Robin Howie - Leave the car and head for Geal-charn

Published on Wednesday 1 October 2008 11:14

WALK on the wild side

SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE A9 anD THE more formidable barrier of Loch Ericht to the west, this Geal-charn (there is quite a cluster of them nearby, albeit with slightly different spellings) lies four-and-a-half miles SSW of Dalwhinnie and north-west of the Pass of Drumochter. A modest hill at 917m/3,008ft, Geal-charn is rather too close to road and railway. Nevertheless, with a high start, it is ideal for a short day, perhaps an evening journey-breaker if driving past, or if the weather is adverse. And, with the convenience of the railway, it is also a hill that can be reached without having to get into the car.

That was the situation I found myself in a few weeks ago. My car was in the garage and the expected collection on Friday had been deferred to Monday. The Sunday weather forecast was good, but alas Margaret wanted her car to go bird watching and my hillwalking friends were committed to other exploits, so I needed a last-minute plan.

Mindful of the time I was taken to task by a reader for being over-reliant on cars to go hillwalking, I established that a train from Edinburgh could get me to Dalwhinnie by lunchtime, with a return at 7:39pm – more than enough time to climb Geal-charn, and cheaper to boot. I would have preferred to take a bicycle to head towards Ben Alder but, a common complaint of cyclists, all space available for bikes on the train had already been taken up.

I was the sole passenger alighting at Dalwhinnie. In his book The Highlands and Islands, A Nineteenth-Century Tour, J E Bowman wrote, in 1825, that, in approaching Dalwhinnie from the north, it was difficult to conceive of anything more cheerless and forbidding.

"In the middle of this inhospitable region, stands the solitary inn of Dalwhinnie ... It is near the north eastern, or upper extremity of Loch Ericht, whose waters stagnate among bogs and morasses, that in this lovely season of summer scarcely put on a shade of green."

Back then, the loch's outflow was towards Dalwhinnie. An aqueduct now diverts the upper River Truim past Dalwhinnie to the loch, and the outflow has been reversed. The ground may be less boggy but the area can still be bleak.

You will need Ordnance Survey map 42, Glen Garry & Loch Rannoch. From the station, it is a level, one-and-a-half mile walk through Dalwhinnie, then south to the Wade Bridge by the junction of the A9. Using the old A9 then the new cycle track (irony of ironies for me without a bike), continue for two miles on the west side of the A9 to reach Balsporran Cottages, former railway cottages. Three-and-a-half miles so far, a gentle climb of 75m and, despite the intrusion of the busy road, what an easy start to the day!

At the level crossing gates of the railway, take full precautions. Stop, look, listen. Once over the line, there will be a feeling of escape, leaving road and railway behind.

Start on the good path that crosses the Allt Beul an Sporain, then head west on the worn path that goes through some awkward heather towards the north-east shoulder of the hill on the south side of Coire Beul an Sporain, corrie of the mouth of the purse (with flavours of Brigadoon, Balsporran is likely a corruption of Beul an Sporain). Once on the shoulder, the way south-west is obvious, with a steady ascent.

Geal-charn has a small, stony summit with a choice of two cairns (the smaller, far away one looks slightly higher to me) and there is a certain smug satisfaction in having a bird's eye view of the trunk road traffic, the railway and a line of pylons. The summit is an excellent viewpoint, looking south-west down the length of Loch Ericht and over to Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil.

Even an easy hill may need careful navigation, and on descent on a nasty day it is all too easy to drift too much ENE towards steep, eastern slopes that are best avoided. Near the sharper drop, at around 800m, is an irregular line of tall cairns, easily seen from the road, and presumably built for safety purposes. If in any doubt, take a north-east bearing at first.

Back at the station, I was the only one waiting on the platform, the train apparently at my sole service, and, with no car, I could have a doze on the way home.

Factfile

Map Ordnance Survey map 42, Glen Garry & Loch Rannoch

Distance 12 miles, of which seven can be cycled

Height 600m

Terrain Road and cycle track, then path

Start point Dalwhinnie railway station

Time 5 to 7 hours walking

Nearest village Dalwhinnie

Nearest refreshment spot The Inn, Dalwhinnie