Carn na Saobhaidhe the "easy" way

[Sunset tripper]

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Like the two previous reports for Carn na Saobhaidhe I did this route by bike but from a different starting point. The photos are a selection I have taken from different, times of year, and conditions. It is certainly a good route for bagging the Corbett on a short afternoon, around two hours to ascend and not much more than half an hour back to your starting point.
I parked off road at the burial ground at the junction of the B862 and B852 the Foyers turn off NH494171. I turned left on to B862 and cycled approx. 1km uphill to a crossroads turned right on to a short downhill with a choice of bridges to cross the stream. Then bypassed Corriegarth Lodge and on to Garthbeg where you leave the tarmac.
A substantial bridge crosses the River E (the shortest name for a river in Scotland or anywhere I suppose) so called allegedly because of the shape it makes on the map. You have to use your imagination or be very poor at drawing E's.

The river close to bridge and power station.

Across the bridge then hard right before farm buildings through a gate then uphill on a good quality track all the way to the very flat top. You have to keep an eye on the map to make sure you stay on the correct track as there is several options and map doesn't show track going all the way to summit plateau. There is no ascent from end of track to cairn but probably a flat walk of 100 to 200m.

Carn na saobhaidhe summit cairn 811m.

Now its all downhill. On the descent I stopped at the junction where a short track heads off to a dam. At this short section of the River E there are several small cascades and one spectacular fall at NH545140 which ordnance survey inexplicably dont show on any map

Small cascades on River E

Same place but summer time

To access the foot of the impressive big fall which is approx. 25m in height, leave the track at the junction at approx. NH546140 take care and you will find a steep gully that gives fairly easy access. DONT TAKE THE BIKE

The big waterfall

Then it was back up to the bike and downhill to the car

[Paul Webster]

That's interesting... I've been putting off this hill whilst the Dunmaglass windfarm is built by the other track approach. I didn't know of this alternative - and the track on Google Earth ends a long way short of the top. It looks like there is much more opportunity to find parking than on the Dunmaglass approach too.

Probably we'll be giving this one a go

[malky_c]

Interesting - I didn't know that this track went all the way to the summit. I drove up to the dam a few years ago when I was doing a bit of work on that hydro scheme (it was a bit rough for a car; fortunately it wasn't mine ).

Paul - you can approach through Strathdearn as well. Longer, but not particularly hard walking. My report shows the full loop taking in the Dunmaglass and Strathdearn approaches.

[Johnny Corbett]

This route looks well worth it, with the added attraction of the waterfalls.

[Sunset tripper]

Paul / Malky / johnny I think google earth is well out of date it looks like it was done before the dam and power station was built which is several years. About three or four years ago there was a big landslide on the main track on the fairly level section just uphill from the fork for the dam but this has been cleared. I think it is used mainly by the shooting type people.
I remember the falls being very powerful, I think they have been badly affected by the run of river hydro scheme but worth a visit still, especially after long periods of rain or rapid snowmelt. There's always parking at the graveyard (famous last words) and probably several options on the verge on the single track farm road to Garthbeg