie Bridge and took the signposted route up the Glen. The initial section of the road is rough which gives a false impression of the road conditions. After a few hundred metres the road surface became tar macadamised and improved the further south I walked. It was a pleasant Spring afternoon with the sun was shining as I walked up Glen Tromie. I was passed by numerous cyclists, even some family groups, who were headed in the opposite direction. I presumed that some had cycled from Dalnacardoch on the A9, through the Gaick Pass. Unlike several Scottish Glens with their derelict houses most of Glen Tromie's houses appeared occupied. In fact a new house had been constructed just beyond Bhran Cottage, which was one of the few derelict cottages I saw. At this new house I walked along the north side of the Allt Bhran on what was shown on the map as a path. However, as will be seen later, on the ground a lot of these paths weren't always obvious nor in fact did they exist. After nearly two kilometres I found a suitable site to pitch my tent beside the Allt Bhran which was fairly low due to the recent dry spell. Once the tent was erected I made a direct ascent on Meallach Mhor disturbing some deer, more grouse and a mountain hare which had almost lost it's winter coat. It was cold and windy on the summit so once I had taken a few photographs I headed back to my tent looking forward to my evening meal. Oh the disappointment when I discovered a problem with my stove. It would not connect to my gas canister for some reason so it was a cold snack and no coffee and an early night. (I still haven't fathomed out the reason for the problem with my stove.) The next morning it was windy and colder as I packed my gear and continued east on an indistinct path to the Minigaig Pass. The lower section of this path also wasn't obvious as it was overgrown with heather but I was aware of this from my previous visit. Here a met a couple of ladies who had been camping and were headed in the opposite direction. The Minigag Pass was a steady climb up the west side of Leathad an Taobhain but unfortunately had also been used by an ATV causing some boggy sections. On reaching the south ridge of its 902 point it was a short climb to to the summit trig point. It was very windy here so I didn't hang around to take in the views but headed down the north ridge before finding the path that climbed over the Corbett Top Meall an Uillt Chreagaich and onto a vehicle track which had recently been improved. It was a steep descent and I met a couple walking towards me and a chap on a mountain bike who complained that the wind had almost blown him off his bike. Good on him cycling up such a steep gradient as I wouldn't have managed but at least he would reap the benefit on his return, despite the wind. West of Lochan an t-Sluic the track split, east towards Glen Feshie and west below the Corbett Carn Dearg Mor, which I had climbed twice. I also had been in Glen Feshie on numerous occasions so I decided to follow the westerly track and here got very close to another mountain hare whose coat was still rather white, in this virtually snowless area. From the high point on this track it was a gradual descent to the path leading into Gleann Chomhraig. Well the map shows a path all the way down the glen. Initially there is a faint trace of a path down the side of the All an Dubh-chadha but it soon disappeared. The next seven kilometres were virtually pathless with around four kilometres through some long heather interspersed with bog giving one of the most unpleasant walking experiences I have had for a while. I won't be using this glen again and advise any fellow walkers to avoid it unless they like long heather and bog. The only plus side, if there was one, was that it had been relatively dry recently so the bog could have been a lot worse. Even the birds have succumbed here as lots of evidence of birds falling foul of prey. Once in the lower regions of Gleann Chomhraig I headed over and joined the vehicle track that took me through a forest to Killiehuntly Farm in Glen Tromie and a short walk back to the car. A word of warning for anyone walking in this area is that some of the paths shown on the map are non-existent and others are very indistinct probably due to lack of use. However the vehicle tracks are mostly in an excellent state of repair and are suitable for using a mountain bike if you have the energy and power to cycle uphill. Me I have to get off on the inclines as I am not a cyclist.
