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Meall Chuaich by bike

Meall Chuaich by bike


Postby gavinlyoung » Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:09 pm

Route description: Meall Chuaich, Drumochter

Munros included on this walk: Meall Chuaich

Date walked: 16/10/2021

Time taken: 4 hours

Distance: 15 km

Ascent: 600m

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Somehow the hills to the east of Drumochter had never appealed which I suppose is why I left them almost to the end of my Munro list but they had to be done so I booked in for two nights at Silverfjord at Kingussie which I enjoyed. I set off early ( well 8 o’clock was early for me having the luxury of being in retirement), sustained by a very good breakfast and drove south down the A9 to layby 94.
38 -Layby 94.jpg


Grid Ref NN 654 866( If Coming north layby 93 will do fine).
A look at the map shows the path on reaching Loch Cuaich ( someone explain the vagaries of Gaelic- why is it not Chuaich like the hill or maybe some ignorant sassenach map maker in the nineteenth century just made a mistake) is at 402m- only a rise from just above the A9 of 30m spread over 4km so crying out for a bike. Walk north from layby 94 about 100m and turn R up the track( across the road from Cuaich farm).
39 -through this gate.jpg


The track is very smooth and good for cycling and I reached the loch by bike in 35 minutes ( and dear reader , the combined age of my knees added together is 141 years so you may be quicker than I ).You cycle beside the aqueduct leading from the dam and hydro-electic plant. Not very pretty but it passes quickly.
40 Good path by the aqueduct.jpg


I left the bike a little beyond the loch( and a large collection of beehives) at the foot of the hill GR 693 869
41 Loch Cuaich and an attack of hives.jpg
.
I have never seen so many red grouse ( and this nine weeks after the “ glorious twelfth” though I don’t suppose the grouse would use that adjective).
43 . Lots of grouse.jpg


The path begins quite steeply
42 on foot now.jpg

but is mainly good though there are parts reminiscent of Eeyore’s gloomy place “ rather boggy and sad”.
44 some boggy and sad places.jpg

The gradient lessens and 90 minutes after leaving the loch I was on the top of what is a rather boring top but….
46 .Summit plateau.jpg

The view all around is very good and worth the small effort of this easy Munro.
45 Ben Alder and Loch Ericht.jpg
I looked south to my efforts of the day before ( Carn na Caim and all those A’Bhuidheanachs) and a lovely sight to the SW of Loch Ericht and Ben Alder. To the NE the real proper Cairngorms ( sorry Meall Chuaich but…) were easy to see with a dusting of new snow.
Then an easy walk down ( even for my knees ) a quick cycle back and lunch when back in the car ( having carried it all the way out and back). 272 done 10 to go- maybe I will make it though I think it will require 2022.
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Re: Meall Chuaich by bike

Postby iangpark » Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:09 pm

Did this one a few weeks ago and too had never seen so many Red Grouse - not of that highland quality anyway! Looks a much better day than I got for it too!
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Re: Meall Chuaich by bike

Postby Foxytoon » Sat Oct 30, 2021 2:21 pm

A map for you.
15 Chuaich.JPG
a map for you
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Re: Meall Chuaich by bike

Postby IainMacG » Fri Apr 29, 2022 7:57 pm

>… Loch Cuaich ( someone explain the vagaries of Gaelic- why is it not Chuaich like the hill or maybe some ignorant sassenach map maker in the nineteenth century just made a mistake)…

Nope, it’s quite correct!
It’s because Meall (like Beinn) is feminine - so the adjective lenites (c- -> ch-) - whereas Loch is masculine so doesn’t.
It’s why all the adjectives after Beinn are lenited (or should be), eg Beinn Bhuidhe (yellow), Beinn Dhearg (red), Beinn Gharbh (rough).

It’s analogous to French where adjectives match noun gender:
eg vieil home vs vieille femme
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Re: Meall Chuaich by bike

Postby IainMacG » Fri Apr 29, 2022 11:00 pm

Sorry, pressed submit too early.

Except, is ISN'T Beinn Dhearg is it...? ... it's Beinn Dearg (and there's a view of them!), and here to be fair there is another subtlety: the lenition is 'switched (back) off' or suppressed because N + D are a kinda harmonious vowel combo that don't lenite!

It's why you have eg. 'marag dhubh' (black pudding) with lenition...
... but 'sgian dubh' (dagger/dirk work with kilt) without it.

Anyway, hope that helps a bit. Basically the answer to quite a lot of changes is masculine and feminine gender.
Then there's the genitive!

(It's really not that hard and much more regular than English!)
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