Wild Cat Country Graham straight fom the Bunkhouse!
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:19 pmWell here we were based in Wildcat Country near the ancestrial home of the Clan MacPhersons of Glentruim. Glentruim Castle a B listed building built around 1840 and various estate cottages passed on our way to our base at The Roundhouse Bunkhouse at Uvie farm. I see that the Clan MacPherson motto is 'Touch not the Cat but the Glove' and that a Wild Cat is incorporated within the family Crest. All I can say is what a base, very comfy with a hot shower and well maintained, with superb views from high up overlooking views of The Upper Spey Valley with the Cairngorm Mountains in the distance and with panoramic views towards Laggan, what a setting. This was our climbing clubs March Meet with eight members keen to get some hills done after what seemed to be an eternal period of wind and rain.
- The Roundhouse and Bunkhouse at Uvie Farm where we walked from to start the walk to Creag Dhubh
- We left at 0830hrs and walked to the entrance gate to the farm and then turned right down theA86, walked for about 50meters and crossed the road at this entrance gate within the deer fence. (Directly opposite the farm gate there is another gate with an access panel this would be the way we came down off the hill at the end of the walk)
- Once through the gate there are two paths take the forking right and there is a pleasant walk through the trees
- Keep on the path that climbs steadily up through the trees onto the open hillside where you find you are walking beside a fence on your right. Keep going until you come to a gate this is the point if you only want to go and see the MacPherson Memorial turn left but if your to be heading for the Graham turn right, once again finding a fenceline on your right to keep you away from the dangerous crags and cliffs on the South side of the hill
- The line of fence posts with Creag Dhubh in the distance
- Looking back the way we came view towards Laggan
- The underfoot conditions are quite heavy going as there does not appear to be much sign of any paths at this point and a small burn has to be crossed without much bother
- The start of the long undulating ridge begins
- Further along the ridge, snow not too deep at this stage
- A style has to be crossed at another fenceline crossing our path to the summit
- Straight ahead but the visibility is coming and going, but compared to the weather forecast this is wonderful, not a great deal of wind and so far not much of the white stuff promised has actually fallen
- Looking back along the ridge
- At last the small summit cairn comes into view, not far now!
- A frosted looking cairn at the summit
- A summit pose, of course
- The rest of the party appearing, there is a dip between the two cairns which is filled with a substantial amount of snow
- On our return instead of coming back over the ridge we traversed on the North side of the ridge but apart from that we walked out the way we walked in
- That is until we came to the gate we passed through at the point where we decided to head on over to te MacPherson Monument
- Close up of the Monument plaque
- View from the Monument looking over the Spey Valley towards Newtonmore
- Another view East
- Monument and Cliffs of Creag Dhubh, where somewhere there is a cave called Cluny's Cave, behind a Rowan tree I believe
- Waterfall at the cliffs. From the monument we descended West then South beside a fenceline, quite steep in places until we came to the roadside gate opposite the entrance to Uvie Farm. All in all a fabulous morning with plenty of interest en route.
heather with snow on is horrible to walk on, glad you all had a good day 
But still I'd like to revisit it someday... Your route seems better (less steep) for a winter climb.