Hills & Mountains
Laggan & The Monadh Liath
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Laggan (South)
Looking towards Creag Pitridh and Geal Charn from the east.
CREAG PITRIDH (924m)
GEAL CHARN ( m)
Friday 21 February 1992
I did these hills with three friends en-route to a Bothy Weekend at Suardalan near the west end of Glen Shiel. The weather was deteriorating rapidly so the majority of our group, decided to check out the newly opened Nevis Range Ski Centre at the foot of Aonach Mor. After dropping the others off at the Chair Lift, we set off for Loch Laggan, initially intending to climb the three Munros which lie to the south.
GEAL CHARN ( m)
Friday 21 February 1992
I did these hills with three friends en-route to a Bothy Weekend at Suardalan near the west end of Glen Shiel. The weather was deteriorating rapidly so the majority of our group, decided to check out the newly opened Nevis Range Ski Centre at the foot of Aonach Mor. After dropping the others off at the Chair Lift, we set off for Loch Laggan, initially intending to climb the three Munros which lie to the south.
No photos from my one and only ascent of these hills survive. This stormy view of the Creag Pitridh was taken from Creag Meagaidh at a later date.
We decided to leave Beinnn A` Chlachair, which sits on its own, for another day and headed up Geal Charn. Gales brought frequent snow showers which periodically obscured the way and near the summit of our second Munro, Creag Pitridh, the gusts made it difficult to stay upright. A quick descent followed but there was no sign of the skiers at the Chair Lift Station. We`d guessed, correctly, that they`d be ready for grub and found them in a chip shop in Fort William.
They hadn`t been too impressed with their day as the wild conditions had forced them to pack it in early - an expensive start to their weekend. This turned out to be the worst bothy outing I and the others had been on. The shelter was packed, the torrential rain was incessant, rivers burst their banks, and sadly the wee dog belonging to one of our group had apparently wandered out after someone during the night and drowned. Come daylight, an attempt was made to recover the dead dog but the current swept it away never to be seen again. Burns in Glen Shiel were now raging torrents, ranking with the worst I`ve seen. A depressing journey back brought the weekend to a premature end.
They hadn`t been too impressed with their day as the wild conditions had forced them to pack it in early - an expensive start to their weekend. This turned out to be the worst bothy outing I and the others had been on. The shelter was packed, the torrential rain was incessant, rivers burst their banks, and sadly the wee dog belonging to one of our group had apparently wandered out after someone during the night and drowned. Come daylight, an attempt was made to recover the dead dog but the current swept it away never to be seen again. Burns in Glen Shiel were now raging torrents, ranking with the worst I`ve seen. A depressing journey back brought the weekend to a premature end.
BEINN A` CHLACHAIR (1087m)
Friday 2 April 1999
Good Friday. I drove back to Moy to climb this hill which would complete the trio of Munros which lie to the south of Loch Laggan. It`s was easy going for most of the way along bulldozed tracks then I cut across the hillside to ascend via the north-west ridge which overlooks Coire Mor a` Clachair. The sky was almost cloudless but there was a haze which the strong winds failed to budge. Consequently, distant views were restricted but I could see that the northern corries of Aonach Beag and Ben Alder were heavily loaded with snow. As well as a few deer, I saw Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Red Grouse, Pied Wagtail, Mallard on the river and a single Ptarmigan, still in its winter plumage, near the summit.
I was joined at the cairn by a couple from London who were on their Easter Holidays. The guy was using a ski-pole similar to my own and said he used it for support after falling last year. They`d been climbing Ben Klibreck when he`d fallen fifty feet, cut his head and broken his leg and with no one else around, his wife had to jog 10-kilometres to alert the rescue team! A helicopter winched him to safety three hours later and he`d spent the remainder of their holiday in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness!
