The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
A climb with a wilder spirit
Carn a’Gheoidh, Glen Shee, Perth & Kinross
Carn a’Gheoidh is one of a trio of Munros commonly clumped together, joining Carn Aosda and The Cairnwell on a popular outing from the Glenshee Ski Centre. While the route enjoys an elevated start point, the sprawling paraphernalia of the winter sports industry is impossible to avoid on the first two peaks and this is not everyone’s cup of tea (although the year-round café at the centre may help dull the scenic ache).
Happily, Carn a’Gheoidh has not been blighted by the bristling metalwork and piste scars of its neighbours and, tackled from lower down the valley, retains a wilder spirit. To the north of Spittal of Glenshee, I found space to leave the car by a track-end more traditionally used as the start point by walkers heading up Ben Gulabin.
A grassy track rises steadily from the roadside gate over heathery slopes scattered with lichen-encrusted rock and I was soon enjoying the view up the glen towards The Cairnwell and, across the valley, Meall Odhar and Glas Maol.
Curving into the col between Ben Gulabin and Creagan Bheithe, the trail fords the Allt a’Charnaich and passes the remnants of an early ski development. In the winter of 1948, members of Dundee Ski Club built a hut here and later a mechanised tow was erected on the southern shoulder of Creagan Bheithe. Parts of the tow remain but the hut has collapsed.
The path to the top of Ben Gulabin branches left but I remained on the track, a welcome stint of level terrain ending by the ruin of a wee shieling where the way swings right and clambers on to the southern shoulder of Carn Mor. Ahead, a sizeable herd of red deer crossed the slope, descending into sheltered Coire Shith, while, on higher ground, hare proliferated.
Weaving between grouse butts – the older, redundant ones affording rudimentary shelter if a breather is required – the track negotiates stonier ground, crossing the rounded top close to the summit cairn.
More robust refuge is to be found on the descent, Invercauld Estate Walkers’ Bothy a welcome sight on an inclement day. With a view of Carn a’Gheoidh from the front door, the spacious hut has tables and chairs and is well placed for elevenses or an early lunch. The route leads onwards to Carn a’Gheoidh, peaty vehicle tracks continuing where the gravel estate road ends. In turn, this peters out into a slender path that completes the expedition to the top.
A sturdy cairn and stone windbreak greet visitors and, after not encountering a single person on my way up, I bumped into various groups bagging the trio of Munros here.
As expected, a well-walked trail leads east to outlying Carn nan Sac where, leaving the crowds behind, I descended the shoulder. It is a steep spur but a slim line through the heather kept me clear of rocky outcrops to my left. Peat bog below did not look particularly enticing but, sticking to the heather then grassy high ground to the left of the dark hags, I picked up a track that made light work of the descent to Rhiedorrach.
While road walking can be a bit of a chore, a grass verge bordering the A93 soaked up the final steps of tired legs.
ROUTE 1. Pass through gate and ascend track, crossing Allt a’Charnaich, to junction below Ben Gulabin.
2. Ignore path branching left up Ben Gulabin and continue ahead on track, ascending southern shoulder of Carn Mor.
3. At junction above grouse butts, go left and continue north over summit of Carn Mor then descend past bothy.
4. Go straight ahead at junction and, where gravel ends, continue on peaty track then path to summit of Carn a’Gheoidh.
5. Descend path east to rocky outcrops then bear right to summit of Carn nan Sac.
6. Walk out to third cairn on prow then descend south shoulder of Carn nan Sac.
7. Keep to the high ground, bearing left of peat bogs on Creag nan Eun.
8. Join initially peaty track descending to Rhiedorrach.
9. Nearing gate in fence at Rhiedorrach, turn right along track running parallel with fence to wall and descend by wall to A93. Turn right and walk south on A93.