ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Choose life on trip to high points in Central Highlands
With a 15-mile off-road cycle to reach the hostel from the nearest tarmac, you’d be forgiven for expecting some sense of remoteness at Loch Ossian.
Yet even during a couple of midweek days in November, it was a hive of activity. Not only are the good-quality access tracks well used to serve the vast Corrour estate, but the railway station – dubbed the most remote in Britain, as well as the highest above sea level – is just a mile from the shore.
The location – used to film a famous scene from the 1990s movie Trainspotting – is also home to a fine bar/restaurant, the perfect target at the end of a long day in the hills.
The previous day I’d cycled to the youth hostel from Luiblea at the south-west end of Loch Laggan, pulling the cargo trailer complete with all my kit for a few days, as well as food and, for luxury’s sake, a couple of beers.
The weather was cold and breezy but thankfully dry, and the late afternoon sunlight as I approached Loch Ossian made for a spectacular end to the day. I was the only person around as I pulled up, but after the next train arrived there were five of us overnighting here.
A mountain forecast for the next day suggested it was likely to be wet and windy on the Munros, but the route I was planning didn’t involve any serious edges and the wind direction would blow me in the direction of safety in any case, so I decided to go for it.
Doing the round of Sgòr Gaibhre and Càrn Dearg clockwise meant I would have the wind behind me for the latter part of the route, too, but it would be a challenging start to go against the elements on the main part of the ascent.
Thankfully it involved a flat plod alongside Loch Ossian to begin with, back towards the shooting lodge I had passed on the bike yesterday. This made for a good warm up despite the gloomy weather.
After just over four kilometres, and immediately before the first cottage, a right turn up a track leads to an open area where a few new buildings were being erected. A track continues at the top end of this area and a right turn above the lodge takes you up alongside the Allt a’ Choire Chreagaich.
A small dam and sluice gate further up the burn, once out of the forest, marked a point to look for a safe way across to access the slopes leading up to Meall Nathrach Mòr. However, with all the recent rainfall the burn was in spate, and I had to follow it some way up before I found a safe spot for a solo crossing.
As expected, this part of the day was a bit of a trudge, uphill on pathless boggy ground intermittently covered in patches of heather, battling the wind and hunkered down under full waterproofs to keep out the worst of the rain. Yes, even I sometimes ask why I do it!
I could see lights and machinery in the coire below the Màm Bàn – industrial-scale work going on at 700m above sea level. I later learned that the estate is working to re-wet peat hags and restore the habitat, just one of many projects aimed at restoring some natural order here at Corrour.
I skirted to the south of the prominent outcrop of Meall Nathrach Beag (named on the OS Explorer map) and headed directly for the high point of Meall Nathrach Mòr at 834m. In the cloud this gave me an easy point to get my bearings as I headed for Sgòr Choinnich, which was a Munro on Sir Hugh’s original list but is now considered a mere ‘Top’ of Sgòr Gaibhre, my next target.
The view briefly opened up as I descended from Choinnich to the Bealach nan Sgòr, then it was back up into the cloud as the ridge briefly narrows, going close to cliffs on the east side of the mountain.
A path wiggles its way up through the rocks to drop you suddenly at the summit cairn, where there must be spectacular view over to Ben Alder on a fine day.
Turning west-south-west, a fairly clear path leads down to the Màm Bàn. I hunkered down behind a large boulder for a warm drink and some respite from the wind, albeit it was behind me now, and would be all the way back.
The ground was very boggy at the pass, where I dropped below the cloud base briefly again, but it was easily negotiable and I was soon on the ascent again, making my way up easy slopes towards Càrn Dearg.
The summit of this second Munro of the day was easily identified with its giant cairn, a few inches taller than myself – the perfect spot for a standing shelter.
My descent would take me north-west down the ridge towards Meall na Leitire Duibhe before skirting west into the pathless Coire Odhar Beag. Eventually I picked up some sort of path on the north side of the burn and reached the track at a ford just south of Peter’s Rock.
From here it was a simple case of following this Road to the Isles past the memorial to a Peter J Trowell and back to the youth hostel. A further mile or so up the track leads to Corrour station, for those not staying overnight – or, like me, visiting the Station House for a hard-earned beer and venison burger after drying off at the hostel.
The next day would be a chance to climb another Munro before heading back out on the bike, but that’s another story – and one for next week.
Route details
Sgor Gaibhre and Carn Dearg (Corrour)
Distance 12 miles / 20km
Terrain Estate tracks and remote mountain tops with intermittent paths
Start/finish Loch Ossian Youth Hostel
Map OS Landranger 41 & 42; OS Explorer 385; Harvey Superwalker, Ben Alder
A wet and windy ascent of two Munros on the Corrour estate