previous ascent of these mountains
Carn a'Chlamain15 March 2007
The starting point for this ascent was the car park just east of the Old Bridge of Tilt on the single track road to Old Blair from Blair Atholl. There is ample car parking spaces here as it is also utilised for nearby forest walks. We crossed the road and cycled up the signposted route for Glen Tilt for around nine kilometres. Well Shona cycled most of the route but I took the easy option on the inclines and pushed my cycle uphill. The track was in excellent condition as it is also used by vehicles accessing the houses in the Glen. In just under an hour we reached the house at Clachghlas and left the cycles here before climbing steeply onto the vehicle track that crossed the hillside in a westerly direction. The map shows this as a path but is actually a fairly substantial vehicle track and we used it to gain height and reach Carn a'Chlamain's south-westerly ridge. The track splits here and we took the vehicle track that headed up the south-westerly ridge although this track is not shown on the map. It was windy on the ridge with occasional rain showers but higher up this changed to brief hail and snow showers but at least at times we had some good views of the surrounding mountains. The vehicle track almost reached the summit of Carn a'Chlamain and all that was left was a short climb over some rocky terrain to the summit cairn. Here it was very blowy as we took in the views before commencing the descent. Shortly after leaving the summit I disturbed a ptarmigan which had been camouflaged in a small snow field. Lower down we found some shelter for lunch before continuing down the ridge and back to our cycles. The cycle back down Glen Tilt took around 30 minutes with the enjoyment of freewheeling on the downhill sections. Without the use of the cycles another two hours should be added to the walking time.
Carn an Fhidhleir and An Sgarsoch23 August 2006
These two mountains are ideally suited for using mountain bikes as the vehicle tracks are in reasonably good condition especially the first section. However one of my clients doesn't like cycling so it was the long walk in for the four of us. We set off from the Linn of Dee car park and walked along the track to the White Bridge. We were passed by several vehicles and it appeared that they were off to do some grouse shooting. Normally on National Trust property there are no access restrictions, so I hadn't phoned in advance to check about shooting. On reaching the White Bridge we followed the track to the Geldie Burn and along the path on its north side as far as the river crossing near Geldie Lodge. The burn was very low so there was no problem crossing it. On the other side three people appeared to be doing some research on the fish in the burn. At Geldie Lodge, which is the end of the vehicle track, the stalker's vehicle was parked so he was out on the nearby hills, but we never saw him but heard a few shots. The vehicle track shown on the map heading west from Geldie Lodge is actually just a path as a few years ago the NTS removed the vehicle track and replaced it with a path instead. We followed this path to its end where after around 4 hours and 18 kilometres of walking we were now approaching the foot of our first Munro. We had lunch here before crossing the Allt a'Chaorainn and climbing to the summit of Carn an Fhidhleir. There was a walker's path, which wasn't there several years ago, all the way to the summit. During the ascent we were watched from the ridge by a few deer and near the summit I spotted a mountain hare. The views were fairly clear especially the long route back to the start but before that we had our second Munro to climb. We descended the south-east ridge of Carn an Fhidhleir. There were lots of deer in the glen below us. At the bealach we climbed through some long heather and peat hags, there being no obvious path on this hill, to the summit cairn of An Sgarsoch. Again we had clear views and stopped off here for a break. The descent was down the north side of An Sgarsoch and to the west of Scarsoch Bheag and to the path used in the morning. It was now early evening and the sun was out for our long walk back to the start. Around halfway back we stopped for another break but the wind dropped and the midges were out in force so we quickly took off again and by the time we reached the car park at the Linn of Dee it was dark. As stated these two Munros are ideal for the use of a mountain bike but they can also be climbed on a backpacking trip. I have done this from Glen Feshie taking in a few Corbetts as well but the going was rough in places with lots of peat hags.
previous ascent of these mountains
Beinn Dearg10 July 2006
I set off from the car park at Old Blair and headed up Glen Tilt, which isn't the usual approach to this mountain. The normal approach is up Glen Banvie but I have walked in Glen Banvie a few times and fancied something different. After around a couple of kilometres I left the track up the side of the River Tilt and followed a pleasant path through the forest that led to another vehicle track higher up. This track passed to the west of a rifle range and later emerged from the forest. I continued along this vehicle track as it followed the Allt Slanaidh to the south-west the hill called Elrig. Here the map showed the track became a path and headed in a NNE direction. The vehicle track in fact crossed the Allt Slanaidh and continued up its east side. This track is not shown on the OS Map despite the fact that it has been in existence for many years. I followed the track which eventually joined up with the vehicle track at the side of the Allt Sheicheachan where the path started to zig zag onto Meall Dubh nan Dearcag. I followed this zig zag path and headed onto the south-west ridge where I met two backpackers descending out of the cloud. It appeared that the cloud cover on Beinn Dearg was about to lift but it didn't happen so I followed the path to the summit trig point where it was cold and windy. I didn't linger on the summit and returned to Old Blair by the route of ascent. The return was uneventful.
