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Uill tha mi air ais a' ribhist agus mun cuairt air a' bheinn agus tha tìm agam gu sgrìobhte beagan mu dheidhinn an turas ...
It has been a while! . I never seem to find time to write reports these days merely recording the hills i visit that said i have not been bagging much recently but exploring the hills outside my door which reduces the stress of driving on busy roads.
On Thursday i took a couple of days off with the intention of a Loch Cuaich ,Beinn Aodann (Aden) , Sgurr Choire Bheithe over nighter however a dubious Friday forecast swayed me elsewhere.
I eventually plumped for the hills to SW of Dail nam Spideal and the Corbetts around Loch Garry and Duinish bothy. Around 35 years ago i had walked into Duinish in January during heavy snow and stayed a couple of nights at the bothy with friends so a bit of a revisit.
- Rathad na dròbhairean, Loch Garaidh
The route down the Loch Garry is an ancient "rathad dròbhairean" or droving route and is recorded on Roy's military map of 1746 where it forks to the West and East it would have been well used by foot and horse to avoid the british military posts and patrols on the main route North through Atholl to Druim Uachdar.
A bonnie day which found us an hour and a half later at the foot of the loch and approaching Duinish.
- Loch Garaidh
- Bòthan Duinish
This ainmean-àite (place name) fascinates me ! ... The word suggests a site of a fortress (Dùn) and indeed the drumlins do give that aspect if approaching from the Rannoch end ,perhaps a wooden palisade was once in place atop these in the past.
We had a look in the bothy and dumped the heavy rucksack in favour of the day pack and set off up Beinn Mholaich
reaching the summit in around an hour and a half.
- Mullach Beinn Mholaich
A nice wee hill with extensive views but a bit hazy in today's heat. The plan now was to head for Stob an Aonaich Mhoir on Loch Ericht via the Allt Fèith Gharuaireagan so we set of directly down the hill toward the glen floor on easy ground and following the grassy fèithe (veins) to where the burns split Glas Mheall Mòr. We followed the burn up to the 700m point ,fine today but in a wet spell plenty peat hags to navigate so be aware! .
- An cù aig an abhainn
Never bothered looking at map really so overshot coming out of the fèithe and ended up to far North almost above the lodge on the shore which caused momentary confusion
, adjusted and hoofed up to the summit .
- An mullach Stob
A great spot with fine views over to Beinn Eallair (Alder) , Beinn Bheoil and Loch Earacht .....
- Loch
A fair hoof in to this point and from Dail nam Spideal so we spent a bit of time on the summit lying in the sun with the boots off and paws in the air .....
The return we took correctly and followed the burns down onto the Allt Shallain to duinish again .....
- Allt Shallain
At the bòthan we grabbed the rucksack ,far to nice to stay indoors so we set up camp on the edge of the river by the old fang ..a cracking spot.
- Pùball
- Pùball agus an cù
- An sealladh
After dinner we nipped up and onto Creag a' Mhadaidh which offered great views on a fine summer evening
- Creag a Mhadaidh
Abair latha fada ...what a long day and we slept well by the Abhainn Shallainn fang.... i'd recommend the spot in good weather.
Up at 7am the next morning to another dry but more overcast day and followed the road up behind Meall na Leitreach before walking onto the summit of this undistinguished lump.
- Loch Meall na Leitereach
I did not linger long on this summit and headed off down the steep slope toward the fields cutting across the sluices toward the track below the Sow of Atholl. From the turning point beside the butts i took the direct route up to this next undistinguished summit
. If the last two were not "ticks" doubt i'd be greatly interested in them both haha.
This is an interesting wee corner of the former Gàidhealtachd now devoid of its native inhabitants. That would appear to be the way the native wildlife is going if the number of traps ,snares and cages are anything to go by on these "grouse moors". Its high time these self appointed "custodians" of the land and their "sporting estates" were properly and thoroughly regulated in the Gàidhealtachd .......preferably out of existence
.
Cheerie a nis ....
