Meall Tairneachan, Farragon Hill, mines & views Schiehallion

[The Rodmiester]

This was the weekend of the AMC November meet which was based at the Grandtully Hostel where host Stevie made us all feel most welcome with an open fire in the Tully Bar each night. Today Saturday with the forecast somewhat undecided a group of us decided to pick off a couple of nearby Corbetts Meall Tairneachan and Farragon Hill. We woke up to find a blanket of fog over Grandtully so we congratulated ourselves on our choice of hill as there was a track nearly to the summit of Meall Tairneachan. We headed off towards Aberfeldy with headlights on, passing through Weems and Dull on the B846 towards Tummel Bridge.

We parked the car opposite the Mine track at 780562 where there is sufficient room for a couple of cars without blocking any access gates

View North from the car Park over Tummel Bridge

The reall muddy track which continues to the Barytes Mine (Details re mine given in cheekykarma's report)

Mine vehicles at the ready to churn up the track, your boots will need a right good clean after todays walk

Schiehallion in all its glory to the West

Worth another picture I think! enjoy

Coming out of the trees still on te muddy track with the first corbett on view. I guess if you were to bike this you would better have front and reat mudguards fitted

Looking down the track with Schiehallion in the background

Keep your eye out for a metal post marking the path to the first corbett on the right of the track, easily missed if looking at the cracking views

Trig point in view

Group on top of Meall Tairneachan

Descend down to the track again towards the second corbett

Photo shoot of the group in high spirits since the low cloud has all burned off

View East over the mining excavations etc

Continuing along the well worn and very muddy track

Farragon Hill in the distance, this is where any track or path dissapears

The heather is hard going until the final climb, also very wet areas. we headed for the high ground to the South but in honesty on our return journey we went lower down and there was not a lot of difference see route on map. Both routs were hard going and very wet.

At the top of Farradon Hill, it was very cold and windy at this point

Loch Glassie with Aberfeldy in background

Loch Derculich with Strathtay in the distance

Name the bird, there were a couple of them flying quite low to the ground in front of us?

One of the mines

We all walked pass this mine entrance on our way to Farragon Hill, I still cannot believe we all missed it, but we did, so let's explore now!

Inside mine

Looking out from inside

Looking out from inside

[Gavin99]

Hi Rod ,nice report, you got a right mix of weather for your day .That looks an interesting walk ,hope to do this sometime soon , the old mineshaft looks great , I'll have to go and have a wee look at that .
Your birdie looks like a snow bunting to me

[The Rodmiester]

Hi Gavin , after a very gloomy start , it turned out a great day . Although the hill itself was walking up a muddy track for the first corbett, there was always lots to see (views from both tops were fabulous). The walk to Farradon Hill would be beter done after a hard frost so there would be bone in the ground. The mine workings were interesting, but keep on the track as there was lots of very deep holes filled with water on each side, would not fancy falling in them .That was some dump of snow on Saturday night!

[Johnny Corbett]

I did these two in the snow, boy was it a slog getting to Farragon Hill. It's an interesting walk with the mine being there although i'm sure it's going to closing in the near future.

[The Rodmiester]

Hi Johnny C, I read your report before going to the meet , and I thought these two would be perfect for a day without visibility with the track going so close to the first corbett, at least we had one in the bag. On our way up the Appin of Dull the blue skies suddenly emerged and wow some of the views were stunning. But it was a slog WITHOUT snow to get to Farragon Hill and very wet, I don't think there is any way over to that hill without ploughing thro a bog or going thro that thick tussocky heather which is hard going when going up hill. Good day, we all enjoyed it .