Walkers meet stalkers for an diversion on Carn Chuinneag
Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 10:53 pmThis double peaked Corbett has been on the radar for a while, really with the intention of making it a winter walk, but with a suspect back I was looking for an easy walk and this is not too far from home. So on a hazy day in early September we headed for Strath Carron and the Glencalvie estate. There is a large car park close to the entrance to the estate and clear signs through the estate buildings and out to the stalkers' path that leads up to Carn Chuinneag, passing some beautiful Fly Agaric on the way
crossing the River Carron
before passing an amazing tree house – no sign of occupants.
Going through the estate yard we saw someone loading a 4x4, so a quick greeting and we walked on – dogs carefully on the lead (something Bertie found hard to cope with when it came to the cattle grid – he needed a carry
).
Once clear of the estate buildings there is an easy landrover track up Glen Calvie and on to Carn Chuinneag,
On the way we passed early signs of autumn.
Soon the 4x4 caught up with us (by now it had 3 human occupants and several dogs). The driver stopped to say good morning and check if we were heading for Carn Chuinneag. We confirmed we were and asked if there were any areas where the dogs needed to be on the lead – good job we did as the track goes through a pheasant nursery – don't want to think of the carnage that Biggles could have caused in that. The group drove on and we continued towards our goal.
As we headed up Glen Calvie we passed an interesting latice bridge
and could see a lodge on our right at Diebidale. The landrover track that led from this lodge met the one we were walking on near the foot of Carn Chuinneag, and there was the 4x4 again. This time the driver was waiting for us with a proposition. His group were off stalking and they knew where the deer were, not on our route as it happened, but they didn't want the wind to carry our smell to the herd and cause them to move on. So he suggested an alternative route for us – to go up Carn Chuinneag from the east by Loch Chuinneag, along a different stalkers' path. This would take us about 3k out of our way but he was happy to give us a lift to the junction of the landrover track and this stalkers' path – it was the route they were using themselves to get onto the hill. We accepted the offer, climbed into the 4x4. The dogs sniffed graciously at each other then settled down to a companionable if crowded journey along by the Alt Corie nan Meann. We had a very friendly chat with the ghillie and his client, and to be honest having read some of the conflicts between landowners and walkers on WH, we we very impressed with the courtesy and helpfulness of the estate staff. Even the client seemed to accept the need for us all to co-exist, despite the fact that the day was costing him much much more than it cost us!
Once at the start of the path the stalkers were off up the hill, having asked us to give them a head start, so we hung about in the sunshine for a while before following the path round to Loch Chuinneag.
And then up onto the eastern summit of Carn Chuinneag. The haze didn't do anything for the views, which must be great on a clear day.
We passed some Crowberries, which taste of nothing unless cooked – but hadn't brought the stove
then on over the bouldery top to the eastern (and higher) top.
The haze didn't stop the usual flurry of photos, and although not great they do give a flavour of this wonderful northern landscape, from the Cromarty Firth (no photo it was too blurry) over to Assynt with Ben Wyvis on the way.
After lunch and a rest we wandered over to the second top which looks down onto Loch Glass
before following what should have been our ascent route down the northern face of Carn Chuinneag.
View down Glen Calvie
Last look at Carn Chuinneag
On the way down we could see the stalkers clearing up from what looked like a successful day – as we were heading along Glen Calvie they stopped to see how we'd got on, clearly pleased with the stag they had bagged – a pleasure that Biggles would have loved to have shared. By the time we reached the estate buildings the stage had been gutted and hung and the site was being cleaned up.
At the end of the day the detour had cost us a little bit of time, but with the lift it hadn't really added to the length of the route. And if we do the walk again I expect we'll follow the WH route description – just for a change.
crossing the River Carron
before passing an amazing tree house – no sign of occupants.
Going through the estate yard we saw someone loading a 4x4, so a quick greeting and we walked on – dogs carefully on the lead (something Bertie found hard to cope with when it came to the cattle grid – he needed a carry
).Once clear of the estate buildings there is an easy landrover track up Glen Calvie and on to Carn Chuinneag,
On the way we passed early signs of autumn.
Soon the 4x4 caught up with us (by now it had 3 human occupants and several dogs). The driver stopped to say good morning and check if we were heading for Carn Chuinneag. We confirmed we were and asked if there were any areas where the dogs needed to be on the lead – good job we did as the track goes through a pheasant nursery – don't want to think of the carnage that Biggles could have caused in that. The group drove on and we continued towards our goal.
As we headed up Glen Calvie we passed an interesting latice bridge
and could see a lodge on our right at Diebidale. The landrover track that led from this lodge met the one we were walking on near the foot of Carn Chuinneag, and there was the 4x4 again. This time the driver was waiting for us with a proposition. His group were off stalking and they knew where the deer were, not on our route as it happened, but they didn't want the wind to carry our smell to the herd and cause them to move on. So he suggested an alternative route for us – to go up Carn Chuinneag from the east by Loch Chuinneag, along a different stalkers' path. This would take us about 3k out of our way but he was happy to give us a lift to the junction of the landrover track and this stalkers' path – it was the route they were using themselves to get onto the hill. We accepted the offer, climbed into the 4x4. The dogs sniffed graciously at each other then settled down to a companionable if crowded journey along by the Alt Corie nan Meann. We had a very friendly chat with the ghillie and his client, and to be honest having read some of the conflicts between landowners and walkers on WH, we we very impressed with the courtesy and helpfulness of the estate staff. Even the client seemed to accept the need for us all to co-exist, despite the fact that the day was costing him much much more than it cost us!
Once at the start of the path the stalkers were off up the hill, having asked us to give them a head start, so we hung about in the sunshine for a while before following the path round to Loch Chuinneag.
And then up onto the eastern summit of Carn Chuinneag. The haze didn't do anything for the views, which must be great on a clear day.
We passed some Crowberries, which taste of nothing unless cooked – but hadn't brought the stove
then on over the bouldery top to the eastern (and higher) top.
The haze didn't stop the usual flurry of photos, and although not great they do give a flavour of this wonderful northern landscape, from the Cromarty Firth (no photo it was too blurry) over to Assynt with Ben Wyvis on the way.
After lunch and a rest we wandered over to the second top which looks down onto Loch Glass
before following what should have been our ascent route down the northern face of Carn Chuinneag.
View down Glen Calvie
Last look at Carn Chuinneag
On the way down we could see the stalkers clearing up from what looked like a successful day – as we were heading along Glen Calvie they stopped to see how we'd got on, clearly pleased with the stag they had bagged – a pleasure that Biggles would have loved to have shared. By the time we reached the estate buildings the stage had been gutted and hung and the site was being cleaned up.
At the end of the day the detour had cost us a little bit of time, but with the lift it hadn't really added to the length of the route. And if we do the walk again I expect we'll follow the WH route description – just for a change.
If you do this route then several kilometers after you have left the estate, but while still on the landrover track you cross a cattle grid - between this one and the next cattle grid is the pheasant nursery - dogs definitely safer on the lead at that point 
