Читать книгу Walking Highland Perthshire - Ronald Turnbull - Страница 11

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

Switzerland has its röstigrabe, east of which one eats pan-fried potatoes and speaks German. Perthshire has its heatherline, east of which one struggles in knee-scratching shrubbery and speaks Anglo-Saxon swearwords. The green ridge of Beinn Dearg is all the more enjoyable when you look across Allt Glas to the brown twigs of Ben Halton on the other side of the divide.

The green ridgeline fringed with its small crags is a delight, but the approach is across damp moorland. And the last half-kilometre of the descent shows that grass too can induce swear words, when you meet it thigh-high in July or August.

Start back along the Glen Artney road for 400 metres, then bear down left on a farm track marked ‘Dogs on Leads’. Pass below the buildings at Dalchruin, then follow the riverside to a bridge.

Beinn Dearg from Glen Artney

Cross over and follow the track uphill. Where it bends left, turn off right, but at once turn up left on a smaller track. After 200 metres, as it bends left towards the hut Dalclathick, keep ahead, through rough pastureland. Pass right of two ruins to a gateway above the stream junction of Allt Coire a’ Choire. The Stream of the Corrie of the Corrie; the next valley west is Srath a’ Ghlinne, the Valley of the Glen.

A faint green track descends to ford the stream, then bends to right of a steep rise onto moorland. Ahead, it passes between two isolated iron gateposts. Keep following it north, as it provides a slightly more comfortable line. At a tall fence, a gate 50 metres to the left gives an easier place to wriggle between the wires.

The old track rises briefly northwest, then turns north again to Allt Glas. Keep to left of the stream, to the tailings of a slate quarry. Go up to right of this, onto the southeastern spurline of Beinn Dearg. Keep to the fairly sharp and mildly rocky crest, close to drops on the right, for an enjoyable ascent to Beinn Dearg. The northernmost knoll has the small cairn.

The knolly ridgeline continues around the head of a corrie overlooking Glen Artney. After an unnamed second summit (705m, only 1m lower than the main top) the ridge descends south for a col to a wide, grassy top at 618m (Sron na Maoile). Cross this, avoiding one or two peat hags. From its end, descend southeast, to left of dense peat hags. Once below them, work downhill and to the right, to descend southwards towards Glen Artney. Aim for the tree-lined Water of Ruchill opposite, above Auchinner.

The slope levels at moraines at 300m level, and becomes heavy with rushes, tall grass and bracken. Descend to a track above the river, and turn right to a high gate with a stalking notice on the back. The track crosses a field to a bridge over Allt Srath a’ Ghlinne. Head upstream to right of Water of Ruchill, to a stile onto the driveway below Auchinner.

Cross the bridge onto the start of the public road down the glen. It leads to the car park; or else, immediately after the bridge, turn left through a gate. This is the start of a fisherman’s path through meadows by the river (see Route 1) that can be followed back to the car park.