Ben Vuirich1 - 2 July 2006
It was early evening when I set off from Loch Moraig, near Blair Atholl for an overnight camp en-route to the Corbett, Ben Vuirich. The start of the walk was noisy with lots of bleating sheep and lambs as they had obviously been separated during the day while the mothers had been shorn and had only recently returned to the field. The majority of the sheep had still to find their lambs but their priority seemed to be some grass. My peace and quiet was further disturbed by some curlews which were upset by my presence. I followed the estate tracks to the derelict buildings at Shinagag where I had intended camping but on my arrival there was a herd of cows, some with young, so I decided to head higher up. In any case Shinagag was a bit too sheltered and would have been midge infested. I followed the track through the herd of cattle and onto the small knoll of Carn Breac where there was a slight breeze. I pitched my tent here with good views down Glen Girnaig and out west. The only downside was the lack of water but I managed to cope with what I had carried in. I had a pleasant night on Carn Breac and in the morning the views to the west were great to waken up to. Once breakfast was over I left my tent and continued along the vehicle track to the south-east end of Meall Breac where the track slowly disappeared in the boggy ground. This ground was traversed to Loch Valigan followed by a direct assault on the summit of Ben Vuirich. However the initial section of this route was wet, boggy and contained several peat hags which I tried to avoid but the walking became easier once I had gained some height. One downside was the flies which were bothering me as it was calm so I was looking forward to a breeze on the summit. On reaching the summit trig point the rumbles of thunder started and it was very dark to the south, mind you I was wearing sunglasses. There was a bit of a breeze here so I stopped for a break looking at the Glen Shee Hills and the Cairngorms with the obvious Lairig Ghru pass. I should also mention Beinn a'Ghlo to the north but these hills had been in my view since yesterday when I set off from Loch Moraig. The thunder was getting more frequent as the dark clouds moved from west to east just south of my location. However I wasn't concerned as there was no evidence of any lightning which is an obvious hazard. I decided on a slightly different descent route to try and avoid the underfoot conditions near Loch Valigan so I crossed over to Creag nan Gobhar and went down its west ridge. This was followed by a short section of ground similar to what I traversed beside Loch Valigan and involved a slight ascent to reach the track I had used earlier that day. I then followed this track back to my tent. It had been trying to rain since I left the summit of Ben Vuirich and on return to my tent the rain was a bit heavier so unfortunately the tent was wet as I took it down. I then returned to Loch Moraig by the previous day's route. The cattle had moved away, the sheep and lambs had been re-united but the curlews were still upset by my presence. The rain had ceased and it was a very humid walk back to the start.
Beinn Iutharn Mhor23 May 2006
I met my clients in Braemar and we drove to Inverey where an unscheduled stop delayed us for nearly two hours. If it wasn't for the kind assistance of the local gamekeeper this walk would have had to be cancelled. We set off for the long walk up Glen Ey, past The Colonel's Bed, to the Altanour Lodge, which is a ruin. This walk took around two hours on a good vehicle track and could easily be cycled . However one of my clients doesn't like cycling hence the walk in. Beyond the ruined lodge the track deteriorated considerably with various paths, some obviously animal tracks, heading across the heather clad hillside making walking rather awkward after the easy walk up the Glen. On reaching the north-east ridge of Beinn Iutharn Mhor we headed up this ridge where it was initially sheltered from the cold wind. However we were still subjected to the hail and snow showers. The ridge had plenty of wild life including a hare, several ptarmigan and a pipit. One of my clients spotted a lightening flash on the Cairngorms, which was a bit of a concern but thunder and lightening was forecast for the area. Higher up the wind was strong again with more hail and snow showers but we eventually reached the summit cairn which was large enough to shelter behind for a very late lunch. The views of the surrounding mountains including the Cairngorms were very clear and the clarity made it easy to identify them. After lunch we retraced our route, with the wind now on our backs, finding traces of a path down the north-east ridge of Beinn Iutharn Mhor but it later vanished into the heather. We headed closer to the Allt Beinn Iutharn and followed it back to the ruined lodge. The paths here were more boggy and wet but obviously used more by walkers and at one point there was a small bridge to assist a stream crossing which we missed on the upward route. The return down Glen Ey was uneventful although we did disturb several large herds of deer before eventually reaching the car park at Inverey.
