Cairngorms - Through the foothills

The Cairngorms massif is an extensive plateau, dotted by distinct up-swellings that form the named peaks and cut through by deep, rocky defiles that have provided corridors through the mountains for millenia. To the north of the main massif is a cluster of lesser peaks that I always think of as the foothills of the Cairngorms as they form gentler ground that transitions from the mountains to the Spey Valley and Aviemore below. On this trip, with gales scouring the higher tops, a wander through these foothills proved a good alternative. 

We set out from the ski centre down the Allt Mor path, meandering through the pines to cross the river at the bridge. I love the path onwards from here. You climb back up above the trees and walk along a ridge towards the Chalamain Gap with the Northern Corries stretched out on your left. Today the corries were dusted with snow and afternoon sun picked out the contours of the crumpled land at their feet. A medley of light and shadow.

We skipped the bouldery traverse of the Chalamain Gap on this occasion, instead climbing steeply onto the little peak above, Creag A'Chalamain. This is one of the foothills that is really rewarding for its views of the surrounding mountains and the distinctive, wooded cut of Ryvoan Pass to the east. The sun was sinking now and the afternoon light over the views was soft and golden. 

Ahead in shadow was the deep cut of the Lairig Ghru pass and our path down to the crossing point of the Allt Druidh. It's here that the river flows beneath the giant boulders that you step over, making for an easy crossing. We dropped down steeply. The Lairig Ghru rose above us now, its foreboding rock walls and boulder-strewn bottom turned into a monochrome landscape by the snow. All the more delightful then to see a pair of brightly coloured bullfinches flitting about here in contrast to the brutal architecture of the pass. A little way down the river on the other side, we found our camp spot for the night. It was a place we'd used before and we were glad we knew it was there as the light was fading fast. 

Next day, we continued through the foothills and pulled ourselves up onto Carn Odhar which rose above our camp spot of the night before. What a place this was on that day. Low cloud smothered the higher peaks, sleety rain blew through and the atmosphere was bleak, barren and empty. Just the way I like it! The top of Carn Odhar came easily after the initial steep pull above the river though the crossing of the outflow from a cluster of lochans up here proved tricky.

We walked on across rough, pathless terrain, crossing the south shoulder of Carn Eilrig, another foothill. As the sleet had turned to rain and intensified, we decided to skip the climb up the hill and instead headed south to pick up the Beanaidh Beag which flows from one of Braeriach's corries high above. After more rough walking, we eventually picked up a semblance of a path that delivered us onto the main track through Gleann Eanaich. Where we met the pine woods, we pitched the tents, glad to be out of the rain and warming up with hot chocolate. 

At some point in the night, that rain turned to light snow so our morning camp spot was dusted in white. It formed a soft carpet and a magical atmosphere for the rest of the walk out to Coylumbridge. 

Fact File

Start: Cairngorm ski centre
Finish: Coylumbridge
Public transport: Train from Edinburgh to Aviemore. Local bus, number 30, from Aviemore outside the railway station to the ski centre. Our timings were lucky so we also jumped on the bus back at Coylumbridge, cutting out a bit of the walk into Aviemore.
My route: From the ski centre took the Allt Mor path down to the bridge over the river. At time of writing, a notice advised there was a landslip on the path. We had no difficulty crossing this. Followed the path on the other side of the bridge towards the Chalamain Gap, veering off at the start of the Gap to climb Creag A'Chalamain then rejoining the path on the far side. This path descends to the crossing of the Allt Druidh below the Lairig Ghru. No paths for the next section. We climbed the hillside on the other side of the river, arriving at Lochan Odhar then walked north to Carn Odhar. Then headed southwest to meet the Beanaidh Beag and followed it down into Gleann Eanaich to join the main track through the glen. This continues eventually to Coylumbridge.

Perthshire - The Mini Cateran Trail

This post is not sponsored by Ember, the electric bus company, but its new service from Dundee to Aberdeen via Braemar made this trip finally happen. The Mini Cateran Trail is an official shorter loop of the main Cateran Trail within its northern section. It connects Spittal of Glenshee, Lair, Kirkmichael and Enochdhu. A previously complex arrangement of buses at inconvenient times had left me gazing longingly at the map of the trail but unable to get there. However, the new Ember service really opens up the Glen Shee area to non car users. For me coming from Edinburgh, it's now easy - a train to Dundee then step outside the station for the bus pick up. It's been years since I was able to get to Glen Shee so heading off for this trip, I was excited to go somewhere that I really didn't know that well.

