Steep up, gradual down - Beinn a' Chuallaich circular

[gld73]

I did the circular route as per the WalkHighlands route description rather than the quick up and down just to bag it, and it was an enjoyable route. No-one else on this hill today so no problem parking at the route's suggested start point - it's a passing place and a field entrance, but there's room for a couple of cars to park without blocking those. If you're doing this walk as a circular, there are other places to park at widened entrances into the forestry on the west side of the road (the B847) which would just give a slightly different start point on the same circular route; I passed them on the walk back up the road from Drumglas / Dunalastair Reservoir at the end of the walk coming back to the car.

View from the parking point at the start of the walk. This isn't the gate to go through and this isn't the hill I'm about to walk up; all that's on the other side of the road behind me. Schiehallion is just more photogenic!

Great view of Schiehallion for most of this walk. From the car, I went through the gate on the other side of the road, past the hut, along the track for a very short distance, and then just headed straight up the steep (STEEP!) slope. Steep but not difficult and it does eventually get less steep continuing on up to Meall nan Eun. A few hags around this bit, but all easy to avoid. A light shower started as I then curved round from Meall nan Eun to Beinn a'Chuallaich, coming across a worn path on this part of the walk that goes to the summit - though on a clear day like today, finding the large cairn wasn't a problem.

Looking back down the steep initial ascent route. The road and parking area with my car a dot in it are just visible on the left, and the bothy passed at the start is bottom left. Of course Schiehallion gets in the shot too.

Gradient eases eventually, and continuing up to Meall nan Eun, this is the view left to the corbett, Beinn a'Chuallaich

From Meall nan Eun, the curving route round to the summit cairn is clear. So is Schiehallion.

View down Loch Rannoch from Beinn a Chuallaich's trig point

Summit cairn and trig point. No view of Schiehallion from here.

Haha, only joking!

The descent down the south ridge was easy going for most of the way, a nice gentle slope compared to the ascent route. I ignored a few stalkers paths crossing my way down, but got distracted by a new looking deer fence and veered towards it a bit early I think as I could see a gate where I'd be able to cross it. This meant I headed left a bit early and had a steep bit of descent after the place I crossed the tumbledown stone wall (I crossed the wall another couple of times soon after that too), but nothing bad. It definitely was a new fence - looked new, smelled new, still had barcodes and labels on bits of it, stalkers paths and sheep tracks it crossed hadn't grown over at all. Still walker friendly though, there's a walkers gate beside the vehicle gate to get through it.

Descending south towards Dunalastair Water (...and Schiehallion)

I might have headed south east a little early, but whichever line you take, you have to aim for that gate in the deer fence in the centre of the picture

Walkers' gate is on the right

From that gate, I followed the vehicle track down to the next one, the ground all around here prepared for a large new forestry area, so within the fenced area, walking anywhere other than the vehicle track isn't an option unless you like plunging into holes. The walk description still pretty much works though, I still headed to the pylon and past the cottage, then across the pasture to the road junction and the walk back up the road to the start.

Follow the track down, the ground to either side is all dug up for tree planting.

Sign on the second gate, as you leave the new forestry area. Given how new everything looked, it must have been one of the last projects to get EU money before Brexit?!

Nice stroll down to the pylon and cottage

Looking back up at Beinn a'Chuallaich. Those lower eastern slopes are going to be covered in trees in a few years.

Road junction, taking the left back up the B847 to the car. Schiehallion even makes a road junction look nice ...

Not a long walk, but an enjoyable half day's walk with good views, nice way to break my journey heading from Edinburgh home to Inverness.

[Coop]

Remember doing this and going up steeply and pathless up the soft snow, mist and no views.
Then sometime later Cameron Macneish , in one of his programmes went up it. I thought " I didn't see any good track heading up there " as he was ambling up all content. Then I checked the map and where he'd come from. He'd come in from Kinloch Rannoch side where the good track was.
Mental note to self was made for future.

[gld73]

I met Cameron McNeish briefly a few weeks ago ...just didn't realise it until we left scene and I was chatting to the patient about what a good place Newtonmore is for hillwalking and she said her neighbour Cameron, who'd been on the driveway when we arrived, liked walking in the hills too ... (couldn't really go back and say hello by then ... )