Rannoch Station (Route 59)
PART ONE
COMRIE AND CRIEFF
Stuc na Cabaig, on the west ridge of Beinn Dearg (Route 2)
The Scots word ‘couthie’ means civilised, pleasant and friendly. It’s altogether applicable to Crieff and Comrie, the last villages of the Lowlands along the Highland line. Well-laid, smooth-surfaced village paths venture boldly into the harsh heather, re-emerging along a wide river back to a Georgian main street. The wonders of Crieff include the monumental Hydro hotel, from the time when an exciting holiday consisted of drinking nasty-tasting healthy water. Comrie, meanwhile, boasts a white-painted church, and an encampment of historic Nissen huts, some of them listed for conservation.
But above the tea shops and hotels loom the first Munros, the schisty crags, and the heather.
ROUTE 1
Meal na Fearna to Ben Vorlich
| Start/finish | Glenartney church car park NN711161 |
| Distance | 26km/16.5 miles |
| Ascent | 1300m/4400ft |
| Approx time | 9hr |
| Max altitude | Ben Vorlich 985m |
| Terrain | Grassy slopes, steep onto Ben Vorlich; some peat hags on Carn Labhruinn; small riverside paths and tracks |
Omitting Ben Vorlich gives a walk of 23.5km and 900m ascent (15 miles/3000ft) – about 7½hr. Ben Vorlich can also be bagged on its own, by a long walk in up Gleann an Dubh Choirein: similar distance and ascent.
Meall na Fearna is a typical Perthshire Corbett. Once the peat hags are passed, it’s a high grassy ramble. Ben Vorlich then rises steep-sided and rather rocky, an intimidating hill from this angle. In this particular case, the Munro is indeed much more than the Corbett. You plunge into the steepness of the eastern slope, avoid almost all of the trodden highway rising from Loch Earn, and earn yourself a delightful grassy ridgeline for the descent.
The riverside path from Dubh Choirein is an ancient right of way. Today just enough people walk it to keep it clear and followable for the 6km from the hill base back to Glen Artney.
See map for Route 2 for the route start. Start along the road up-valley, to cross its bridge over Allt an Dubh Choirein. Keep ahead to a white gate with a walkers’ gate alongside.
Keep ahead (northwest) on the track past farm buildings. Pass below a plantation (which conceals Glenartney Lodge). In another 500 metres pass below a smaller and newer plantation. Now turn off left up rough grassland. The slope steepens to the plateau of Carn Labhruinn.
Turn northwest on grass and peat hags, across Carn Labhruinn and the wide col behind it. Best is to keep along the tops of the east-falling steep slopes. Stuc Gharbh is pleasant grassy going, and this continues along the 701m ridge and Stob Chalum Mhic Griogair. From the northern and main top, drop south to cross a peaty col at its highest point, then southwest up to the grassy top of Meall na Fearna.
Ben Vorlich from across Loch Earn
Drop steeply north, swinging northwest as the slope eases, then bending west to the 717m top. Now posts of an old fence lead down a spur, to the highest point of Bealach Gliogarsnaich.
To omit Ben Vorlich
Turn left and follow the stream south down out of the pass and along its wide valley. There’s no path; the best going is beside the stream. You reach the valley foot and rejoin the main route at the ruin of Dubh Choirein house.
The main route follows the path north through the col for 500 metres, with a stream forming alongside. As Glen Vorlich opens out below, slant out to the left – leaving the path too early will land you on steep uncomfortable slopes. Head up west towards the northeast-facing hollow below the summit of Ben Vorlich. Reach the small floor of this hollow at about 700m level.
Here you have two options. One is to take a deer path which slants out to the right, passing up a grassy ramp between two small outcrops, and from the top of the ramp, turn left up the spurline Sgiath nam Tarmachan. The other is just to continue straight up the hollow. Another deer path slants out right, higher up, or you can just keep up the steepening slope, to right of stones and scree, to arrive suddenly at the path on Sgiath nam Tarmachan.
On turning left up Sgiath nam Tarmachan from either route, you soon meet the broad Munro-baggers’ path up from Loch Earn. Follow it up to the white trig point at Ben Vorlich summit.
A delightful 100 metres of ridge lead to the east summit, just 1m lower. Continue down the well-defined southeast ridge, with a small path and old fence posts. At its foot the ridge levels, with a peat hag. Drop left for slightly easier going alongside the stream Allt a’ Bhealaich Gliogarsnaiche, following it down to the ruined Dubh Choirein house. The route omitting Ben Vorlich rejoins here.
Remains of a footbridge start the path down Allt an Dubh Choirein. This path is mostly still there, and follows the left bank of the small river. After 1.2km the river has a small, tree-lined gorge. Just after this the main path heads out left, away from the river, to a bridge over a sidestream Allt na Fearna, then follows it back to the main river. In another 400 metres you pass a footbridge. Around 600 metres after that, the riverside path joins a grassy track, through a gate below a new plantation.
Ben Vorlich summit, from the east top
The track gives comfortable walking, after 1km joining a somewhat more used one that arrives over a bridge from the right. The track passes over the spur of Monadh Odhar, then drops to the farm passed on the outward walk.
Head through the white gate and down the driveway track. Once across the river bridge, take a gate on the left. If it’s got dark, you can just walk back along the road. A fishermen’s path runs through riverside meadows: where it passes under powerlines,it is marked with yellow noticeboards about not flourishing one’s rod overhead.
As the bank steepens, the path is just above the river. Pass along more level meadows, then keep above another steep banking above the river. Just beyond this, a footbridge over a ditch leads to a gate into the church car park.
ROUTE 2
Beinn Dearg
| Start/finish | Glenartney church car park NN711161 |
| Distance | 13.5km/8.5 miles |
| Ascent | 750m/2500ft |
| Approx time | 5hr |
| Max altitude | Beinn Dearg 706m |
| Terrain | Pathless grassy ridge; approach and final descent on rough tussocky grassland |
