free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Friday afternoon and I've had enough and needed out.
When I bought a mountain bike several weeks ago one of the first Munros I thought I'd be doing was Glas Tulaichean. Looking on Google Earth I was thinking hey look you can cycle all the way to the top of that one
Set off and got to Blairgowrie only to discover that the road was closed as they are presumably finally fixing the subsidence at bridge of Cally. No matter, headed for Alyth and back round coming out at the bridge and falls at Dalrulzion. A worthwhile detour
As I was going to cycle I parked at the parking space just in from the gate lodge and started off along the tarmac road
and past Dalmunzie Castle Hotel with the very big thumb screw
obviously no half measures if you stepped out of line around here
Baring this in mind I complied with the notice and left the road and continued through the field and round the houses to the start of the railway and landrover track
I continued on the landrover track though was considering coming back down the railway track which is very visible on the other side of the
The track twists and turns and the Lochsie burn needs fording a few times. If the burn where in spate then I doubt you could ford the burn and you'd need to go up the railway track.
The going is pretty easy, although I hadn't gone far before I could see that I'd be off and pushing in the very near future
A first view of the Glen Lochsie hunting lodge as well; evidently a very substancial building in it's day, now sadly like so many a ruin
The burn needs fording just before the lodge. Plenty of places to cross, for me just a few metres down stream
Mouched around the ruined lodge and the other ruins which I assume are associated with the quarrying and railway for a while before continuing up the track.
Meant to say that an eagle cried out on the way up the track and I took loads of photos, but it was a very long way away
This is the best of them
On checking out the photos it seems there was another bird much higher up, but not clear what it was.
It was a bit of a slog pushing the bike up the steep track, but I knew it would be very much worthwhile for coming back.
A view of the railway line just to the left of the burn
Onwards and upwards and the views are starting to open up. Looking at the satnav I can see that the first slog will end and I will be able to make some good cycling progress along the flatter plateau before the summit. So focused on what I was now calling the cairn of ease in the distance
Got there and a first good view of Glas Tulaichean
Onto the bike and making good progress when a golden plover started distracting
Some fabulous views of the surrounding hills before the final assent up to the summit
I'd done Carn an Righ a week or so ago and had at the time intended to take in Beinn Iutharn Mhor and Glas Tulaichean as well, sadly it didn't work out, but I was interested to find out what it all looked like, and this was a great vantage point.
Carn an Righ, Beinn Iutharn Mhor bealach, wasn't the best light for photos in this direction at the time
Met a Ptarmigan on the way up just before the track splits with the better landrover track heading down the ridge that I would have followed the week or so before had I completed Glas Tulaichean as part of my Carn an Righ circuit
Got to the summit trig point
and walked down the ridge and a great look down into the very wide Glas Choire Mhor
when I heard bird cries again, or should I say squaks
Turns out they are gulls funning themselves in the updraft blowing up the Choire
An Socach with Loch nan Eun
The way the sun was and the clag coming in my photos didn't come out great
had something to eat and as the clag had blanketed the summit headed back down. Hadn't gone far before the clag disappeared leaving a beautifully clear and calm Scottish evening
Got to the lodge and crossed the bridge. This really is an idyllic spot with the waterfalls and seclusion
Tried the railway line, it would have been fine if walking only, but it is pretty boggy in places and I didn't get far before I just retraced my track, forded the burn again and back. There were other mountain bike treads in the track, so others may have persevered.
As the road at Bridge of Cally would possibly still be closed I opted to cross over to Pitlochry and head back to Edinburgh that way.
Seems my relatively early start for me had been about an hour and a half too early
I could see the sunset being painted across the now clag free sky and once I got within sight of Ben Vrackie it was fabulous
