Creag Bheag from Kingussie

[Driftwood]

This was a brief walk, chosen to pass some time and get an idea how the weather looked for the day. I reached Kingussie by 8 am following camping the previous night, but there weren't many gaps through a ceiling of cloud little over 2000 feet. Creag Bheag looked a good quick walk, with views of the town and Strath Spey.

Conditions were dry and didn't feel like a shower was imminent, but from habit I took along a light pack and wore boots. There are several marked walks from a carpark near the centre of Kingussie, including one for Creag Bheag. I usually prefer a circuit to straight-to-the-top-and-back, so that looked a good choice.

Opting to do the walk anti-clockwise (I like to save the summit until later in a route), I started up a road beside the Gynack Burn.

Gynack Burn

This makes for easy going, passing a small hospital before reaching a caravan park north of the town. The signed trails divide here, but I followed the Creag Bheag pack through the park, then up into some open woodland. There's good waymarking and the sun even put in an appearance to brighten things up.

Path towards Loch Gynack

Leaving a fenced section, the path climbs gently around some lower slopes. Passing another group of trees brought me a view of Loch Gynack and another choice between the marked paths.

Junction before Loch Gynack

I turned left to head uphill, steeper than the trail so far though easy enough and with a well-made path. Birch and other trees give way to heather higher up the hill and there's more rock evident.

An early bird

Gaining height was also improving the views. The clouds had lifted and a few brighter patches showed, raising my hopes for when I reached the top (and for more walking later in the day).

Junction near Loch Gynack

As I found (and a closer look at the map proved), the top is more like a scatter of outcrops and lumps. But it's well-furnished, with a seat which would be the envy of most Munros. (Just to the side of the path as it reaches the northern high point).

Creag Bheag shelter seat

Each of the tops across the hill had its own variation on the views; some faced southeast to overlook the town, with the Spey twisting away and the edge of the Cairngorms rising beyond.

Kingussie and Strath Spey

The southern top is a little off the pack, though can't really be called a scramble. But it does look towards Newtonmore, where Creag Dubh lived up to its name, glowering beneath a cloud even as hints of blue skies struggled to break through.

Creag Dubh and Newtonmore

I continued to follow the path downhill. One stretch was still under construction, or repair (a sign referred to training path constructors), but no trouble as it wound down one or two slightly steeper slopes. When the paths split again, I turned left and followed onto a trail through some denser conifers, headed for the town. One tree caught my attention, so I headed a short way left off the path to see it closer. A crooked oak tree stood reaching out its spindly boughs to catch what light fell between the taller evergreens.

Twisted oak tree

As it turned out, the weather didn't improve much further where I headed later, but this is an interesting "little" hill, with good paths and views which must be superb on a fine morning or evening. I'd be delighted to have its equivalent on the edge of town.

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