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Glen Almond. |
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Section
1 Ben
Donich Section 0 |
 Creagan na Beinne
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Between Loch Tay and Loch Earn there is a large area of rolling grassy hills, best known for the Munro , Ben Chonzie, and that is a hill that gets few eulogies. This is a shame as it's fine strolling country where many good long days can be enjoyed. As well as the hills the map speaks of numerous antiquities and it contains a fine collection of waterfalls. The are is gaining a following amongst the ski touring fraternity and Killin is becoming an important centre for nordic skiing.
Creag Uchdag is a craggy escarpment beneath the highest summit of the western end of these hills. Below the crags is the enlarged Loch Lednock which has drowned the old drove route south from Killin to the highland line at Comrie. These hills featured in an infamous incident from the days of the clan feuds. Once the MacNabs of Killin were massacred by their rivals from Strathearn, the Neishes. Only a few survived and obviously blood was bad between the residents of the two lochsides for many years. Several generations later a MacNab caravan returning with victuals for Christmas celebrations from Perth was plundered when crossing Neish territory. The Neishes made for their island fortress near St Fillans to enjoy feasting upon their booty. Meanwhile, back at Killin the aging MacNab summoned his twelve sons and suggested that they may like to do something about the slight.
Now getting at the Neishes island was not easy. The solution was to row down Loch Tay to Ardeonaig and lug the boat over the hills, through the snows and down to Loch Earn and the island at the far end. The sons having achieved this feat surprised the Neishes at their feast and killed all but the chief's grandson who managed to hide away. The sons of Macnab wrapped Neish's head in a plaid and returned to Bredalbane the way they had come, taking the boat with them. The boat was abandoned high in Glen Beich, and it is reputed that timbers were still visible in the bogs as recently as 1895. The leader of the raid, Ian Min was a lieutenant of Montrose and was eventually killed at the battle of Worcester in 1651.
Creag Uchdag from the boggy plateau
It was from Ardeonaig with its fishing inn and ancient graveyard that I started out for Creag Uchdag, a little to the east of the route described above. A signposted right of wayled to gentle grassy slopes and the top of Meall nan Oichreag , a fence followed all the way. It was a rare snowy weekend in 1998 and the skis were soon on. However the going was heavy and good running could only be found at the top of the plateau. The fence continued along the parish boundary to Uchdag past a mine that used to yield precious metals as well as lead, and into a morass of peat hags. Now the skis really helped and crossing the hags was rendered easy. A short climb and traverse of the ridge brought up the trig point. The view was mainly of snowy wasteland and Loch Lednock in its trench. A good run down the wee corrie to the northeast and fast traverse of the bogs led back to the mine.
By now the snow was starting to melt, and the lack of base and tussocks was causing all sorts of problems with my poor downhill technique. About halfway down I resorted to walking, enjoying fine views of Ben Lawers and Loch Tay. Being Perthshire the view was of working farms, not just boggy neglected glens as is all too common further north.
Creagan na Beinne or Dunan Hill is the highest point of a vast Mounth like plateau to the north of Glen Almond. One glance at the map would suggest that this is a fine ski touring hill, but I have never caught it in nick. Eventually after the snowless winter of 2003 I walked up from Ardtalnaig. Another glance at the map will be offputting to those who are looking for excitement in their hills, but as is often the case, the ascent proved more rewarding than expected.
Ardtalnaig is the terminus for a couple of old through routes to Strathearn and Glen Almond. These meet at Dunan at the head of Glen Almond and continue through pretty Gleann a'Chilleine between the steep sides of Creagan na Beinne and the Shee of Ardtalnaig. The track through the glen is often used to access the south ridge of the hill. This track is a public road as far as the farm at Creggan, its still a living glen, but there in not much in the way of parking beyond NN709387. This road leaves the South Loch Tay road opposite the phone box. There is room to park a few cars in Ardtalnaig itself.
I chose the track on the east side of the bridge that is shown on the 1:25000 zig-zagging up towards a gentle traverse under Beinn Bhreac. This track runs where the word Ardtalnaig is printed on the 1:50 000 map. Its a delightful grassy path, passing through a grouse moor, before a wide cattle grazed bowl. This is prime bird country and my visit in April was very noisy with larks and the usual waders. This path is also good for views up Loch Tay and across to the Lawers hills. From amongst the cattle I left the path for the easy climb to Beinn Bhreac's trig point and another fine view of the Loch. Creagan na Beinne is a huge bovine lump from here, very much "in calf". While this hill may be gentle to look at, it was proving to be a great place to look from. Only Ben Lawers itself was still in cloud.