Carn Dearg Mor17 April 2006
From the car park north of Auchlean we walked past this farm and took the path towards the wood where we crossed the Allt Fhearnagan and were confronted by loads of shooters who had the wood surrounded. I am not sure what they were after, pheasants or foxes but we never heard any shots. We got permission to proceed but it was like having an armed escort as we walked towards the bridge over the River Feshie. This bridge is now in good condition having been repaired and this allowed the shooters to drive across the bridge and park their vehicles at various points on the east side of the river. Once on the opposite side of the river we followed a path south until it joined the tarred and well maintained road almost as far as Carnachuin. Here we headed uphill by a vehicle track but once beyond the forest we left the track and climbed the heather clad hillside onto the north ridge of Carn Dearg Beag where there was a faint path. This path was followed to the summit trig point of Carn Dearg Beag. The early sun had been replaced by cloud and it was windy as we continued south towards Carn Dearg Mor. This was a reasonably easy ascent following the faint path through the heather but unfortunately it was very windy and once again we had a ten minute blast of snow just before we arrived on the summit of Carn Dearg Mor. It was too cold and windy to hang about on the open summit so we headed to the bealach to the south-west and then dropped down to the vehicle track than runs round the side of Carn Dearg. We found a reasonably sheltered area beside Lochan an t-Sluic for our lunch. This lochan has two streams that flow into it and none flowing out so we presumed that there must be some underground channel for the water to escape towards the River Feshie. After lunch we followed the track to the River Feshie and Glenfeshie Lodge but had to leave the track on numerous occasions to allow the shooter's vehicles to pass. They must have gone to the south west of Carn Dearg Mor but once again we never heard any shots. The track was followed back to Carnachuin and we then returned to our cars by the outward route.
Beinn a'Ghlo Munros10 February 2006
The weather forecast indicated that Friday was to be sunny with a slight breeze while the weekend was to be wet and windy so I decided to take the Friday off and work over the weekend. I planned to climb the three Munros of the Beinn a'Ghlo group but instead of the usual clockwise direction with the long walk out I decided to do it in reverse. I left my car near Loch Moraig on the access road to Monzie Farm and set off along the track leading to the foot of Carn Liath. I was followed by a group of three, the lady of the group aiming to climb her one thousandth Munro. She was all excited by the event and a bottle of champagne was put into a rucksack. I decided against telling them that I had passed this total some time ago but I was told if I planned it right I could have some champagne. I had to decline this offer as I don't partake of alcohol but they thought that I should on such a special occasion. Fortunately they were climbing these Munros in the opposite direction from me. I continued along the track beyond the south-west ridge of Carn Liath and was later passed by two shepherds on their all terrain vehicles with their dogs standing on the back. Once further east I followed a path across the heather clad hillside below Beinn Bheag to the Allt Bealach an Fhiodha where I found shelter from the cold wind for a short break in the sun. I thereafter crossed this stream and commenced the climb of the Munro Top, Airgoid Bheinn, initially on a path through the heather but later the ascent became fairly steep and stony. The ground was frozen and the small stones moved easily so care was required before I reached the snow line. The final ascent of Airgoid Bheinn was through some boulders, the gaps hidden by snow. However it was well worth the effort as I had good views especially to the east and across to the other hills on my day's planned route. The wind was very cold here and as I descended to the bealach the ground was very icy in places and required some care until I was well on my way to the cairn to the south-west of Carn nan Gabhar. Again care was required as the hollows between the boulders were concealed by the snow. I reached the trig point, which is not the summit and continued to the highest point a couple hundred metres further on. Here I had fantastic views of Glen Tilt, Lairig Ghru and the snow clad Cairngorm mountains. After taking several photographs I returned to the bealach and descended to another bealach at the head of the Allt Bealach an Fhiodha. En route I met the lady, heading to her one thousandth Munro, together with her male companions, one of whom had been using crampons. We exchanged underfoot condition reports and I headed up the east ridge of Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain and as the other party predicted to a short icy section at the top. Once beyond that obstacle I continued to the summit of Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain before descending the south ridge where I spotted another two walkers returning to the start rather than continuing to Carn an Gabhar. I found some shelter for lunch before climbing the twisted ridge of Carn Liath where once again I had some good views. I descended the steep path on the south-west ridge of Carn Liath which had some good soft snow to make the descent easier. Lower down I crossed the normally boggy ground which was frozen and made walking easy, before the return along the track to the start.