Friday 2 April 1999
Good Friday. I drove back to Moy to climb this hill which would complete the trio of Munros which lie to the south of Loch Laggan. It`s was easy going for most of the way along bulldozed tracks then I cut across the hillside to ascend via the north-west ridge which overlooks Coire Mor a` Clachair. The sky was almost cloudless but there was a haze which the strong winds failed to budge. Consequently, distant views were restricted but I could see that the northern corries of Aonach Beag and Ben Alder were heavily loaded with snow. As well as a few deer, I saw Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Red Grouse, Pied Wagtail, Mallard on the river and a single Ptarmigan, still in its winter plumage, near the summit.
I was joined at the cairn by a couple from London who were on their Easter Holidays. The guy was using a ski-pole similar to my own and said he used it for support after falling last year. They`d been climbing Ben Klibreck when he`d fallen fifty feet, cut his head and broken his leg and with no one else around, his wife had to jog 10-kilometres to alert the rescue team! A helicopter winched him to safety three hours later and he`d spent the remainder of their holiday in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness!
Laggan (North)
BEINN TEALLACH (915m)
BEINN A` CHAORAINN (1052m)
Beinn a` Chaorainn North Top ( m)
Beinn a` Chaorainn South Top ( m)
14 June 1989
Mainly cloudy but there were a few sunny spells in the afternoon which opened up views towards Loch Treig. I started with Beinn Teallach then cut across and took in Beinn a` Chaorainn`s three tops from the north. A Ptarmigan pretended she had a broken wing to divert my attention away from her chicks.
BEINN A` CHAORAINN (1052m)
Beinn a` Chaorainn North Top ( m)
Beinn a` Chaorainn South Top ( m)
14 June 1989
Mainly cloudy but there were a few sunny spells in the afternoon which opened up views towards Loch Treig. I started with Beinn Teallach then cut across and took in Beinn a` Chaorainn`s three tops from the north. A Ptarmigan pretended she had a broken wing to divert my attention away from her chicks.
Creag Meagaidh
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Lying just north of Loch Laggan and the A86 Spean Bridge to Newtonmore road, the great whale-backed massif of Creag Meagaidh has been a magnet for generations of walkers and mountaineers, whether rock, snow or ice-climbing.
In winter the magnificent cliffs and crags of Coire Ardair offer some of the best climbs in the country when they become plastered with snow and ice. The featureless nature of the plateau makes accurate navigation very tricky in thick weather and the most popular route down is via a notch between Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Creag Meagaidh, known as `The Window` (right) which is notoriously difficult to find in a white-out, even evading some of the best climbers. |
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Creag Meagaidh was designated a National Nature Reserve in 1986 and since then efforts have been ongoing to restore the natural woodland with a view to encouraging the animal, plant and insect communities that once thrived there. The red deer population is strictly controlled and although stalking takes place it is unlikely to affect walkers on the popular ascent routes. In addition to bird species such as Ptarmigan, Dotterel and Golden Plover, Snow Buntings breed on the highest parts of the mountain in summer.
The full traverse of Creag Meagaidh and its neighbouring Munros is a terrific outing, best done from the nature reserve`s main car park near Aberarder Farm (above). This is also the best approach for walkers who intend to climb Creag Meagaidh on its own as the cliffs of Coire Ardair slowly come into view and hold interest as you walk in along the excellent path. Even if you don`t intend to head onto the plateau itself, a walk from Aberarder into Coire Ardair is a worthwhile expedition, especially on a clear winter`s day when climbers are in action on the cliffs.
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CARN LIATH ( m)
Stob Choire Dhuibh ( m) A`Bhuidheanach ( m) STOB POITE COIRE ARDAIR (1054m) Sron Garbh Choire ( m) Stob Poite Coire Ardair East top (Crom Leathad) (1050m) CREAG MEAGAIDH (1128m) Puist Coire Ardair (1071m) Creag Mhor ( m) Sron a` Choire ( m) 29 April 1988 
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A full circuit of these three Munros and their seven subsidiary tops. Started from Aberarder on the north side of Loch Laggan and headed onto Stob Choire Dhuibh, the eastern most outlier of Carn Liath. Some light cloud to start with, but this cleared to blue sky as I headed westward along the ridge. Lots of snow higher up and magnificent cliff scenery, especially those on the south side of Stob Poite Coire Ardair. Nearing the top of this Munro, I almost stood on a young mountain hare, camouflaged against the slate-like rock.
