Birthday celebration in the cloud up Glen Tilt

[dogplodder]

Ruth had a significant birthday coming up. Due to covid we had cancelled our planned walking trip in May and tentatively rebooked for September around the time of her birthday. But as the time came closer it looked less likely that plan would sit nicely with tightening restrictions as it involved car sharing from Perth to Tyndrum and room sharing (an admittedly large room) at Tyndrum Lodges. So we cancelled that in favour of climbing a hill midway between us that didn't involve car sharing or an overnight stay. I hadn't seen Ruth since we climbed Ben Ledi in October 2019 so there was a lot to catch up on. We don't talk on the phone, just on hills.

Ruth on Ben Ledi

We arranged to meet at the Bridge of Tilt car park to head for Beinn Mheadhonach, which would give us a nice leisurely walk along Glen Tilt before a gentle climb to the summit. We took the path on the right of the information board which led us to a bridge over the river and on to the main track up Glen Tilt.

Bridge of Tilt information board

We were so busy talking I forgot to take any photos so here's one of our route from a previous occasion heading for Beinn Dearg.

Track up Glen Tilt

After 2.5km we crossed the bridge at Cumhann-leum then after another 1.8km took a left turn off the main track to cross Gilbert's bridge and almost immediately a sharp right turn on a track climbing through the forest to reach the ruins at Ach Mhairc Bhig, one of several deserted settlements in the glen. We kept to the main track along the edge of the forest here but on our return took the alternative grassy path through open grazing land.

Open pasture near Ach Mhairc Bhig with Carn a Chlamain ahead

I hadn't realised the Highland clearances affected Perthshire as much as further north, but now know that the Duke of Atholl was the first to clear land to make way for sheep with the Glen Tilt clearances being the first recorded evidence of clearances in Scotland. I always feel a bit sad at these places thinking of a destroyed way of life to turn the land over to sheep, which in the end wasn't the best thing for that land anyway.

Upper Glen Tilt from ruins at Ach Mhairc Mhor, another former township

At this point we left Glen Tilt, to follow a grassy path high above the ravine of the Allt Mhairc and got our first sighting of our target hill..

Beinn a' Chait (middle left) and Beinn Mheadhonach (middle right) with tops in cloud

Clear path ahead

Path hugging side of steep slope

At one point there was evidence of a landslide but it was still possible to follow the path. On the way back we took a path higher up which was easier. The path leads down to an arched stone bridge, which looks pretty old but is known as New Bridge.

New Bridge ahead

It's a scenic spot and as it was a long time since we'd eaten we sat on the bridge wall for a sandwich and other goodies Ruth had tucked away.

Lunch stop

Allt Mhairc from bridge

Looking downstream

After a fairly leisurely lunch break we got going again, climbing a steep gravel path which took us up on to open moorland above. There was always a faint path to follow but I must have taken my eye off the ball and was possibly distracted by a prominent cairn and stone shelter slightly to the right so didn't notice a faint path forking off to the left and leading up the nose of the ridge. The more obvious path that we followed took us on a traverse of the eastern side of the ridge which I expected to dog leg at some point and take us up on to the crest of the ridge... but it didn't.

Shortly after we crossed the stone dyke mentioned in the WH directions I reckoned we had better abandon the path we were on and get ourselves up the side of the ridge. This involved a steep pathless climb into cloud. Once higher up we lost almost all visibility but kept going until we hit on the path heading north for the summit.

Summit ridge

Ruth must have wondered where I was taking her and I did wonder with the cloud closing in how much further we should go. We came to the cairn at 900m but after that it was too thick to merit a photo and the thought uppermost in my mind was getting her safely out of the cloud so she could enjoy her birthday the next day!

Thick cloud ahead

We turned back slightly before we reached the 901m cairn as it was obvious we weren't going to see anything and going any further into opaqueness didn't feel like the best idea. As far as I was concerned we had climbed this Corbett even if short by 1m in height.

On our way back with trusty guide dog in the lead

There was a path to follow and we had a map and compass, but even without these Keira would have been useful. Dogs' highly developed sense of smell enables them to follow the scent of other walkers - and interestingly she didn't try to take us back by the unorthodox way we came up.

We can see again

Not long after I took that last photo Keira gave a single woof and we saw someone coming up towards us. Keira did her usual "I'm everyone's best friend" greeting and I called her off with my usual explanation about over enthusiastic bonkers dog. Should I be worried that the other walker looked at me and said "Are you dogplodder?" (maybe a bit more than that but that was the gist).

This was the only person we met all day (apart from a few local walkers near the car park) on this remote Corbett and it turned out we were both from the same place 80 miles away. It was gld73, who writes regular reports on here and being much younger and fitter than me goes at a significantly faster pace. I saw from her report (written up in normal timely fashion) the cloud cleared for her and she got some views from the top, not that I'm jealous or anything. It was lovely to meet her and I should have had the presence of mind to take a photo.

From there navigation was easy back to New Bridge where we had stopped for lunch and we sat down again at the exact same spot on the wall for an afternoon snack. Not very imaginative but it was a good spot to sit.

New Bridge from other side

Heading back to Glen Tilt

Our return was unremarkable, only variation being we followed a grassy path we hadn't taken before to the ruin at Ach Mhairc Bhig, where once people lived and worked and children played.

Tree at Ach Mhairc Bhig

River Tilt from Gilbert's Bridge

River Tilt down there through the trees

Once back at the car park and debooted we headed for The Tulach at the Blair Atholl Golf Club for a pre birthday meal and promised the welcoming proprietor we would give them a mention for good social distancing and very nice food. Just realised food figures quite a lot in this report!

It was a good choice of venue because apart from providing good food it didn't add anything to the distance either of us had to drive home.

With our post walk desserts

[gld73]

It was lovely to meet you too - funny that we were the only people on that hill that day and were both that far from home! And I might have written my walk report in a timely manner, but yours certainly has much better photos

[Huff_n_Puff]

Looks a great walk, and excellent photos - shame about the clag You have an uncanny knack of picking out my future walks, although Glen Tilt is not that handy for the Black Isle

[dogplodder]

It was lovely to meet you too - funny that we were the only people on that hill that day and were both that far from home! And I might have written my walk report in a timely manner, but yours certainly has much better photos

I've been keeping an eye on your recent reports for new ideas of what to do locally - so keep them coming!

[dogplodder]

Looks a great walk, and excellent photos - shame about the clag You have an uncanny knack of picking out my future walks, although Glen Tilt is not that handy for the Black Isle

Not handy for the Black Isle but good for a hill stop half way up the A9 once travel is allowed again.