Gaick Corbetts: An Dun and Meall Creag an Loch

Summary

The two, steeply flanked Corbetts that rise on either side of Loch an Duin at the top of the Gaick Pass give an excellent hillwalk in a unique corner of Scotland, with a feeling of remoteness. The tops of the hills are flat and spacious, but are divided from their neighbours by great ice-gouged trenches. A mountain bike could be used to shorten the approach.

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Grade

Bog Factor

Rating

Terrain

Good approach track (suitable for mountain bike). Short stretches of very boggy ground and a burn crossing which could be tricky in spate. Extremely steep heather and grass ascents and descents on the hills.

Deer Stalking information

South of An Dun summit: Dalnacardoch Estate. Stalking between 1st July and 20th Oct. No stalking on Sundays. Keeping to the paths and ridges is always ok.

Getting there

Start

On Trinafour road turning just off the A9 at Dalnacardoch Lodge.

Public Transport

There are bus stopping areas on the A9 by the turn off for Trinafour at Dalnacardoch Lodge.

Start Grid Ref

NN723702

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 28km / 17.5 miles
Time: 9 - 10 hours
Ascent: 959m (Profile)

Summits Climbed

Corbett: An Dun
Corbett: Maol Creag an Loch

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Walk Description

User reports (10)

Stage 1

There is no parking at the start of the track up into the Gaick on the north side of the A9, so instead turn towards Trinafour on the opposite side of the road. It is possible either to park carefully tight on the verge outside the gates for the private road to Dalnacardoch Lodge, or alternatively 250m east where the old A9 (now a cycle route) branches from the Trinafour road. Begin the walk by crossing the A9 with great care - making use of the island in the centre - and then head up the track opposite. This is signed as a right of way through the Gaick Pass to Speyside. The track curves left then right into the woods; take the left branch when it forks. Soon the trees are left behind. After a gate the track forks again; keep right here, on the main track. Pass a prominent cairn and continue along the track, eventually crossing a bridge over the Edendon Water.

Stage 2

The track crosses a tributary burn on another bridge, and finally recrosses the Edendon Water at a broken concrete bridge / ford, 7.5km from the start of the walk (at low water the river passes under this in pipes, but in spate a wade may be required). A new section of track replaces a part which has been washed away by the shifting course of the river. Continue alongside the fence which encloses the woodland around the derelict Sronphadruig Lodge. 9km from the start the track fords the river; a mountain bike could be used to this point to shorten the day. Rather than fording the river, it is possible to follow a path up onto the moraine beyond and then across some very boggy ground to reach a better path once more at the foot of An Dun.

Stage 3

The route up the nose of An Dun looks intimidating during the approach. Leave the path and head up the steep heather slopes towards the nose. At first the slopes are pathless heather, but as the ground steepens higher up there is a path which aids the ascent. Near the top the slope eases onto a wetter, grassy area, with stunning views looking back down the glen; continue up this to reach the summit plateau.

Stage 4

An Dun is an unusual hill; though surrounded by very steep slopes on all sides, the summit plateau is flat and spacious, and across the glacial U valleys that surround it are higher mountains on all sides. There is a prominent cairn at a southern summit, but the true top is at a smaller cairn a short distance further north. Continue northwards from the summit, with the plateau soon narrowing to form a ridge. The descent is gentle at first, but soon becomes extremely steep, heading northeast down grass slopes with a stunning view ahead of Loch Bhrodain in the Gaick pass.

Stage 5

Once down to the boggy floor of the glen, aim across the Allt Loch an Duin - crossing which could be tricky or impossible in spate- to reach the landrover track along the eastern side of the glen. (An alternative is to head northeast across more bog to reach the footbridge at NN 731 819, but this involves crossing the Allt na Craoibhe which could be equally tricky in high spate.) There are a couple of options for heading up onto the A'Chaoirnich plateau; one is to climb extremely steep slopes to the south side of the Allt Bruthach nan Spardan. Another - shown on our route map - is to follow the landrover track to the northeast for 1.5km or so before aiming up the marginally less steep lower slopes below Luib Bhan before a shorter pull up extremely steep ground southwest up onto the nose of Luib Bhan to again reach the plateau; this latter route offers a stunning view northwards towards Gaick Lodge.

Stage 6

The tiny summit cairn of Maol Creag an Loch - also known as A' Chaoirnich - stands at the heart of a flat plateau. The views are a little more open than those from the lower An Dun, particularly southeast over Highland Perthshire. Continue south across the plateau to reach a second, much larger cairn at the lower southern summit. On the descent, keep towards the western edge of the plateau above the steep crags of Creag an Loch to avoid heading out onto the south ridge (An Sligearnach).

Stage 7

Lower down there is a path - with grand views to the right - leading eventually to the bealach just short of Meall na Spianaig. From the bealach, deer paths cut a slowly descending course across the west flank Meall na Spianaig. Descend to the southeastern corner of the fence enclosing the woodland, and then cut across boggy ground to regain the outward route along the track at the floor of the glen. Head back along the track for the long trek back to the start.

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