Pitlochry Hills20 January 2006
The drive from the east coast of Scotland had been in clear weather but on approaching the start of this walk on the Kirkmichael to Pitlochry road the cloud base lowered and it started to snow. The start was from the highest point on this road beside a communication tower where I followed a vehicle track uphill. However the track changed direction and wasn't on the bearing I was using in the snow and low cloud so I continued on the bearing through knee deep heather with hollows hidden by the lying snow. The walking conditions weren't any better on the ridge but the snow wasn't as heavy and eventually stopped. I found a fence on the ridge which I followed to Point 637 before descending slightly and climbing to the knoll north of the summit still following the fence. The summit was a few metres further north just beyond the junction of three fences. There was no view from the summit, just a cold wind blowing so I commenced my return and followed the fence and my boot prints back to the start and by the time I arrived back it had started snowing again. I then drove to Moulin on the outskirts of Pitlochry and parked my car in the car park near Baledmund. Here it was raining as I was at a lower altitude. I set off along the track through the forest and onto the open hillside and by this time the rain had ceased. I continued along the well maintained path to Loch a'Choire where snow was lying before I commenced a fairly steep ascent into the cloud and on the snow covered man made stone path. This path eventually took me to the summit trig point and indicator and once again there was no view so I commenced the return to Loch a'Choire. Once lower down the cloud started to break up and by the time I was heading back to the forest the summit of Ben Vrackie was clear and the sun was shining. Just my luck but I had no intention of going back, well not then.
Ben Gulabin23 October 2005
Driving west through Deeside, the hills had a covering of snow, the first this winter, and at the Cairnwell Ski Centre it was snowing with the snow lying to just above the car parks. Skiers don't get excited as there wasn't enough snow for you to get your skies out just yet. The start of this walk was just north of the Spittal of Glenshee where a vehicle track gives easy access to this hill. On the gate was a notice about stalking but it appeared that there was no restrictions as long as walkers didn't go beyond Ben Gulabin. The board also contained the dates they were stalking, the last date being the 22nd, which was the first day of the hind stalking season. However it was Sunday so there were no restrictions. The track gave easy access to the north side of the hill to an old ski building. Here I watched a large herd of deer traverse the snow covered Ben Gulabin with the stags roaring and darting back and forth. This was followed by a smaller group of deer with a lone tired looking stag at the back. After watching these deer till they disappeared over to the south side of the hill I climbed Ben Gulabin following an all terrain vehicle track which had churned up the heather. On reaching the south-east ridge the deer were further down the ridge and I headed to the summit cairn. I just arrived at the summit before a couple who came up from Gleann Taitneach. They told me that they were responsible for disturbing the deer who had been sheltering in the glen. The return to the start was by the ascent route and was fairly rapid and uneventful other than listening to the roar of the stags on the opposite side of the road.
Backpacking in the Forest of Atholl11 - 12 June 2005Earlier in the day I had a walk booked in Glen Coe so rather than come home straight afterwards I contacted a fellow hill walker to ascertain if they wanted to do some walking on the Sunday. Their reply was the suggestion of a bivy and the area north of Blair Atholl was agreed upon. Early Saturday evening we met in Perth and I was driven north to Blair Atholl and subsequently to the car park near the Old Bridge of Tilt after a stop for something to eat. It was 9.30pm when we actually set off having changed our plans slightly from sleeping in a bivy bag to using our tents as the forecast wasn't very favourable for sleeping out in the open. From the car park we walked up Glen Tilt, initially on the west side of the River Tilt and then on the east side as far as Gilbert's bridge. We obviously upset a bird while walking up the Glen in the semi-light as it was making loud alarm calls. My walking partner spotted, in a tree, an owl which was watching us closely. At Gilbert's Bridge we re-crossed the River Tilt and continued on a track on the west side of the river. Once out of the woods it was time to look for a camping spot as it was getting dark but the area was covered in bracken so we continued to the bridge over the Allt Diridh and walked along the path above the gorge. It was now 11.30pm and we came across a grassy area on the hillside beside a small stream and in the semi dark erected our tents. It turned out to be an ideal position as the ground was soft and reasonably flat. Once the tents were up it was time for a brew before retiring to our tents. Around 3.30 the following morning the rain commenced so we were pleased that we had taken our tents instead of going slightly lighter by carrying bivy bags. The rain continued off and on but we were up early and during a dry spell managed to take down the tents and pack our gear. We started walking again about 7.30am with a short stroll