Tyndrum - The fascinating feature of Fiarach

About fifteen years ago I climbed a little hill above Tyndrum called Fiarach with my friends Andrew and Graham. We had been enjoying a lovely wintry weekend in the area, staying at the wigwams in Strathfillan. 

I'd always meant to return to the hill, fancying a high camp near the top and eventually got round to doing that a couple of weeks ago. It was another wintry weekend.

Minus Andrew this time around, Graham and I walked south from Lower Tyndrum train station on the West Highland Way. It was a pretty section of the route, passing through mixed woodland before opening up a view along the valley of the River Cononish. The snow-covered flanks of the high mountains teased us with glimpses but the only hill that was reasonably clear was Beinn Chuirn. The edges of its dramatic rocky corrie were picked out in snow.

We crossed the river on an old bridge and passed into the ancient pine forest, Coille Coire Chuilc, looking beautiful with its backdrop of winter mountains. We soon left the track here to begin a steep ascent up the grassy slopes of Fiarach. We'd decided to follow one of the mountain streams uphill so that we could gather water for camping as high as possible. It provided a pretty start as we picked our way up through sparse birch woods, before emerging on the open hillside. But my goodness it was steep and I'm sure there must have been groans fifteen years ago as we ascended.  

Today we pulled onto the plateau at the top of the climb just as snow showers piled through. Here icicles clung to overhangs in the stream and exposed hands got cold quickly collecting water. A little further on we found ourselves beside the waters of Lochan Fiarach. When Graham, Andrew and I had passed here, the lochan was frozen solid but we stopped to listen to it cracking and creaking as the wind shifted the ice around. On this occasion, it was free of ice and there was barely a breeze to ruffle the surface. A grassy shelf just above the lochan provided a perfect spot for the tents and a good view down to Tyndrum and the railway line far below. After dark, we watched the lights of the trains as they passed north and south between Tyndrum and Crianlarich.

We woke next day to a beautiful morning. A light dusting of snow had passed overnight and everything was white with frost. The view was clearer initially such that our camp spot was framed by the snow-capped Bridge of Orchy hills to the north. To the west Ben Lui, the highest and most beautiful hill in the area, shone with Alpenglow as the sun rose before disappearing again into the cloud. 

After breakfast we made the short walk to the top of the hill. This is where Fiarach gets really fascinating. The top sits at the far end of a dolerite escarpment so that the final section is a pleasant walk along the top of its ridge. It's a surprise to come upon it because from most angles Fiarach looks like a grassy lump but the escarpment adds real character and interest to the hill. It also opens up a wider view of the surrounding peaks and of the alarming drop to the bottom of the escarpment's south facing cliffs. Hundreds of millions of years ago, dolerite was molten rock and when the tectonic plates were moving in this area, the molten magma was thrust out. The escarpment was exposed by softer rock and soils eroding over subsequent millenia.

We couldn't linger long to ponder these aeons of time or the passage of our own lives since we last stood on this spot. Although it had been calm at camp, the top of the hill which was only 52 metres higher, was blasted by a bitter wind that must have dropped the windchill close to minus ten. We grabbed some quick photos then retraced our steps to the tents, packed up and headed back down to Tyndrum. 

The return walk along the West Highland Way afforded good views back to Fiarach and we could just pick out where our little camp spot would have been. It had been a short and simple trip but it had been fun to revisit Fiarach and memories of days gone by. 

Fact File

Start/finish: Tyndrum Lower train station
My route: Headed south on the West Highland Way which can be joined just outside the station. Just after Dalrigh crossed the bridge over the River Cononish and took the track heading west. Struck up the hillside at Coille Coire Chuilc, heading southeast, eventually reaching Lochan Fiarach from where it's a straightforward walk south to the top. Returned the same way.

PS: Nothing dire has happened to Andrew since the last trip; he just wasn't on this one.

Pentlands and Monadhliath - Snow days

Decent cold weather eventually arrived here at New Year and blanketed my local hills, the Pentlands, with snow. My friend and I took the bus out there for a day walk and it was like flying to another country such was the contrast in conditions. There was no snow in Portobello or through the city but we stepped off into several inches of the stuff at Balerno.

The village and the woods en route to the open hills looked so pretty. We'd made a later start so by the time we were at Harlaw it was already lunch. We sat for ages at a picnic bench in the snow-covered wildlife garden watching the birds at the feeders before striking out up Bell's Hill. 

As we gained height, the Pentlands rose around us, their snowy ridges looking Alpine under a clear, blue sky. To the south the view stretched out over snow-covered fields parceled up into white squares by walls and hedgerows. The snow underfoot was perfect, dry powder and had been sculpted into wave-like patterns by the wind, although it was perfectly calm now. 

We made ourselves comfy on the top of the hill and wrapped ourselves up in our blankets to sit a while and watch the sun set. The light changed from dazzling white to soft peach then to a wonderful twilight blue as we descended. Eventually blackness crept in as we picked our way onwards through the dark woods and down Poet's Glen to jump on a bus home. 

The cold snap luckily lasted further into January and we headed off for a weekend of winter walking and camping near Kingussie. On the first day, we strapped on the snowshoes and had a fun walk stringing together the deeper sections of snow on the lower flanks of Carn an Fhreiceadain. 

A grey day turned the world around us monochrome, save for some brief late afternoon rays that pierced the cloud. As we searched for a camp spot in the woods the sun set with a golden flourish beyond the frozen waters of Loch Gynack. We pitched the tents in the trees close to the deer fence. It wasn't the prettiest camp spot but we had good views of the stars and planets as well as a hint of aurora further into the cold, dark night.

Next day, we left the snowshoes hiding under a bush and had a lovely walk up Creag Bheag on the east side of Gynack Burn. This was a modest little hill but without a path to the top and nobody else around, it felt wild, rugged and little-visited. The winter weather cast a bleak veil over the day as well which added to the hill's character. We'd followed a rough track up through the woods then out onto the open hillside before leaving it to climb up through the snow. We marveled at the snow-shoe shaped footprints left by the mountain hares. Clagged-in, grey weather stole wider views but a pleasant rocky ridge on top provided a nice focal point and an excellent back rest for our picnic lunch.

The weather has turned a little milder now, at least here in Portobello but hopefully there will be more snow days before winter is out.

Fact File
Pentlands. Lothian Buses number 44 goes from the city centre to Balerno. Walked out Harlaw Road and at the top of the hill, joined the woodland path that goes to the wildlife garden. Continued ahead skirting the east shore of Harlaw Reservoir then walked up the main path between Harbour Hill and Bell's Hill, heading off right to go up Bell's Hill. Descended to main path then continued down the track known as Ranges Road to link to Poet's Glen into Currie.
Kingussie. Edinburgh/Inverness train stops at Kingussie. Headed up the road then track up the east side of Gynack Burn. Track continues onto open hillside where there was deeper snow for snow-shoeing. For Creag Bheag, took a track uphill beside a bridge about 300m before Pitmain Lodge. It's really pretty as it climbs through the woods and gives good views to Loch Gynack. As it leaves the woods, it swings left onto the open hillside. Followed it a little way then struck out across the heather to the top of the hill. From the top we descended west to the top of the track at Pitmain to make a circular walk.