Blath Bhalg

[McMole]

We'd visited Kildrogan Field Centre to talk about arrangements for an event there, and since it was a fine sunny day we'd gone prepared for a short walk. We stopped at the high point of the A914 on the way back to Pitlochry and parked by the track to the transmitter station in a large parking area just SE of the road. There was one car already there with the driver wandering nearby, but obviously not going to join us on a stroll up the hill.

From the car parking the track continued past the transmitter station as a twin-grooved ATV scar and zig-zagged to the top of the ridge. It continued almost all the way to the fence that is met just before the steeper slope from 540m altitude up the west top of the hill.

Looking along the ATV track to the West Top

The path continued as a single groove beside the fence all the way over the lesser tops to the summit cairn at 641m.

Looking back at the West Top

Peter on the summit

Along the entire route there were only a few small boggy patches. Nothing that required more than a few steps sideways. Quite a change from Galloway. From the top we had a fine 360 degree view of the surrounding hills and spent some time trying to name them - Ben Vrackie, Beinn a'Ghlo, Schiehallion, Ben More and Stob Binnein to list some obvious ones.

Ben Vrackie

After a few minutes we returned the way we'd come to find two different cars were now parked beside us and as we left another two arrived. Obviously a popular stopping point for the views.

Re-ascending the West Top

Heading back down the ridge