The walk Glorious colour in a monochrome world

© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2018 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 059/18

Grade: Moderate mountain walk Distance: 15 miles/25km Time: 7-9 hours

It was one of those moments that can turn a dour day into a memorable one, as though someone has drawn the curtains apart to allow daylight into a darkened room. With cloud down to about a thousand feet I had been navigating by map and compass for much of the morning, a worthy exercise in itself but hardly one that leads to transcendental mountain experiences.

I had made my way north along the rather awkwardly twisting ridge of Meall na Meoig of Beinn Pharlagain in the Rannoch deer forest and had more or less resigned myself to a dark day in the clouds.

But as I dropped down towards the broad col that lies below Meall na Meoig’s northern neighbour, the Munro of Sgor Gaibhre, the clouds were suddenly swept aside and I gazed down on a surprisingly sun-drenched Loch Ericht.

It was as though a single beam of light had singled out Benalder Bay and its immediate surroundings – the bothy, the stand of ancient Caledonian pines and the vivid green foreshore – a splash of glorious colour in a monochrome world. For a brief moment, spring didn’t seem so far away. It was like a promise of things to come and you’ve no idea how it cheered me up.

Almost inevitably the cloud soon wrapped itself around me again and I tramped on over the two Munros of Sgor Gaibhre and Carn Dearg. Now and again holes in the clouds offered tantalising glimpses of something other than my compass dial, reminding me of the fabulous position of these hills that lie between the eastern edges of the brooding Rannoch Moor and the foot of Loch Ericht. Many walkers travel to these hills by train, as the West Highland line has handy stations at Rannoch and Corrour.

With a whole bunch of other Munros in the area, either stop makes a terrific place for a weekend away, staying perhaps in the bunkhouse at Corrour or the SYHA hostel at lovely Loch Ossian. I can personally recommend both the tearoom at Rannoch Station and the one at Corrour.

Alternatively, Sgor Gaibhre (3133ft/955m) and Carn Dearg (3087ft) can be climbed from the south along with the Corbett of Meall na Meoig (2848ft) in an excellent horseshoe ridge walk that, on a clear day, offers fabulous views of both the Rannoch Moor and the Loch Ericht hills. All the way round you can enjoy great views to the west, across the great expanse of the Rannoch Moor towards the distant hills of the Blackmount Deer Forest, or into Coire Eigheach, the big corrie around which this route forms a great horseshoe.

The advantage of this route is that you’re not dependent on train times – you can drive there. Park to the north

A number of years ago I enjoyed a longer trip in this area, taking in both Carn Dearg and Sgor Gaibhre.

Time: 7-9 hours

Route: Follow the Road to the Isles track for 1.5 miles to a footbridge across the Allt Eigheach. Don’t cross the bridge, but continue on the E side of the burn and follow tracks onto the lower slopes of Beinn Pharlagain. Climb to the summit and follow the broad, twisting ridge to Meall na Meoig. Continue due N to a wide col then follow the ridge to the summit of Sgor Gaibhre. Follow the WSW ridge down to the Mam Ban and then climb the NE ridge of Carn Dearg. Follow the long S ridge all the way to Sron Leachd a’ Chaorainn before descending to cross the footbridge over the Allt Eigheach. Follow the track back to the road.