We took the afternoon bus out of Dundee which put us at Spittal of Glenshee late afternoon. It was a pleasant bus journey, especially as we got further north where the hills crowded in and the road became more twisty. The driver told us that the bus can do 300 miles on one charge. We thought this was amazing until he told us that new buses will be coming in the future that can do 600 miles on one charge. At the Spittal, we stepped off the bus straight onto the trail. In October the days are getting short so we only had a couple of hours of light left in the day. But the last of the sun bathed the glen in soft, golden light. 

A cold north wind pushed at our backs as we walked south through Glen Shee and light snow flurries piled through. The trail meandered through a mosaic of farms, fields and little woods. It was really charming and felt like a secretive world bypassed by those who simply drive through the glen to get to the ski centre or beyond. It is largely working farmland though so we chose our tent pitch carefully, tucked away in a quiet corner at the edge of a wood. 

As it wasn't a wilderness camp, we were up and out early the next day. The trail continued down the glen, meandering between farms and along the edge of a wood before dropping down to Cray and then the main road at Lair. We swapped the main Cateran Trail now for the Mini Trail linking path over the hills to Kirkmichael. Heavy rain had settled in for the day.

This was a wilder and rougher section with barely a path, more a suggestion of where others had walked before. As the route wound its way through these quiet hills, it was easy to imagine the Caterans afoot in this landscape. Cateran is derived from the Gaelic word for warrior but in the 16th and 17th centuries it was used to describe the livestock thieves that operated in this area. After two or three hours of rough walking in pouring rain, we were glad to descend to Kirkmichael and find its little shop open. This post is also not sponsored by the Kirkmichael Village Shop but I can tell you it was a real treat to get inside for hot drinks, a warm lunch and respite from the rain. What a treasure this wee shop is.

At Kirkmichael we rejoined the main Cateran Trail and turned north through woods and fields to the sleepy hamlet of Enochdhu. The old Kindrogan Bridge took us over the River Ardle to start the biggest climb of the trip up to An Lairig, the high pass that would take us back over to Spittal of Glenshee. We didn't push on that far though but stopped for the night at an open glade in the forestry.

The last day of walking was kinder to us and dawned with sunny, blue skies. After packing up the tents, we continued the climb up towards An Lairig. There was a treat before we got there though as we came upon the Lunch Hut. Built in the 1950s for shooting parties, it's now open for walkers to use as a day shelter. We lingered here over a second morning coffee, enjoying the peace and quiet of the place before the final pull to the top of the pass. 

Back on the trail, our path steepened as it approached the top and a shower of wet snow blew quickly through. The pass, like so many places in the area, has a story about Queen Victoria associated with it. It's said that in 1865 she was passing this way by horseback and the party stopped at the top of the pass to have tea. However, the kettle had been forgotten and one had to be fetched from the Spittal, quite a long way below. 

We dropped down steeply towards the Spittal ourselves, passing from sun into the shade of the north side of the hills. Here the trail was again really pretty as it followed an old, drystone wall beside a stream that steepened into a tree-lined gorge. Soon we were back in Spittal of Glenshee and waiting for our Ember bus home.

It was dark for the return bus journey which made it feel like a little adventure charging through the countryside in the black of night. At one point, shouts of "ooooh" went up at the front of the bus as the headlights caught an owl on the road ahead. The owl made it ... and so did we, back to Dundee for a train the rest of the way home.

Fact File
Start/finish: Spittal of Glenshee
Public transport: Train to Dundee then Ember bus outside the train station to Aberdeen via Braemar.
Route: The main Cateran Trail is picked up immediately opposite where the bus stops. It is signed and easy to follow to where it joins the B951 just after Dalnagar Castle. Here we left the main trail by turning right down the B road to Cray and then Lair. Where the B road meets the A93 at Lair, the footpath to Kirkmichael is signed opposite the junction. The first half to Kirkmichael is pretty rough and boggy but there are marker posts to guide you at least. From Kirkmichael we rejoined the main Cateran Trail which is well signed back to the Spittal.