Beinn Mholach

I couldn't resist the opportunity for a summit camp in this fine weather so headed up the A9 after work. The temperature gauge was reading 27°C as I parked beside the railway at Dalnaspidal. As I changed out of my work clothes, a female drove up in a BMW and proceeded to open the gate for the level crossing. She used the telephone at the gate to check whether it was clear. "Oh right," she said, "No problem." She stood back. Suddenly the Royal Scotsman locomotive and carriages came thundering north. I stood in my pants and waved. 

Once it was safe to cross, I hopped on the bike and cycled south along the track bounding the western shore of Loch Garry. Not surprisingly in the dry summer, the water level was extremely low with a wide beach of gravel and sand exposed at the edges. Near the intake of the Garry hydro scheme, I stopped to take some pics and a pair of peewits flew up to complain. A family of Greylag geese danced about on the short grass near the track. 

After 3 or so miles, the track ended so I dumped the bike and headed off on foot across dry bog (a paradox) towards the Allt Shallain where sadly I discovered the beautiful old bridge had now been joined by a shiny new bridge 20metres up stream. There was a network of wide gravel tracks heading in all directions, none of it on the map. I think Stuart might know about this. 

After a brief visit to the Duinish bothy (good condition), I left the gravel and headed onto the open heathery hillside heading for the high point on the skyline of Creag nan Gabhar. I disturbed a family of red grouse, 4 or 5 chicks just starting to fly. Nearby I stepped past a red grouse egg (empty) that was lying in the heather. 

The summit of Beinn Mholach came into view, it was hard to miss with the enormous cairn perched on a wee outcrop towering over the triangulation pillar. I was still a mile away, but it was a pleasant walk over dry ground in the evening sunshine. Once there, I spent a good while gazing at the view. It was a central location, surrounded by notable peaks - Schiehallion, Lawers, Ben More, Dorain, The Buachaille, Ben Nevis, Ben Alder, Braeriach, Beinn a'Ghlo. 

After erecting the tent, I cooked some food and sat in the lee of the cairn to eat. A shaggy ewe and her lamb strolled curiously past, stopping to look at the flapping door of the tent. 


As the sun approached the horizon over Alder, the breeze began to drop and I hit the sack.

Corbett #131