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The plan was to tackle Munro, Beinn Mheadhoin via the Shelter Stone; however it was blowing a hoolie up at the Aviemore Ski Centre. Had a look at the forecast posted outside the centre and we were put off by the words "severe", "gale force", "blown over" together with "increasing intensity". After being beaten by strong winds on the final pointy peak of Bynack More earlier this year, we didn't relish a similar scenario and so we drove back down to Glenmore Lodge and from there we walked to loch Morlich, eventually picking up the WH route.
Found Loch Morlich to be very picturesque and very popular but unfortunately that meant this stunning area had also attracted the more selfish outdoorsy types (granted they are thankfully rare).
We discovered that the roadside edge of the Loch at the beginning of our walk was littered with far too much rubbish and an alarming number of "Calvin Klein" boxer shorts. Worst of all were the copious amounts of human waste plus loo paper (really not nice). We spotted several tents pitched at the side of the road, with breakfast BBQs a plenty going. All of this really close to the pretty campsite (people too tight or too stupid to pay for a pitch for a night or two). A police car was parked up further on the road and we really hoped that the police were either handing out fixed penalty fines or making these scruffy scutters clear up their filth (or better still, both).
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- A mallard family on Loch Morlich, swims off to find a less littered area
Further away from the roadside the track turned into more like what we are used to in the Highlands. The views were lovely, especially the Meall a Bhuachallie ridge (which we'd walked at the beginning of the year).
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- Far nicer away from where the Lochside meets the road
![DSC08724sarahmorlich.jpg]()
- On the sandy shore of Loch Morlich
The views around Loch Morlich were lovely but just too busy for our liking. That said it was great to see so many people all taking advantage of the great outdoors (especially a group of youngsters running after their canoeing instructor who was putting them through their paces on the sandy beach area).
This walk amounted to 5.4 miles with our extended add on and the wind (as forecast) got stronger as the morning progressed. VERY glad that we bailed on Beinn Mheadhoin.
Walked by Sarah and David.
