Beinn a' Ghlo
Beinn A' Ghlo is a high and bulky three summitted massif. The highest summit rises above 1100m and subsequently has extensive views all round. It provides a fine walk where the going is very easy high up. However, despite this, the highest summit demands a walk that will take up all the daylight hours of winter.

Carn Liath seen from the southern approach

The whole massif seen from the south

Carn Liath's north ridge

Carn Nan Cabhar seen from Carn Liath on a wintry day

The normal access route is from Loch Moraig to the south where you can park your car. Here, Carn Liath is the only munro that can be seen and the most southern in the group, and it hides the rest of the ridge from view. The approach take in a good path across moorland before striking up Carn Liath's heathery slopes. Higher up, these slopes become more cropped. Once you reach the summit of Carn Liath, the full extent of the ridge can be seen. The ridge continues as a whaleback ridge to the saddle with Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain and then onwards to the saddle with the northern most summit of Carn nan Gabhar - the highest top at 1120m.

Looking along Carn Liath's ridge

Meall a' Mhuirich seen from the northern slopes of Carn nan Cabhar

2005 was my most recent excursion on this mountain. In February I was beaten back by bittery cold storm force winds on reaching Carn Liath. The next week I returned, determined to complete the trio. I was met with the same harsh weather, but continued on. With more insulation equipment & more food in my back, I had the confidence to the the storm force winds through. The northern most summit is quite remote. Those doing the trio as a day walk have a long return back on the southern side of the mountain to their cars. However, you can continue north and then west down into Glen Tilt ready for more walking the next day.

Looking across Glen Tilt from Beinn a' Ghlo

Beinn Vuirich seen from the north - a Corbett east of Beinn a' Ghlo

Turn east off the hill, however, and you end up in a vastempty heathery wilderness. Loch Loch is said to be a nice camping area. A neglected Corbett in this area is Ben Vuirich, it's not too inspiring being a broad grassy lump, but it offers fine views of Beinn a' Ghlo and a view right down the length of Glen Loch.

The Tilt and the Bruar
Glen Tilt is a fine U-shaped valley. The valley is quite fertile with green pastures right through the winter. The hills either side rise up steeply from the valley with the Beinn a' Ghlo Massif to the south and the vast plateau around Carn a' Chlamain to the north. Lower down, it is populated with a few lodges. Deeper into the valley, it takes on a different character, being V-shaped with some gorges around the Tarf Tributary.

On the south east ridge of Carn a' Chlamain

Carn a' Chlamain seen from the south across Glen Tilt

Looking up Glen Tilt

West of Glen Tilt lies a range of summits that lie well back from the A9. These include Carn a' Chlamain, Beinn Mheadhonach and the highest summit, Beinn Dearg. These are hills of heather and whilst remote from the road, they lie at the edge of a bigger wilderness comprised of the Tarf, the Feshie/Geldie watershed and the Cairngorms.

Carn a' Chlamain is easily reached from Glen Tilt. Beyond Forest lodge, easy stalkers paths zig-zag up the hillside to the plateau above. Up on the plateau, the hollows are thickly vegetated, but the path continues up onto a ridge leading to Carn A' Chlamain. This ridge is more stony, but offers trouble free progress. The way down is to take the south ridge back to Glen Tilt. Here, a bulldozed track (not marked on my map) follows the greater part of the ridge back down to Glen Tilt, 1km east of Marble Lodge.

Beinn Dearg seen from the Glen Bruar approach

Upper Glen Bruar seen from above Bruar lodge

I've climbed Beinn Dearg twice from Glen Bruar. A long track extends 11km in from the A9 at Calvine to Bruar lodge. It's recommended to mountain bike this summit for a daytrip. The other approach to Bruar lodge is from Blair Atholl itself via Glen Banvie - a finer route that eases you from civilization into the empty hills. The glen is surrounded by low moorland in its lower reaches but is surrounded by steep walled hills from Bruar Lodge onwards.

From Bruar lodge the ascent to Beinn Dearg is quick via an initally steep climb out of the glen to the broad upper slopes. It's a rather unspectacular hill - like a squashed christmas pudding! It's quite rocky on the summit area but peat & heather surrounds it. A top beneath 3000ft - Beinn a' Chat south of Beinn Dearg provides a better view of the Garry and Blair Atholl. It's a bit more shapely with a steep eastern escarpment.

The vast mounth plateau

Beinn Mheadhonach

East of Beinn Dearg lies Beinn Mheadhonach - a long north/south skinny Corbett and certainly better than Beinn Dearg. There's a gem of a glen east of this Corbett - Gleann Mhairc. If you descend into this one and follow it north, all you get is desolation. No tracks or paths here, but a lot of rough ground and soup like mud. The burn here drains Loch Mhaird at the watershed with the Tarf. A great place on a springtime evening with plenty of wildfowl.

Shiehallion
Shiehallion is one that can be climbed very quickly and easily. It is famed for one the first measurements of the gravitational constant G. From a hillwalking point of view, it offers fine views out to the west towards Glen Coe and Lochaber and the north towards Ben Alder.

The Pitlochry Area
Ben Vrackie is an easy Sunday Corbett. It's noted for its very fine views and some very aggressive goats that live up there. One goat will chase you while the other dives into your rucksack apparently!