Filling in my Perthshire gaps
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 5:54 pmGood Friday, likely to be a day of reasonable weather I`m off to Scotlands middle belt above Crieff on the A826 for the Graham of Meall Dearg in Glen Cochill. Dempster`s book defines this hill as fairly nondescript he`s right. I park before the white cairn - gear up cross Wades road for a deep heather and 40min. bog trot until steeper slopes lead to crags and the going eases, Past cackling Black grouse, wings flapping, holding their ground, while the females flew away. Log traps over numerous ditches and burns - boxes with feed and blue strands of rope.
To avoid peat hags that guard the top I cross over the lumpy heather upland to reach a new track made to service the Calliachar windfarm. Climbing up Glen Fender, it skirts the W side of Dearg to the col, then drops down the E side to reach loch Hoil. So, easy going now over a false top to reach the trig point and great views of Shiehallion - E across the glen lies forestry and smaller windfarm of Griffin. I descend to the floor to visit the White cairn, a neolithic site with a jumble of white rock and a large what would have been the capstone lain on its side - I also find quite a large area of small cairns and what could be a wall buried in the encroaching heather hmm.Worth researching ?
Return to the car- for nourishment then onto Glen Lyon - Great - the glen road closed at Fearnan so back to Kenmore- alternate route to reach Scotlands longest glen. Lots of traffic calls for caution 4x4s abound - Course it`s Good Friday and there`s a buzz of holiday makers here. Plenty cars at Innerwick car park - gear up, by the church, the war memorial to the fallen then the track. Following foggies route- the path to Loch Rannoch, known as the Kirk way. The Graham of Meall a Mhuic nestles between the Corbetts of Cam Chreag and Beinn Dearg - its flattish dome becomes clearer as I climb . My way cuts back down where three burns meet and turns back on itself uphill (map check) right turn and follow track til a zig zag off R leads up over deep then dwarf heather to the cairn`s pile of stones Views over Rannoch Moor and the hills beyond. Tarmachan and Lawers group. Still snow on the high tops. The wind stronger - Jacket dry in no time, threat of rain as clouds build up W. I head SW to reach the lairig a` Mhuic, main track and car in 3hr Drove home via Killin over the hill road, met a couple of idjits, but that`s life. Seen enroute plenty birds few sheep cows horses and dogs. Lots of cyclists. Good day cold, fresh wind stronger later- sun with no heat and no rain.
To avoid peat hags that guard the top I cross over the lumpy heather upland to reach a new track made to service the Calliachar windfarm. Climbing up Glen Fender, it skirts the W side of Dearg to the col, then drops down the E side to reach loch Hoil. So, easy going now over a false top to reach the trig point and great views of Shiehallion - E across the glen lies forestry and smaller windfarm of Griffin. I descend to the floor to visit the White cairn, a neolithic site with a jumble of white rock and a large what would have been the capstone lain on its side - I also find quite a large area of small cairns and what could be a wall buried in the encroaching heather hmm.Worth researching ?
Return to the car- for nourishment then onto Glen Lyon - Great - the glen road closed at Fearnan so back to Kenmore- alternate route to reach Scotlands longest glen. Lots of traffic calls for caution 4x4s abound - Course it`s Good Friday and there`s a buzz of holiday makers here. Plenty cars at Innerwick car park - gear up, by the church, the war memorial to the fallen then the track. Following foggies route- the path to Loch Rannoch, known as the Kirk way. The Graham of Meall a Mhuic nestles between the Corbetts of Cam Chreag and Beinn Dearg - its flattish dome becomes clearer as I climb . My way cuts back down where three burns meet and turns back on itself uphill (map check) right turn and follow track til a zig zag off R leads up over deep then dwarf heather to the cairn`s pile of stones Views over Rannoch Moor and the hills beyond. Tarmachan and Lawers group. Still snow on the high tops. The wind stronger - Jacket dry in no time, threat of rain as clouds build up W. I head SW to reach the lairig a` Mhuic, main track and car in 3hr Drove home via Killin over the hill road, met a couple of idjits, but that`s life. Seen enroute plenty birds few sheep cows horses and dogs. Lots of cyclists. Good day cold, fresh wind stronger later- sun with no heat and no rain.