HILLS??*
Monday 17 May 2010
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Monday 17 May 2010
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The above slideshow etc*
A couple of Snow Buntings were hopping around the cairn while I was finishing off my sandwiches.
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The line of the Loch Laggan and River Spean valley is a popular training area for the RAF and with minimum height restrictions low-flying fast jets appear to skim the water when viewed from above.
I snapped this Tornado heading east from the roadside on a dull afternoon when I left the car to take a shot of Ardverikie Castle on the far side of the loch. Not actually a castle, Ardverikie House is a 19th-century Scottish baronial mansion which attained fame as the fictional Glenbogle estate HQ in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen. |
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It was also used in the series Outlander and the films Mrs Brown and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. These lands historically belonged to Clan Macpherson and in 1844, the 20th Chief, leased Benalder and Ardverikie to the Marquess of Abercorn who was set on expanding his deer stalking enterprise. The Marquess upgraded the original shooting lodge and was for a time, a servant to Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who along with the prince spent three weeks at Ardverikie in the late summer of 1847.
In 1860, Abercorn transferred the lease to Lord Henry Bentinck, another stalking enthusiast, who lived there until his death in 1870. Sir John Ramsden purchased the property and surrounding lands a year later but in 1873, the house was destroyed by fire. It took four years to rebuild in then popular Scottish baronial style of architecture. The family sold off the majority of the estate after the end of the Second World War and in 1956 Ardverikie became a family company, Ardverikie Estate Limited, which still owns and manages the estate today. Unsurprisingly, the mansion is a very popular venue for weddings.
In 1860, Abercorn transferred the lease to Lord Henry Bentinck, another stalking enthusiast, who lived there until his death in 1870. Sir John Ramsden purchased the property and surrounding lands a year later but in 1873, the house was destroyed by fire. It took four years to rebuild in then popular Scottish baronial style of architecture. The family sold off the majority of the estate after the end of the Second World War and in 1956 Ardverikie became a family company, Ardverikie Estate Limited, which still owns and manages the estate today. Unsurprisingly, the mansion is a very popular venue for weddings.
The Monadh Liath
The Monadh Liath is an extensive undulating plateau on the north-west side of the Spey Valley above Newtonmore and Kingussie. It`s only the south-east corner of this desolate, high moorland that holds any interest for the hill-walker as four Munros are situated there. Of these, Geal Charn sits on its own, on the west side of Glen Markie.
CARN DEARG ( m)
Carn Dearg (South-east top) ( m)
Carn Ban ( m)
Carn Ballach ( m)
CARN SGULAIN ( m)
A` CHAILLEACH ( m)
24 May 1993
I did these three Munros and their respective tops in a 24-kilometre clockwise circuit from the road end in Glen Banchor which is only about 2 kilometres from Newtonmore. It was a superb morning and the walk-in westwards through the glen was full of interest. As well as hundreds of rabbits, there were Oystercatchers, Peewits, and House Martins, the latter nesting on the outbuildings of the farm, which I think is named Glenballach.
Climbing onto the south end of Carn Dearg I discovered a grouse sitting on eggs. The wind picked up as I walked round to Carn Balloch and from there a line of fence posts continues all the way from Carn Ban to Carn Sgulain and A` Chailleach. This greatly assists with navigation in bad weather as the plateau is quite featureless.
I saw quite a few Ptarmigan but the highlight was late in the day, near the bottom of the Allt a` Chaorainn which flows down from A`Chailleach. I spotted a Peregrine then soon after came across a Hen Harrier raiding a nest in heather. I`m sure the smaller birds were Meadow Pipits and they put up a brave fight, constantly flying at the raider in an attempt to ward it off, sadly without success. I didn`t take many still shots during the day, but managed to capture some decent footage with my video camera.
