Friday 28 June - A short day out on Meall Buidhe 932m. A 45th Wedding Anniversary Munro

Final broad ridge to Meall Buidhe

Stuchd an Lochain

Meall Buidhe to the north of Loch an Daimh is often climbed along with Stuchd an Lochain but this involves returning to the dam after doing whichever one is done first. We did them separately rather than rush.

It's probably not a hill to do after very wet weather if you plan to go via the peat bog that is Coire nan Miseach, but we had it dry fortunately and I doubt that it was in such a state back in 1983. However, the name of the 878m hill, Meall a' Phuill gives the game away, the rough translation being 'The Round Hill of the Peat Bank/hag'.

Today, it took us only an hour and a half to the top where the wind was unexpectedly quite ferocious and almost blew us off our feet. Luckily it wasn't too cold, but we did need to dig out windproof jackets from the sacks before taking some photographs. The jackets would have been gone forever had we lost hold of them.

The hill is often unfavourably compared to Stuchd an Lochain which is undoubtedly the finer hill, but the walk along the level ridge above Glas Choire to the large summit cairn on Meall Buidhe is over far too soon.

Photos -  ridge to summit
               struggling with camera case in the wind.
               Orchid but not sure of name despite Lynne
               studying our wild flower book

Thursday 27 June - Beinn Ghlas 1103m and Ben Lawers 1214m

Ben Lawers from Beinn Ghlas

Lochan nan Cat below An Stuc from Ben Lawers

Beinn Ghlas from slopes of Ben Lawers

Ben Lawers Trig

We were at the carpark early given the popularity of these hills and previous parking difficulties, and were well up Beinn Ghlas before we spotted two figures far below. The light breeze was a blessing after the delightful but hot, windless approach through the birch trees beside the Burn of Edramucky. Beinn Ghlas at 1103m is a substantial Munro, its small cairn perched at the edge of its north face which falls steeply into Coire Odhar. Often regarded as a mere point on the way to its more lofty neighbour Ben Lawers and its 4000ft magic contour, Beinn Ghlas is a very fine hill in its own right.

A lengthy break by the cairn to take in the view allowed the two figures to catch up and we enjoyed a pleasant fifteen minutes or so in their company. They were from Crieff, a mere forty minute drive away, and were in training for their planned fourteen day walking trip to the Pyrenees in September.

The Lawers range was very much part of my early hill days, courtesy of the newly formed school climbing and walking club - a winter ascent of Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers around 1966 or '67 which today, sadly, would probably never get off the ground once the 'risk assessment' had been completed. I don't have a date for when Lynne and I climbed them so that suggests 1976 or 1977, since for some reason we only started dating ascents from 1978. Much later on I was persuaded to 'lead' a party from work up Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers which was a real pain in the neck, particularly since all but one of them had never been on a hill. This nascent company walking club didn't develop any further, thankfully.

With a 'see you on the summit' we left our fellow walkers from Crieff and departed down to the bealach. So far my concerns about the crowds likely to be encountered were unfounded and there appeared to be only one or two people at the trig point on Ben Lawers. Indeed by the time we'd made the fairly steep and enjoyable ascent those figures had gone.

We had lunch just below the summit, overlooking beautiful Lochan nan Cat lying below An Stuc's south-east face and enclosed by three Munros.

Back at the bealach we took the path which skirts the north face of Beinn Ghlas and descends to the lovely and very hot Coire Odhar, which at one time was popular with skiers.

The National Trust for Scotland has done an excellent job on this and the main path up these hills. Often constructed paths are badly done and don't sit well in the landscape, but this is not the case here. Even the relocation of the carpark has been done with care, being reasonably well hidden from the summits and from the road. Well done NTS. No-one could grudge the £2 parking fee.

Another memorable day, both of us savouring our return to the fine hills in this area. Life well spent.

Wednesday 26 June - Stuchd an Lochain 960m

Loch an Daimh

Lochan nan Cat and Stuchd an Lochain

Summit

Loch an Daimh and Gleann Daimh

This Munro, first climbed in August 1982, was not our intended hill for the day but parking space, or rather the lack of it, forced a change of plan. We weren't late in setting out but others were earlier so Meall Corranaich and Meall a' Choire Léith will have to wait for a second visit. Fortunately, I'd anticipated this sorry state of affairs so had The Stuchd in mind or its neighbour across Loch an Daimh, Meall Buidhe.

So, onwards we drove down to Bridge of Balgie and along Glen Lyon to the Giorra Dam where, surprisingly on such a fabulous June day, only one car was parked.

When, in the early 1960s, I think, the Giorra Dam was built and Glen Daimh flooded, Loch Giorra, Loch Daimh, the land in between the two lochs and Lochs Farm were covered and Loch an Daimh, part of the Breadalbane Hydroelectric Scheme, was formed. I can't say that I find hydro schemes such as this a blot on the landscape but I suppose that's because they've been a feature of the hills since I started climbing and walking. The recent Run-of-the-River schemes seem to me to scar the hills in a much more brutal way with their horrendous access roads and so on.

Anyway, to the hill. It seems that the first recorded ascent was made in 1590 by Colin Campbell who built the first tower of Meggernie Castle. Apparently, 'On the brow of the hill, Stuic-an-Lochain - a huge rock beetling over a deep circular mountain tarn - they encountered a flock of goats'. It is one of the first accounts of an ascent of any Scottish mountain (D. Bennet).

A short distance past the dam we took the path which, after traversing the hillside for a time, climbed quite steeply until a line of old fence posts lead west along the ridge to the fine 887m summit of Creag an Fheadain, a Corbett Top, though we didn't know that at the time. The weather forecast of 'sunny intervals' was well wide of the mark - not a cloud in the sky - and we were very glad of the breeze at the cairn.

To the west was Stuchd an Lochain and, some 215 m below its steep, broken headwall in the floor of its northern corrie, the as yet unseen, Lochan nan Cat.

Across a dip to the south-west of the 887m point was the Munro Top of Sron Chona Choirein but having done it first time round we bypassed and savoured the high airy stroll towards the final rise to the top. We stopped often to look down on and photograph the blackness of Lochan nan Cat. A gem.

The small summit cairn sits on the edge of the previously mentioned headwall and is an excellent viewpoint: down the whole length of Glen Lyon, Ben Nevis, the Mamores and Grey Corries, the Buachaille, the Achaladair group.

A grassy spot just below the cairn was a perfect place for lunch in the light breeze and we lazed about there for a while, reluctant to leave. Eventually we tore ourselves away, not having seen a single goat, never mind a 'flock'.

The final descent was rough on the badly eroded path and it seemed to take ages before the small orange boat moored by the loch side got close enough to answer the question 'a RIB or simply and inflatable?' Neither. It was a GRP tender-type (nautical authorities, feel free to correct the terminology).

It was stiffingly hot back at the car.

Return

With three good days forecasted we've returned to the Killin area to re-visit some Munros and enjoy the peace and quiet of some other hills and places.

We're not exactly sure which Munros to choose - we are spoilt from choice - but if you watch this space you might find out.