CARN A' CHLAMAIN OVERLOOKS a glen of historical interest in terms of the right to roam; Glen Tilt. In 1849, the nascent Scottish Rights of Way Society successfully contested an attempt at closure by the Duke of Atholl. Queen Victoria "climbed" Carn a' Chlamain in 1844.
(If Hugh Munro had not got cracking many years later, we might by now be climbing Victorias.) Her approach was up Glen Tilt – no access problems for her, strangely – to Clach Ghlas. From there it was a pony ride, though to be fair, she might have wal
ked the last bit.
Carn a' Chlamain is just a short, one-hill day, but it can be tricky deciding when to go. In summer, you may prefer to be in the more remote north-west; in the autumn there is the stalking season and in the winter, the long estate track up Glen Tilt, rising to some 300m, may be snow-covered. Given both clear track and fair weather, Carn a' Chlamain is a good winter hill. The track is easily cycled, with the 4½-miles to the base of the south-west ridge covered within one hour. Thereafter, a rough, hillside track leads up the ridge, then turns north-west over the summit plateau, close to the cairn.
On the basis of a reasonable forecast, John and I went there on Friday, 23 January. Daylight hours precluded a long walk in, so on arrival we were relieved to see that the glen was well below snow-level. We could cycle in! The hillside track was also clear of snow, at least at lower levels, and visibility was good; what difficulty could there be?
You will need Ordnance Survey map 43, Braemar & Blair Atholl. From Blair Atholl, take the minor road on the east side of the River Tilt, turning left at Old Bridge of Tilt. The car park is a few hundred yards further on, to the left, at map ref 874663. Until the mid-1990s, permission could be obtained, for a fee, to drive up the glen. No more –but so what, for the cycle-ride (or walk) to the base of the hill is most attractive, at first on the west side of the Tilt. The track crosses to the east side and goes past Gilbert's Bridge (stay on the east side here, do not cross) where the main wooded area comes to an end. The glen then takes on the appearance of a narrow defile, with steep grassy slopes on either side.
Continue past Marble Lodge to a bridge that leads to the north side of the Tilt and then on to the wooden bridge over the Allt Craoinidh and the base of the south-west ridge, Faire Clach-ghlais. A path zigzags easily up the prow of the ridge to join a less-than-pretty track coming up from Clachghlas. This is shown as a path on my map. The latest OS map, however, shows this as a track and, more importantly, shows that track extending up close to the summit. If there on a poor day, the track will undoubtedly seem more attractive as navigation is relatively straightforward.
Follow the track to around map ref 925750, where it cuts north-west through a craggy and steeper area to reach the summit plateau. Although the track extends to just east of the cairn, don't assume, on a snow-covered, misty day, that it will be of help. Navigate north-west to the cairn.
Carn a' Chlamain means hill of the buzzard or kite. On our day we saw no buzzards, no other hillwalkers and, higher up, less and less trace of the track. In deteriorating weather conditions, it was a case of navigating head down to the summit and immediately retracing our steps. That was the plan anyway. In the snow, sleet and wind our footsteps had quickly disappeared and we had to navigate back. It took a long descent before we saw Glen Tilt again.
Having a late lunch back at the Allt Craoinidh, we were satisfied in having snatched a 963m/3159ft hill on a day of adverse weather, yet relieved that the summit traverse on a gentle gradient had been no higher. The following day saw the tragic accident, in which three people died, on Stob Dearg of Buachaille Etive Mor, when ten climbers were swept some 700ft down Coire na Tulaich by an avalanche.
FactfileMap Ordnance Survey map 43, Braemar & Blair Atholl
Distance 15 miles, of which 9 miles can be cycled
Height 800m
Terrain Estate track, then hillside path and track to summit plateau
Start point Just west of Old Bridge of Tilt, map ref 874663
Time 5 to 6 hours, assuming cycling
Nearest village Blair Atholl
Nearest refreshment spot
Atholl Arms Hotel, Blair Atholl