The Great Outdoors – July 2019

Cribyn & N escarpment

from Pen y Fan

88 The Great Outdoors July 2019

network of paths had been
closed, allowing the estate
to fell a significant chunk of
timber and plant new pine
over the next couple of years,
creating a more natural
landscape. The trails around
Innerwick and through Ben
Meggernie Birchwood remain
open, handy as I planned
to use one of these paths to
climb above the treeline to the
summit of Cam Chreag.
From the car park at
Innerwick I wandered up
through the forest, scattered
pine and larch to my right
affording glimpses up the glen.
The obvious track to the east,
rising over the shoulder
of Beinn Dearg into the
Lairig Ghallabhaich, is a
well-used right of way linking
Glen Lyon with Loch Rannoch,
to the north.
However, I turned west at
an intersection beyond the

trees, crossing the Allt a’ Choire

Uidhre by a sturdy wooden

bridge ahead of the ascent into

Coire Odhar, the flanks of Cam

Chreag now in view high above.

The gravel track climbs

steadily, a swathe of restored

pine and birch woodland

covering the slopes of Ben

Meggernie across the glen,

before dipping to re-cross the

Allt a’ Choire Uidhre. Savour

this brief respite, for the

gradient swiftly kicks back in.

As I plodded on, sweat

dripping from my brow, a trio

of stalkers trundled past me

on their all-terrain buggy, off

to search the high corries for

deer, and I could not help but

feel just a little envious as they

rolled effortlessly up the hill

track ahead of me.

I pushed on, the track

weaving back and forth

through the heather before

finally flattening out as it

approached the col between

Cam Chreag and the rounded

hump of Meall nam Maigheach.

A draughty corrugated iron

hut offers rudimentary shelter

here, although the route to the

top of the hill branches off just

ahead of it, an obvious line

of ATV tracks crossing peaty

ground before getting stuck

into the slope.

Where the tracks end, the

ascent continues over grass.

Bearing a little to the right, I

passed an exposed patch of

peat before climbing on to the

ridge where a slender path

continues to the summit.

On a clear day, it is a fine

viewpoint with vistas north

over Loch Rannoch and south

to the Tarmachan Ridge and

the Ben Lawers range, reason

enough to sit awhile in the lee

of the cairn and gaze across a

landscape that was once almost

entirely wooded.

Further information

Maps: OS 1:50,000

Landranger sheet 51

(Loch Tay & Glen Dochart), OS

1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL48

(Ben Lawers & Glen Lyon)

Transport: None to

the start

i

Information: Perth

iCentre (01738 450600)

[Captions clockwise from top]

View down the valley towards

Glen Lyon; View north from

summit over Loch Rannoch;

Track through the trees at the

start of the walk