A quick trip up Creag an Uamhaidh, a hill I've been trying to do for a while however not being the worlds greatest jungle navigator I have explored the Creagvinean forest extensively, I think, or at least I've spent quite a few hours in there and popped out in some strange places!

This time armed with a map, a compass and a gps and starting at a sensible place all I had to do was beat the light so off I set with Tam for a quick shuffle. A couple of zigzags in the forest track later and I had no idea where I was or where the summit was and the gps while accommodating put me off the printed sheet that I was calling a map. Time for some holistic navigation, upwards and onwards, clearly when there was nothing above you then you must have got to the top... and by that worked out where you were.

The trees have been felled higher up the slopes so views across the strath gave me a good fix and a chance to spy out challenges yet to come and crags visited of old. Another set of zigzags and a few summit bumps became visible and the forest road was left for some heather bashing.

A new gate was intriguing and walking around it I found myself coming up to a rifle range, .22 high velocity stuff apparently but somewhat worrying. There was no flag flying so I assumed all was clear and wandered down the side of the range, past the side of a target butt and over the bump behind, very much in the line of fire as it were. Here I picked up an actual path to the top which I followed to the cairn.

Great views from this very under rated hill, perhaps I should keep quite about it as you get better views here than from the popular Birnam hill or Kings Seat.


The ubiquitous windfarm to the West


A quick shuffle down partially frozen paths to the road and then on to the car as the gloom started gathering. All in all a very good if short trip and one I shall no doubt repeat.