The Road to the Isles
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 and dramatically swept aside and I gazed down on a surprisingly sun-drenched Loch Ericht.
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.
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,the winter gloom was swept away. It was like a promise of things to come and you’ve no idea how it cheered me up. There have been too many miserable days to herald the arrival of this winter!
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. 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.
Alternatively, Sgor Gaibhre, 3133ft/955m, and Carn Dearg, 3087ft/941m, can be climbed from the south along with the Corbett of Meall na Meoig, 2848ft/868m 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 of Loch Eigheach and take the Road to the Isles track to the footbridge over the Allt Eigheach. Just north of the bridge you start climbing the Leacann nan Giomach slopes of Beinn Pharlagain to reach the twisty ridge that leads to the Corbett. Both Munros can then be linked by high, broad ridges.
A number of years ago I enjoyed a longer trip in this area, taking in both Carn Dearg and Sgor Gaibhre. From the summit of Sgor Gaibhre I wandered north along the long high level ridge that leads to Meall a’ Bhealaich and Beinn a’ Chumhainn. The views towards the Aonach Beag group in the north and down into the jaws of the Bealach Dubh were magnificent. Steep slopes took me down into the lower reaches of the Bealach Cumhainn and the footpath to Ben Alder bothy on the shores of Loch Ericht. Next day I made my way back to Rannoch by a series of stalker’s paths and forest trails.
Photo Cap: Looking down on Loch Ossian with Ben Nevis in the distance