Drumochter's Munros & Corbetts

Getting to Drumochter and Balsporran Cottages

Geal-charn

• From Balsporran Cottages cross the railway line, then follow a track uphill.
• Cross a burn via stepping stones, then another using a wooden bridge.
• Just bit further on, the track splits into two, take right fork. The track unfortunately doesn't last and suddenly you'll be jumping around trying to avoid the wet marshy ground.
• Follow the wet and peat-boggy path uphill.
• Things do improve further up. On approaching c840m, the ground levels out and becomes more stone and gravel covered. There used to be a group of cairns looking down on the A9, but these are now mostly gone.
• Continue west-south-west and reach the top with its two cairns, the second being on the summit. Excellent views down Loch Ericht.

A'Mharconaich

• Leave the cairn and head south-west over stone and boulders following a faint path downhill. Further down, the path becomes more obvious, turns south and at the bealach, joins up with a path coming directly up from Balsporran.
• Cross the bealach, then take a minor path that starts to climb off to left (south-east). This path gradually disappears into the undergrowth, but continue uphill over grass and occasional burn to A'Mharconaich's wind-swept crest.
• A path on the crest is picked up heading north-east and meets two small cairns, the first of which is the summit, the second is a small shelter out of westerly winds.

• About-turn, follow the crest of A'Mharconaich south-west.
• The worn path meets up with fence-posts, which are followed down to a small bealach above Fraoch-choire.
• Uphill next and mainly on grass, continue following the posts to the summit of Beinn Udlamain.
• A huge untidy cairn made of boulders and old iron fence posts sits on the top. Beinn Udlamain is a broad hill, therefore you'll have to walk a short distance from the summit to get the best views.

Sgairneach Mhor

• Continue following fence posts south, initially on grass, then stones and boulders. Going downhill, the boulders ease and heather is underfoot.
• At around c900m, turn left (south-east) and start to pick up a faint path to cross the bealach between Beinn Udlamain and Sgairneach Mhor.
• This path continues up to a small upright cairn on the north-western end of Sgairneach Mhor's western arm.
• From this cairn, aim south-east over grassy ground, to join with the crest of Sgairneach Mhor south-west shoulder and continue east-north-east to the trig point sheltered by cairn on the summit.

A'Bhuidheanach Bheag

• Follow rim of Sgairneach Mhor's coire east, then north-east down to around c800m.
• Turn north-east-north over heather and grass to jog downhill.
• Ahead and below you'll see two bridges (at NN620751 and NN608748) to aid crossing the Allt Coire Dhomhain, take your pick, then get onto the fine track on the north side of the burn heading east towards the A9.
• Before getting to the A9 you'll meetup with the railway - to cross it there's a bridge under the railway 400m to the south. Cross the A9, through a gate, then head directly up steep ground over heather.
• The rate of ascent easies and a line of fence-posts are picked up and followed to the trig point on A'Bhuidheanach Bheag's summit.

Carn na Caim

• Leave the trig point and head north following the fence-posts for 500m. Where the fence-posts take a sharp turn east, continue north directly downhill to a wet flat area. Cross the burn here and pick up an excellent track. This track meets up with the line of fence-posts and continues for 4km over undulating ground to a sharp turn just before Carn na Caim's large cairn. The cairn cannot be seen from the turn in the fence-line, but the worn path on the ground indicates the way.

Meall Chuaich

• Having left the large cairn of Carn na Caim behind, turn east and descend gradual slopes. The ground is pathless, but as it covered in a light layer of grass and heather, is easy to progress over.
• After around 2km, start heading north-east and drop a bit more into deeper heather at a bealach.
• A further 2km and the edge of Coire Chuaich is picked up and a very obvious path is met.
• Follow this path down to the base of Meall Chuaich, then slog up steep slopes sticking to a line of fence-posts to the large summit cairn. This summit gives a fine view over the Monadh Liath and Rothiemurchus hills.

Return to A9 and Balsporran Cottages

• Follow the fence-posts south-west for a bit, then head west over boulders to pick up an obvious worn path.
• Use this path to get down to the bothy by Loch Cuaich, then follow the track aside an aqueduct for 4km back to the A9, where hopefully a bike awaits for the brief cycle back to Balsporran Cottages.
• If you haven't left a bike, don't walk along the A9, instead continue to follow the aqueduct under the A9 to where it meets a weir just south of Dalwhinnie. A cycle track can then be followed back to Balsporran.

• Drumochter Munros in Winter, 24-25 November'18
• Drumochter Munros, 18-19 November 2017
• Drumochter revisited, Jan'16
• Drumochter, Jan'16
• Drumochter, Jan'15
• Drumochter, Jan'12

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