Our camp site by Loch nan Eun, near Glenshee
Wild camping
Brenda Clough • August 19, 2021
Our camp site below Beinn a' Chaisgein Mor
I will have to admit that while wild camping can be glorious it can sometimes also be quite hard work. Mid-April and the relaxing of lockdown restrictions saw us dusting down our new tent for a short trip into the southern Cairngorms. We headed up from the Spittal of Glenshee over Glas Tulaichean and down to Loch nan Eun. We were not the only ones but we found a quiet and sheltered spot by a ruined sheiling. It was a lovely evening but we woke in the morning to a light frost and during breakfast the snow began to fall – so it was a blustery, wet wind that faced us for the walk out. At least we had christened the tent and reminded ourselves of some rusty camping skills.
Our next trip was left for a much better forecast in mid-May. After a night at the very nice Corriness House B&B in Poolewe, we left the car and headed into one of Scotland’s last wilderness areas – Letterewe Forest, with a collection of superb hills and even better remote rock climbing. The aim for this trip was to climb some hills and after a long walk in we pitched our tent near a small loch at the base of Beinn a’ Chaisgein Mor and climbed the hill in the evening. This mountain is better known for the climbing crag, Carnmore, on its southern flank. The walk up the hill from the south east is straightforward but the views are excellent.
View from the summit of Beinn Dearg Mor
The next day we headed for two of the most spectacular hills in the area, Beinn Dearg Mor and Bheag with superb views of An Teallach. We climbed these hills by their south western flank which is straightforward, if steep, but nothing like as steep as the two aretes up to the summits. On the day we were buzzed by a local search and rescue helicopter practicing their flying skills – quite amazing!
Search & rescue helicopter practice!
We broke camp on arriving back at our tent and headed back down to Fionn Loch for the evening, a lovely evening with light winds, but woke to a howling gale – undeterred we headed up towards Beinn Lair more in hope than expectation but the wind dropped and we enjoyed time at the summit with unparalleled 360 degree views and clear skies. The walk out was into the wind but nevertheless enjoyable along the side of Loch Kernsary and back to the comfort of our B&B. A great trip into an unspoilt wilderness area, only seeing a handful of other people over 4 days.
Beinn Lair on a glorious day
Richard & Brenda on the summit of Tour de Moyen in Switzerland As we wind down Perthshire Treks over the coming winter, we have had time to look back over the last 6 years and all the lovely people we have walked with and the great adventures we have had. One of our very first adventures was for a lovely group of women from the Netherlands organised through Schottland op Maat . They came to Pitlochry on one of the wettest weekends of the year! Plans were quickly changed from the proposed walk up Schiehallion to a walk along the Rob Roy Way followed by a walk around Pitlochry the following day – and they were amazed at the waterfalls – they don’t have many in the Netherlands! The same year saw Richard do his fastest ascent ever of Ben Vrackie with a young Russian couple who were into marathon running and we also provided some self-guided walking for a corporate group from Baillie Gifford . This first year, as it turned out, was fairly typical with some clients booking directly with us and others via travel agents or travel curators.
What’s it like to be a walking guide? Well, this year will be my 10th and final year as a walking guide, so this blog post looks back at my longer than expected second career.
If you're living or staying in Pitlochry or Aberfeldy, you can use a local bus to help you do a wonderful walk between the two towns. Find out more in our latest blog.
As I write this blog, a cold northerly wind has set in across the UK. A change in the wind direction so that it is coming from the Arctic is one of those weather patterns that is very noticeable for many reasons. Find out more in this blog post.
An overgrown path in Perthshire - just one of the obstacles on the TGO Challenge Life is a challenge but some people enjoy physical challenges in the outdoors. These challenges can be very rewarding and you can feel a great sense of achievement in their completion which can spur you on to do more and set yourself new targets. People are very different in what type of challenges they want to do and this can vary from just completing your first Munro (a mountain in Scotland over 3000 feet), walking the Skye ridge in 24 hours, doing a more organised challenge such as the TGO (The Great Outdoors challenge) or competing in an extreme triathlon. Much depends on whether you like to set your own individual goals or prefer the stimulus of a bigger group and whether you are competitive or not competitive.
Some winter walking in the North York Moors National Park, with some cold and snowy days and some warmer days!
A description of a walk on the moors above Bruar and Calvine, taking in a well-preserved stretch of a General Wade military road.
A visit to the Cairngorms in October 2021 allowed a close-up view of the "cap cloud" that can form in the Cairngorms - and the strong winds it generates!
