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This hill brings back many memories....
Firstly, back in 1973 when I was a student doing my industrial training based at Tummel bridge, I visited Ericht power station a couple times - at the end of the road from Bridge of Ericht. The Hydro board were implementing a programme of automating all the power stations at the time. Ericht power station was having it's old Serc system replaced by a proprietry Hydro system & I helped by holding my mentors tools & drawings. ( Bill Proctor). He had a wry sense of humour, for when I showed him a broom handle that had been gnawed by a rodent, he quipped - "someone must've forgotten his piece " !
I still hold the men who constructed the tunnel from Loch Garry under the flanks of Beinn Udlamain & Sgairneach Mhor to feed Ericht Power station in great awe - what an engineering feat. AND they did this all over scotland during the 30's and 50's, with nothing more than a few drills & picks and a box of explosives - some cheils !
Imagine coming to the surface after a day in the tunnel to a manky old workies hut, horizontal rain & midges !
Holding that scenario against todays "hard work" makes us look like real pansies ! ( not that I ever did any hard work )
- Errochty Switching station - my base in '73
The second memory was in '74, when I accompanied an old RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue pal of mine with, a few others, to do has last Munro - Ben Alder. The plan was to cross Loch Ericht on an inflatable with an outboard motor , walk up Beinn Bheoil, which at that time had a height of 3333ft in old money, then round to Ben Alder for the grand finish, returning the same way. Firstly the outboard was siezed, as it hadn't been used for years, so we found the paddles. I was then promoted to gillie (being the only jock in the party) to row the party across - which took 2 trips across the loch. The walk up BB & BA was a pleasant summers day stroll, with the customary compleation dram at the top of Ben Alder.( this one was really special, as Derek was a distillery manager ). The return across the loch was on an idyllic flat calm surface with the sun going down over the dam - epic !
That night we camped near Bridge of Ericht and put away a few more drams & a keg of beer with the families. The kids, excitedly spent the night, periodically disappearing into the scrub to return with wood for the fire, loving the late night - whilst we "sat bousin at the nappy and gettin fou and unco happy " !
Enough of the nostalgia.............
This trip was somewhat more mundane - I parked up in the official site just before Rannoch power station.
- Rannoch Power station just past the parkup
Mounting my trusty bike I headed off up the tarmac road towards the Top of the big Ridge. After about an hour & a half of electric assisted pedalling, I stopped beside a pallet across the roadside ditch near the top of the bealach - just before the road plunges down to the lochside at the Talle Bheith shooting lodge at Coire Bhachdaidh.
- Ericht Dam and the long road north to Stob an Aonaich Mhoir
The 250m walk up the grassy slopes was fairly easy, with no clag on the top.
A herd of hinds grazing to the south were disturbed and moved off when they saw me.
The views from the summit were fantastic, with a vista over to Culra and Loch Pattack to the north-west and down to the Ericht dam to the south-west.
- Looking down Loch Ericht from the top of Stob an A M
- Looking NW to Culra & Loch Pattack
By the time I left the summit, the clag was clearing from the high tops and Beinn Bheoil loomed out of the cloud. The breeze still had an edge on it, as it swept up Loch Ericht. However, the Fara and the Drumochter hills to the North & north-east respectively, were still shrouded in mist.
- Beinn Bheoil
When I return to my bike, I was having a piece when a couple passed on their manual bikes - presumable heading for the same hill. I thought they hadn't seen me but " Black Panther " let me know that he'd seen me in a later comment. Weel done BP - it's a long way up the glen on a normal bike !
The bike down the hill was exhilarating, and even with a photo stop at the Ericht Dam and a wave to the keeper feeding his grouse, it only took half an hour ! Good job there was nae average speed cameras here !
- Ericht dam intake
- Rannoch PS intake pipe from Ericht dam
What a trip down memory lane......... !!