to an old stone bridge over the Allt Mhairc at the foot of Gleann Mhairc. From here it was a steady climb up the south ridge of Beinn Mheadhonach. A mountain hare spotted us and ran off. Higher up the gradient eased but by this time we were in the mist as we passed two cairns, the latter one being the actual summit of Beinn Mheadhonach. We descended to the bealach, which had some peat hags, but we were able to walk through them before heading round the west side of Carn a'Chiaraidh to another bealach. My walking companion put on more clothing and had something to eat here as they were feeling extremely cold. We then contoured round the south side of Elrig 'ic an Toisich and to its bealach with Beinn Dearg. During the traverse of the hillside the rain turned to sleet as the temperatures dropped and this was June. At this third bealach a decision had to be made. The choice was a reasonable easy 200 metre ascent of Beinn Dearg and a path back to the Old Bridge of Tilt or a much longer day heading further north to the remote Corbett Beinn Bhreac. This Corbett reaches a height of 912 metres and is just a couple of metres short of being a Munro. I'm sure the Munro Baggers will he happy that it remains below the 3,00 foot mark as it is a very remote hill from whatever direction you approach. My companion hadn't been to Beinn Bhreac before, so I went along with their decision despite the frequent sleet showers. We therefore descended in a northerly direction to the Tarf Water. The bealach beside the burn was covered in peat hags and bog and it took a while to cross. However the stream didn't cause us any problems. Here we had a brew and some lunch. We left our sacks here and commenced the climb of Beinn Bhreac. Initially more bog to wander round but once higher up it was pleasant walking, especially with the packs off. Although we had some sleet and rain the cloud did try to break up but failed and we reached the summit cairn in the mist. There was no point in hanging about at the summit so we returned to the Tarf Water collected our packs and commenced the long walk back. Initially walking was very difficult with large expanses of bog but as we climbed round the north side of Beinn Gharbh conditions improved and there were traces of a path. However when we reached the next bealach we were once more confronted by peat bog but picked up the Allt Beinn Losgarnaich and the path on its north side. It started to rain heavily and changed to hail for a while as we descended this reasonably good stalker's path. By the time we reached the track to Bruar Lodge the rain and hail had ceased. We headed south passed Bruar Lodge before picking up another path on the east side of Bruar Water. This path, which had sections of bog and disappeared at one point, climbed up and over to the Sheicheachan bothy where we had planned to take a rest. We stayed at the bothy for a while drinking cups of tea and coffee and taking on some more food for the final section of the walk. During this stop three walkers, who had been up on Beinn Dearg in snow, came in for a quick break and told us that it took them two hours to walk into the bothy so we knew how long it would take us to walk out with heavier packs. We set off along the track at a fair pace after our rest and food intake and made good progress. It took us just over the two hours to reach the car park beside the Old Bridge of Tilt and the end of a tough day but with two Corbetts bagged for my walking companion.
Carn Bhac30 January 2005The previous day I had guided Frances on a long day out on the Cairngorms so this was to be a shorter day. Shona, Laila and Fraser, who had seen this walk advertised on my 'Programme Page', had decided to join Frances. The start of the walk was beside the bridge over the Ey Burn, which is easily located as it is beside the telephone kiosk at Inverey. From here we walked along a track past the house at Loin-a-veaich, along the edge of a forest and out onto the open hillside. Once out in the open it was a lot cooler due to the wind that was blowing down the glen. The track continued almost to the col south of Carn Liath where we avoided some patches of snow. From this point we were able to look north across to the Cairngorms which were covered in cloud. We headed south following traces of a path over a couple of hillocks to Geal Charn. At this point we changed direction and descended slightly before climbing to Carn Bhac's South-West Top, which is classed as a Munro Top. Earlier I had seen two individuals standing at this summit before descending its north-east ridge. I hope they didn't think they were on the Munro summit as older Ordnance Survey maps show this point as Carn Bhac. Well I will never know as they were off down the ridge before we could meet up. From the Munro Top we headed to the true summit of Carn Bhac. Here the wind began to pick up and it was a bit of a fight against the strong wind to reach the summit cairn. As it was now very windy everyone was happy to descend Carn Bhac's north-east ridge and get away from the strongest of the winds. This descent was fairly steep trying to avoid some snow patches. It was obviously a popular area with the hares, which stood out in their white fur against the bare landscape. Lower down we crossed the Allt Coire Bhearnaist and followed traces of a path down the west side of the Allt Connie before crossing the Allt Cristie Mor by a bridge and rejoining the track we used earlier that day. A short walk took us back to the start at the Ey Burn.
