Ronald Turnbull 
Walking Ben Lawers, Rannoch and Atholl 
Mountains and glens of Highland Perthshire

The south-eastern Grampians of the former county of Perthshire may be grassier and less rugged than other Scottish mountains, but they are just as big. The routes in this guide take you to the summits of these ‚jolly green giants‘ – covering all of the region’s Munros, often by unconventional routes, as well as several Corbetts and smaller hills – and also over the Atholl passes, along rivers and through the woods of Perthshire’s ‚Big Tree Country‘. The 80 walks comprise a mixture of low-level, mid-level and mountain routes and are graded by both length and difficulty. Many are demanding, crossing remote, uneven, steep and/or pathless terrain, but also included are gentler walks on clear paths taking in local features of interest.

The route description is illustrated with clear mapping (a mixture of OS 1:50, 000 and smaller-scale maps for the longer routes) and the route summary table and grading information make it easy to choose an appropriate route. There is a wealth of information about the landscape and the region’s fascinating history. Finally, appendices cover local facilities and access to the hills during the deer-stalking season.

With highlights including the mighty Ben Lawers, Beinn Dorain, Ben Alder and Beinn a‘ Ghlo; Schiehallion; the great rivers Tay and Garry; the Birks of Aberfeldy; and old drovers‘ routes over the passes of Minigaig and Gaick, Perthshire has plenty to offer. And with historic towns, such as Perth and Pitlochry, and attractive villages, this is an ideal base for a walking holiday.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Map key

Introduction

Jolly green giants

Trees, please!

When to go

Safety in the mountains

Maps

Compass and GPS

Using this guide

PART 1: Comrie and Crieff

1 Meal na Fearna to Ben Vorlich

2 Beinn Dearg

3 Water of Ruchill

4 Comrie: Deil’s Caldron

5 Glen Tarken tracks

6 Ben Chonzie and Auchnafree Hill

7 Crieff, its Knock, and River Earn

8 Glen Almond and the Lochan Slot

PART 2: Killin and Glen Lochay

9 Looking at Loch Tay: Meall Clachach

10 Cam Chreag and Ben Challum

11 Beinn nan Imirean, Meall Glas

12 The Tarmachans

Summit summary: Ben Lawers

13 Edramucky Burn

14 Up and down from the Lairig road

15 Lawers Four from Lawers village

16 The Cat’s Bowl (descent)

17 Down via Beinn Ghlas to Lawers village (descent)

18 Glen Lyon: Da-Eig Circuit

PART 3: Glen Lyon

19 Carn Mairg from Fortingall

20 Back of Schiehallion?

21 The Black Crag of Glen Lyon

22 Beinn Dearg and the Mairgs

23 Meall Ghaordaidh from Glen Lyon

24 Around Loch an Daimh

25 Beinn Heasgarnich and Creag Mhor

PART 4: Bridge of Orchy

Summit summary: Beinn Dorain

26 Beinn a‘ Chaisteal and Beinn nam Fuaran

27 Beinn Mhanach, the Monk

28 Dorain and Dothaidh from the back

29 Bridge of Orchy to Beinn Dorain, Beinn an Dothaidh

30 Beinn Mhanach long crossing

31 Rannoch Edge: Chreachain and Achaladair

32 Beinn an Dothaidh from Achallader

33 The Lyon side: Chreachain, Achaladair, Mhanach

PART 5: Perth and Dunkeld

34 Perth and Kinnoull Hill

35 Dunkeld, Birnam Hill and the Tay

36 Tracks to Loch Skiach

37 Craig Lochie

PART 6: Aberfeldy

38 Farragon Hill from Strathtay

39 Aberfeldy: Rob and Rabbie

40 Aberfeldy and the Tay

41 Kenmore and the Tay

42 Falls of Acharn

43 Falls of Acharn to Creag an Sgliata

44 Creagan na Beinne and Ardtalnaig

45 Creag Uchdag

PART 7: Tummel and Loch Rannoch

46 Schiehallion end to end

47 Schiehallion Foot: Limestone and Mc Gregor’s Cave

48 Craig Varr and Kinloch Rannoch

49 Beinn a‘ Chuallaich

50 Black Wood of Rannoch

Summit summary: Ben Alder

51 Walk in to Benalder Cottage

52 Ben Alder from Benalder Cottage

53 Benalder Cottage to Culra Bothy via Beinn Bheoil

54 Benalder Cottage to Culra Bothy via Bealach Beithe (and in reverse)

55 Walk/ride in to Culra Bothy

56 Long Leachas from Culra Bothy

57 Short Leachas from Culra Bothy

58 Ben Alder to Bealach Breabag (descent)

PART 8: Rannoch Moor

59 The Road to the Isles

60 Two Munros and Beinn Pharlagain

61 Meall Buidhe and Cam Chreag

62 Tracks to the Foxes Bog

63 Leagag

PART 9: Pitlochry and Blair Atholl

64 Pitlochry and its loch

65 Ben Vrackie and River Garry

66 Blair Castle to Glen Tilt

67 Glen Tilt and Carn a‘ Chlamain

68 Old Bridge of Tilt to Dearg, Mheadhonach

69 Bruar Falls and Glen Banvie

70 Bruar Falls and Blair

Summit summary: Beinn a‘ Ghlo

71 Around Beinn a‘ Ghlo (with optional ascent of Ben Vuirich)

72 Beinn a‘ Ghlo from Loch Moraig

73 Carn nan Gabhar north ridge to Glen Tilt (descent)

74 Glen Tilt to Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain by Carn Torcaidh

PART 10: Drumochter

The Atholl Passes

75 Glen Tilt

76 Minigaig Pass to Glen Feshie

77 Minigaig Pass the ancient way

78 Gaick Pass

79 A‘ Bhuidheanach Bheag by the Crooked Corrie

80 Udlamains and the Sow

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Access (especially in the stalking season)

Appendix C Shops, accommodation and transport

Über den Autor

Ronald Turnbull was born in St Andrews, Scotland, into an energetic fellwalking family. His grandfather was a president of the Scottish Mountaineering Club, and a more remote ancestor was distinguished as only the second climbing fatality in Snowdonia.

In 1995 Ronald won the Fell Running Association’s Long-distance Trophy for a non-stop run over all the 2000ft hills of Southern Scotland; his other proud achievements include the ascent of the north ridge of the Weisshorn and a sub-2hr Ben Nevis race. He enjoys multi-day treks, through the Highlands in particular, and has made 21 different coast-to-coast crossings of the UK. He has also slept out, in bivvy bag rather than tent, on over 80 UK summits. Outside the UK he likes hot, rocky areas of Europe, ideally with beaches and cheap aeroplanes. Recently he achieved California’s 220-mile John Muir Trail and East Lothian’s 45-mile John Muir Way in a single season, believing himself the first to have achieved this slightly perverse double. He has also started trying to understand the geology of what he’s been walking and climbing on for so long.

Ronald lives in the Lowther Hills of Dumfriesshire, and most of his walking, and writing, takes place in the nearby Lake District and in the Scottish Highlands. His recent books include The Book of the Bivvy, and walking/scrambling guides Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, The Cairngorms and Ben Nevis & Glen Coe, as well as Three Peaks Ten Tors a slightly squint-eyed look at various UK challenge walks. He has nine times won Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guild Awards for Excellence for his guidebooks, outdoor books (including Book of the Bivvy), and magazine articles. He has a regular column in Lakeland Walker and also writes in Trail, Cumbria and TGO (The Great Outdoors). His current, hopelessly ambitious, project is to avoid completing the Munros for at least another 20 years.