Beinn Iutharn Mhor & Carn Bhac, Inverey
Braemar and Ballater
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1. There is a small car park in Inverey. This remote community was the last place in eastern Scotland where Gaelic was spoken, in the 1930s; it is split by the Ey burn; the east side (Meikle Inverey) was Protestant whilst the west (Little Inverey) was Catholic. Begin the walk along the track from Meikle Inverey which heads southwest, passing several buildings to eventually approach the Ey burn. After a kilometre both the burn and the track fork; take the left branch, which soon crosses the Ey and then zigzags uphill before continuing up the right hand side of the glen.
2. Down to the left by the burn is an overhanging rock and gorge (now partly collapsed); this sheltered the Colonel's Bed. In the 17th Century a colonel, outlawed for the murder of a Laird, made this his refuge, and was brought food each day by his lover; it requires only a short detour but take care as the rock edges are loose and slippery. Further on are the scant ruins of Auchelie, an abandoned farm. The track then runs closer to the burn once more; on the far side can be seen the Piper's Wood, which has been fenced as an experiment in regeneration. Beyond, the track crosses the burn once more on another bridge, before crossing back after another two and a half kilometres; there is a view of Beinn Iutharn Mhor ahead.
3. The track ends at Altanour Lodge, the sad, roofless ruin of and old shooting lodge, still sheltered amongst its trees and with beautiful grassy pastures. Continue by churned-up tyre tracks up the glen for another four hundred metres, before making a long rising traverse across the hillsides to gain the bealach between Carn Creagach and Carn Bhac. Continue ascending more easily northwest to reach the cairn on the stony top of Carn Bhac, a Munro at 956 metres. Follow the ridge towards its southwestern top before breaking off and descending towards the peat-hagged bealach marked at 789 metres on the OS Explorer map.
Photo ©Roddy Smith, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
4. The boggy terrain continues for another half kilometre before reaching the foot of the steep rise to Beinn Iutharn Mhor. Most of this slope is covered with very steep scree but it is possible to avoid most of the stones on grass by taking a line slightly to the left. The northeastern end of the summit ridge will be reached with some relief. Turn right along a path and follow the pebbly ridge as it curves left and then right round to the cairn on the true summit at 1045 metres.
Photo ©Greg Morss, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
5. Follow the ridge back northeast and then continue down it as it curves back to the east. Further down there is a steep section before the bleak lower moorland is reached once more. Continue northeast, keeping to the height of the land before the streams on either side converge. If needed, there is over the Alltan Odhar to the west; otherwise it should be crossed here. Not far beyond down the glen is Altanour Lodge. Return back down the long miles of the track (you could have brought a mountain bike here!) to return to Inverey.
Photo ©Nigel Brown, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
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