Carn Dearg in the Monadhliath

In Glen Balloch, looking to Creag Liath

The route starts just a few miles outside Newtonmore at the end of the public road heading into Glen Banchor. To get there, from half way along Newtonmore's main street, by the Letterbox Restaurant, there is the entrance to Glen Road. This narrow road twists uphill past several houses into open moorland. Continuing for another mile or so to the road end, which terminates at a bridge just after a rough car-park which has room for around 10 cars.

Summit of Carn Dearg

From the car-park, head down the tarmac road to its end by the bridge over the river Allt a'Chaorainn. Cross the bridge and now on an estate track, walk westwards for around 1km towards the ruins at Glenballoch .

Just before reaching the buildings, turn ridge and head north-west on another estate track. This track travels for 3km following the northern bank of the Allt Fionndrigh, fading into a worn path as it reaches a shoogly bridge over the burn. Cross the bridge and follow some ATV tracks and bits of a track, south-west and uphill.

As the ground levels out, it becomes quite sodden and the ATV tracks take a sharp turn westwards . The ATV tracks can then be traced for another 1km to meet up with the Allt Ballach , passing some grouse-butts (well, actually some pallets on their sides !) on the way.

The route now is pathless. I followed the Allt Ballach north-west, aiming from some crags ahead. There is a grassy gap in the crags at c810m, though it is steep and you may feel like aiming more north-east to avoid the crags completely. Once past the crags, grass covered ground leads up to the bealach between Carn Dearg and Carn Ban, from where it's a pleasant stroll to Carn Dearg's small summit cairn perched above some crags.

Ruin of Dalballoch

From Carn Dearg's summit, head south following the faint path on the crest of the ridge over Carn Dearg's South Top (spot height 923m) to a bealach before the minor summit of Carn Macoul.

Turn left (east) and head down the gentle gradient covered in heather towards the Allt Ballach. Keeping to the west bank of this burn, an ATV track can be picked up and followed to the abandoned building at Dalballoch .

Boulder-hopping, cross the Allt Ballach and follow a path hugging the northern bank of the River Calder. The path comes and goes, occasionally disappearing into marsh, but eventually the derelict buildings at Glenballoch are reached and the estate track is followed back to the car-park at the road-end.