Walk of the week: BEALACH NA SEARMOIN AND KILLIECRANKIE FROM MOULIN

ICE axe and crampons are vital if you want to guarantee getting up high at this time of year, despite the relatively mild winter.

Ben Vrackie, above Pitlochry, is not a Munro but reaching its pointy summit a few weeks ago was only possible with the use of full winter gear. An easier route, avoiding the summit, goes around the mountain, over Bealach na Searmoin. This is still in rugged country with views to go with it – west to Schiehallion and north down Glen Garry, and further east up Glen Tilt.

This route follows the best bit of the waymarked Bealach Walk and returns to Moulin via part of the Killiecrankie Walk, which means it easy to navigate, even when snow has fallen.

DISTANCE 7½ miles.

HEIGHT CLIMBED 1,800ft. TIME 4 to 5 hours. MAP OS Landranger 52 and 43.

PARKING Opposite the Moulin Hotel, above Pitlochry on the A924.

IN SUMMARY Follow Baledmund Road behind the hotel and at the edge of Moulin go right, up a road signed for ‘Bealach Path & Ben-y-Vrackie’. At a fork, go right to a car park. From the far end, follow the path by the Moulin Burn, cross a track and go through a gate on the other side. Continue by the burn, then join a track on the right. After about 40 yards, take a path on the right. Go through a gate on to open hillside. Just beyond two benches, go left, following a sign for ‘Bealach Path, Killiecrankie. This more narrow path leads to a stile over Bealach na Searmoin.

Continue down the other side, along the signed ‘Bealach Path’. At another stile, cross and follow a track as it twists down and becomes grassy. At a stone wall, cross another stile and turn left, along a track, go through a wooden kissing gate and down to water works. Go left, down a metalled road that leads to, and under, the A9 to reach the B8079. Cross and turn left to pass the Killiecrankie visitor centre.

After just over half a mile, cross the road at a sign for Moulin, pointing left. Go through a wooden gate and up beneath the A9. This section is noisy with traffic but you are soon up some steps and at a forestry track, where you turn right.

After about a mile and a half go left, uphill, at a fork. Half a mile further on, go right at a marker post. A path drops down, follows the edge of a golf course and skirts round the right-hand side of a cottage. After this, go right, down a track across the course. At the bottom, go left to follow a minor road back to Moulin.

REFRESHMENTS The Moulin Hotel has a friendly bar and serves food.

WHILE YOU ARE IN THE AREA Edradour (www.edradour.co.uk) is the smallest distillery in Scotland and offers tastings and tours. To get there, continue on the A924 for a just over a mile beyond Moulin and turn right, following a brown sign down a minor road for about half a mile.