After a long dry spell, the simple bogs on the col below the north ridge of Creagan na Beinne were simple, however the weather was turning, thundery clouds were building up and after the desert like experience in Sutherland, there was moisture in the air. The hill felt very different and it was a return to the summer hills of memory. It was almost possible to hear things grow.
Creagan na Beinne from Gleann a'Chilleine (above Claggan Farm).As well as the bogs there was a strange spot that looked like mine workings. This turned out to be a green sward over a patch of limestone. The workings were sinkholes, very North Pennines. Limestone crops up throughout Perthshire, but only as small areas. Perhaps the best are South of Schiehallion or near Loch Leum na Eireanach near Balquidder. They are usually spotted from afar by the green short grass. Some do have caves, but not this one.
Once on the hill the final two kilometres to the summit went easily. The 1:25000 map shows the fence incorrectly, it is intact as far as 743384 when it turns down the ridge enclosing the cattle field. This is not shown. Beyond this point, as so often the case, only a few posts remain of the Victorian cast iron fence, certainly not enough to be useful for navigation. At least this one would have been relatively easy to build, a cart could easily be pulled up such a gentle hill. Not just easy of gradient, but the underfoot conditions were dry tundra, a smooth mossy carpet. Golden plovers were calling, I wonder how they will do in this dry time. The bogs were looking very dusty.
There were folk at the cairn, this being just after Easter was not unexpected, but it was a surprise to find that they lived near me, and remembered me from a nights climbing at The Roaches. We kept each other up to date with the latest gossip re members of the Wolverhampton Mountaineering Club. I was at the end of my trip while they were just starting. The view was not to good from here, being a big plateau, also there was the bulk of Ben Chonzie blocking out the southern view.
Claggan and Beinn Lawers.I decided to return a while along the north ridge before heading down to the ruined farmhouse at Tullichglass. This was a very friendly way down, with just one electric fence to crawl under. I had to dodge a shooting party, shotguns, it was April, but was soon on the track complete with cows, calves, song birds and fresh leaved trees. A bridge crossed the burn above an attractive gorge with a waterfall. The Craggan road is a very interesting viewpoint, Meall Greigh for once appears as a disitinct hill, and the Meall Garbh/An Stuc pair shows well. An Stuc, a great shark's fin. This walk out was a delightful change from the cleared glens up North, with farmyards, hens and cattle being driven from pasture to pasture. Best of all, I met the couple from the summit again and was kindly offered a lift down the final knee jarring half mile. Just the ticket before the long drive south, not to mention the fact that I beat a downpour by five minutes. It was April after all, and spring has another side to the young lambs, blossom and birdsong. Only we had almost forgotten about rain.
Looking northward to Auchnafree Hill from Torlum.
A close neighbour of Ben Chonzie across the artificial Loch Turret, Auchnafree Hill is part of that rampart of hills seen so well from the Ochils across Strathearn. The hill is grouse moor and covered with bulldozed roads and probably more hares per square metere than any other hill. The bulldozed roads can provide fast access to the extensive plateau , but cyclists beware, the area has aquired a reputation for being bike unfriendly.
As well as from the dam on Loch Turret (can be reached by car, any NO-tices are trying it on.), the hill can be done as a long traverse from the Sma' Glen or by my chosen route, Glen Almond.
The Glen Almond approach has remoteness and hill form to recommend it, the ridges thrown down from the plateau being quite craggy, but throws up the problem of how to start. Glen Almond is inhabited but the road is closed to vehicles. One answer is to take a bike in, or it is possible to take the narrow meltwater channel of Glen Lochain from Loch Freuchie. I chose this route as having hitched from Newbridge Roundabout near Edinburgh, this is where I ended up. This was an enjoyable tactic, take a stash of maps and you get a magical mystery tour, not knowing what hill you are going to do until you get there. Just don't tell the safety people, there are obvious risks attached to this approach.
It was January and the snow lay deep and fresh across Perthshire. The obvious gash of Glen Lochain was hard going through deep snow, but the steep slopes of Meall Nan Fuaran and Beinn na Gainimh made this a fine spot with the lochans all but drifted over. Sadly this was before I obtained skis.
The track shown up Crom Creag was partly blown clear and provided quick access to the spindrift wilderness of the plateau. The grass trapped some snow but the excess was blown clear, oh for some skis, but the walking was fast, passed the summit and on to the bulldozed track on Choinneachain Hill. No keepers about today,just a gadzillion hares. The road dropped down to the dam and all that followed was a slightly warmer trek past the distillery to the bus stop in Crieff for the second time that week. A few days earlier I had left Ben Chonzie by this route.
View across Loch Turret to Auchnafree Hill
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