Beinn Mhor

[rob munbett]

OK - so not the most dramatic or interesting of hills - but a very pleasant autumnal morning stroll if you're in the area. I drove up the narrow road signposted Glenbeg, at the end of which there is a large turning circle where a car can be parked without causing an obstruction. From here a good road leads to Glenbeg farm. The road goes right through the farm buildings and on this morning the farmers were busy moving sheep. Past experience has taught me to be apprehensive about a situation like this but on this occasion the farmers were very accommodating and friendly and, after a short delay, I was on my way up the road beyond the farm buildings.

Beinn Mhor from Glenbeg

There follows a pleasant walk though woods with a huge population of pheasants - indeed, they were all over the hillside,too. At the end of the forest there was a deer fence with a wooden gate that was padlocked but too fragile to climb over so I had to negotiate the wire fence. This road goes well beyond what is shown on even the most recent OS map so the walking continued to be very easy.

The road continues beyond the forest line

I went to the highest point of the road where there was a small cairn amongst the burnt heather to the left. I sat here for a quick coffee and contemplated the best line of ascent.

Beinn Mhor from the high point of the road

Really, I needn't have worried because the there was a rough vehicle track running through the deep heather leading to some of the best camouflaged shooting butts I have ever seen. I could have followed this virtually to the trig point but I decided that I'd been having things too easy so I set off for a short jaunt through the 'thick stuff' for the cairn marked on the map.

The cairn with the trig point in the distance

From here it was a gentle stroll over to the trig point. I was looking forward to great views to the Cairngorms but the cloud was down so no joy there but the views over Ben Rinnes and the Hills of Cromdale were pretty good.

Beinn Mhor's trig point

Ben Rinnes and the Hills of Cromdale

A narrow track led off from here through the heather which I followed back down to the road. Then, a very relaxing saunter to the car and back to Aviemore for morning coffee with the family.