Braemar18 September 2004It was a windy day when we set off from the car park in Chapel Brae, Braemar and followed the track to the landmark indicator which is allegedly located lower than its original proposed position. This is probably true as several of the landmarks indicated cannot be viewed from this point. The path steepened from here across the heather moorland. We stopped several times to look back at Braemar and the rainbows that arced across this village as frequent rain squalls passed through the area. On reaching the summit, which is covered in ugly buildings, some for telecommunications use, we took shelter behind one of these buildings as the wind was very strong and noisy here as it battered against the buildings. Once we ate lunch we returned to Braemar by our ascent route.
Gaik Corbetts17 April 2004The starting point was the A9 at Dalnacardoch Lodge with a cycle up the track to Sronphadruig Lodge just south of Loch an Duin. It was then a steep climb up onto the summit plateau of An Dun where the wind was fairly strong. The summit was clear so we had some views of the surrounding hills. A continuation north took us steeply down An Dun's north ridge where we disturbed a herd of hinds feeding in the sheltered glen below. Once across the Allt Loch an Duin it was a steep slog up towards Maol Creag an Loch following several hares in their white coats with nowhere to hide as the lying snow had gone. However the forecast was for rain and snow by lunchtime and for once it was correct. On arriving on the plateau of A'Chaoirnich there was driving snow with poor visibility. The small cairn was found and it was then the sake of walking down the south ridge directly into the driving snow. A steep descent took us back to Sronphadruig Lodge and the cycle back to the A9 in the rain.
Glen Shee21 November 2003This day, accompanied by three ladies from Edinburgh I headed for Glas Tulaichean and Carn an Righ. We started from the Spittal of Glenshee and followed the track that goes almost to the summit of the first Munro. On approaching the summit trig point in the mist, we saw two walkers. I recognised one as a fellow Aberdonian Andy Nisbet, who maintains the records for all new climbs in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Mountaineering Club. Andy was my guide the first time I did the Cuillin Munros in Skye. He was also my instructor on my mountain leader training course at Glenmore Lodge. After a brief chat we headed off in separate directions for Carn an Righ. As we ascended Carn an Righ the cloud base lowered and we encountered a couple of snow showers. On reaching the summit we stopped briefly to congratulate Laila who had now completed 142 Munros and was half way to completing all the Munros. Congratulations Laila. We then made our way over to Gleann Taitneach, where the weather was a lot better, and the long walk back down the glen to the start. En-route various herds of deer watched us carefully as we headed south. Once again we made it back to the start just as it was getting totally dark.
Solo Backpack13 - 15 June 2003The weekend weather looked as if it would stay dry so on Friday afternoon I set off for Glen Feshie on the west side of the Cairngorms. From the car park at Auchlean a short cycle ride south took me to my starting point and a climb up onto the Corbett Carn Dearg Mor. It was now late evening so a suitable camp site was found beside the deer. In the morning, after breakfast, I left my tent and climbed the Corbett Meallach Mhor before returning to the camp site for coffee. Broke camp and headed for the Minigaig, an old drovers’ path but it was difficult to follow in places as it is overgrown and obviously infrequently used. Once at its highest point I climbed to the summit of my second Corbett of the day Leathad an Taobhain. This is obviously a very remote area of the country as I hadn’t seen or met anyone since I left my car. My next target was Beinn Bhreac another remote Corbett. This was reached over difficult terrain including peat bogs. I had now climbed all the Corbetts in this area but still had a few hours till I needed to set up camp for the night so I set off for the remote Munro Carn an Fhidhleir again over very rough ground. On reaching its summit I descended south-east towards the Allt a’Chaorainn where I set up camp for the night. After my meal I had a walk up the other Munro in this area, An Sgarsoch, before returning to my tent for what I thought was a well earned rest. The following day I started on the long walk out and headed for the River Feshie. The upper reaches are very scenic with waterfalls and gorges and together with the abundance of wildlife my mind was kept active. The path along the side of the River is rather eroded in places and some care was needed. On approaching the bothy around lunchtime I met the first humans I had seen since I left my car on Friday. The lower Glen was fairly crowded after the loneliness of the solo backpacker and the journey back to the car was uneventful.
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