The Great Outdoors – July 2019

STANDING AT A HEIGHT of around

800m, there were two things that struck

me. One: I could see no roads or any signs

of human habitation, granting a wonderful

feeling of seclusion. Paradoxically my

second thought was the incredible sense of

space, where the view extended for many

miles across a huge landscape.

My walk had led me to the highest point

of the Lairig an Laoigh, the ‘other’ great pass

cutting its course through the Cairngorms

National Park. I say ‘other’ because the

Lairig an Laoigh is pushed somewhat into

the background by its better-known cousin,

the Lairig Ghru. However, because of the

reasons mentioned above, the Lairig an

Laoigh is one of my favourite points within

the National Park and the focal point of a

magnificent 19-mile route that took me

deep into the heart of the Cairngorms.

Although it stayed off the big Munros, the

walk still climbed to over 1,100m in height

and granted a challenging and scenically

inspiring day in the hills.

STRIDING OUT

The bus dropped me off on a gorgeous

morning at Glenmore Visitor Centre, near

the shores of Loch Morlich. My 10.30am

start was later than I’d predicted but I’d

booked myself into Cairngorm Lodge

Youth Hostel and was content to simply

take my time and enjoy the surroundings.

Before long I was strolling through

Glen More, a stunning remnant of the

Caledonian Forest, where I was fortunate

enough to spot red squirrel and crested tit.

The track forms part of the historic

Rathad nam Meirleach, roughly translated

as The Road of the Thieves. It ran from

Lochaber and Rannoch and was used

by clans for cattle thieving between the

14th and 17th Centuries.

Beyond the intense green waters of

gorgeous An Lochan Uaine I wandered

off course a little to sit in warm sunshine

against the thick stone walls of Ryvoan

Bothy. Up until the late 19th Century it

formed part of a farmhouse but today it is

one of around 100 remote shelters across

Britain maintained by the Mountain

Bothies Association.

Outside vibrant heather clad the hills,

the loud, liquid song of a skylark filled the

air and I could see the tapering line of the

Lairig an Laoigh rising to the south.

Rousing myself I then joined the

Lairig and began to climb through

Abernethy National Nature Reserve, a

hugely important area of biodiversity that

encompasses habitats such as moorland,

bog, mountain plateau and the largest

surviving remnant of ancient Caledonian

pinewood. Indeed, an incredible 4500

varieties of plants and animals have been

recorded here.

Several walkers were heading towards

Bynack More, its bulky slopes filling the

view. However when the path split beneath

its summit profile, I was left alone to make

my way across the Lairig an Laoigh.

This wild, lonely expanse of high

moorland stretches for about 12 miles

[opening spread] A spectacular view down into the Loch Avon Basin [above] At Ryvoan Bothy [below right] Walking along the Lairig an Laoigh

CAIRNGORMS

36 The Great Outdoors July 2019