Carn Dearg (South-east top) ( m)
Carn Ban ( m)
Carn Ballach ( m)
CARN SGULAIN ( m)
A` CHAILLEACH ( m)
24 May 1993
I did these three Munros and their respective tops in a 24-kilometre clockwise circuit from the road end in Glen Banchor which is only about 2 kilometres from Newtonmore. It was a superb morning and the walk-in westwards through the glen was full of interest. As well as hundreds of rabbits, there were Oystercatchers, Peewits, and House Martins, the latter nesting on the outbuildings of the farm, which I think is named Glenballach.
Climbing onto the south end of Carn Dearg I discovered a grouse sitting on eggs. The wind picked up as I walked round to Carn Balloch and from there a line of fence posts continues all the way from Carn Ban to Carn Sgulain and A` Chailleach. This greatly assists with navigation in bad weather as the plateau is quite featureless.
I saw quite a few Ptarmigan but the highlight was late in the day, near the bottom of the Allt a` Chaorainn which flows down from A`Chailleach. I spotted a Peregrine then soon after came across a Hen Harrier raiding a nest in heather. I`m sure the smaller birds were Meadow Pipits and they put up a brave fight, constantly flying at the raider in an attempt to ward it off, sadly without success. I didn`t take many still shots during the day, but managed to capture some decent footage with my video camera.
GEAL CHARN ( m)
Thursday 4 December 1997
Soon after I`d parked at Spey Dam, the local farmer appeared and said he was going out with a stalker later and was just checking that I`d be keeping to Geal Charn itself. I walked in via Glen Markie, not the best option if the rivers are in spate, but the water was low enough for an easy crossing. Plenty of pheasants low down and some Coal Tits as well as a flock of twenty to thirty Goldfinches. Small groups of Grouse and Ptarmigan were on the higher slopes, plus I saw several mountain hares, not many considering the amount of tracks in the snow. Making use of the good track, I followed the Piper`s Burn to reach the top from the north. The cold, clear, weather which had been forecast didn`t last. It was okay until I got to within a couple of hundred feet of the top, then the cloud closed in. There was no view from the large cairn at the summit and that was it for the rest of the day.
On the way back I skirted round the south end of Beinn Sgaith, a smaller peak linked to the southern end of Geal Charn. Just before 1 p.m, I saw the farmer and stalker walking back down the track to collect their Land Rover. They drove back up the glen, I presume to collect a carcass, so they must`ve been successful even though I didn`t see many deer during the day, just a few small groups of hinds. This outing ticked off all Munros in Section 9 of Munro`s Tables.
Thursday 4 December 1997
Soon after I`d parked at Spey Dam, the local farmer appeared and said he was going out with a stalker later and was just checking that I`d be keeping to Geal Charn itself. I walked in via Glen Markie, not the best option if the rivers are in spate, but the water was low enough for an easy crossing. Plenty of pheasants low down and some Coal Tits as well as a flock of twenty to thirty Goldfinches. Small groups of Grouse and Ptarmigan were on the higher slopes, plus I saw several mountain hares, not many considering the amount of tracks in the snow. Making use of the good track, I followed the Piper`s Burn to reach the top from the north. The cold, clear, weather which had been forecast didn`t last. It was okay until I got to within a couple of hundred feet of the top, then the cloud closed in. There was no view from the large cairn at the summit and that was it for the rest of the day.
On the way back I skirted round the south end of Beinn Sgaith, a smaller peak linked to the southern end of Geal Charn. Just before 1 p.m, I saw the farmer and stalker walking back down the track to collect their Land Rover. They drove back up the glen, I presume to collect a carcass, so they must`ve been successful even though I didn`t see many deer during the day, just a few small groups of hinds. This outing ticked off all Munros in Section 9 of Munro`s Tables.