Yesterday I walked to the 1008m summit of Beinn Dearg, near Blair Atholl (photographs here). It was a very long walk, just over 30km and took me about 9 hours. A long walk like this, to reach a remote Munro summit, would normally be quite difficult this early in the year, but the weather was so settled, the snow cover so patchy, and the paths so good, that it was a fairly straightforward if tiring walk. I managed to get back to my car just before sunset too.
Views fom the summit of Beinn Dearg were impressive under blue skies and in great visibility, particularly of the high Gaick plateau to the north-west over which runs the 48km Minigaig route, which I walked the length of in late March 1999. When I did that walk, the snow cover in the area was even less than it was yesterday, allowing me to camp quite high up on the route, so this flies in the face somewhat of what I was saying in my previous posting ‘Has climate change already affected hillwalking in Scotland and further afield?’. Perhaps my own personal experience of this is too subjective – maybe climate change is just not happening after all!
mike gilhooley
thinking of doing the minigaig at the end of this month .could you tell me which is the best way to walk this route.i.e. north to south or south to north.many thanks.
Eddie
Hi Mike,
The Minigaig route is an excellent walk and spring is definitely the best time to do it. I did it south to north, and I think this is the best way to do it – sun is not in your face (if you’re lucky enough to get sunshine) and you can do the high pass in the first day to leave a gradual descent for the second day.
mike gilhooley
thanks for the reply eddie.have changed plans and we are thinking of connecting the gaick pass with the minigaig in a circular route from dalnacardoch lodge and finishing in atholl.