Away from the herd on Creag a' Chalamain and Castle Hill in the Cairngorms, returning through the reindeer enclosure
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The Cairngorm reindeer won’t be travelling too far in the run-up to Christmas this year, with so many festive events called off.
But this route on the edge of the main mountain range passes right through their reserve – not that we saw any of these fine creatures on this trip.
I’ve seen the reindeer out on the hill on plenty of occasions, usually somewhere in the Northern Corries, and of course in their paddock with the children at this time of year.
Covid has meant the regular family trip to the paddock won’t happen this year, though the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre is still offering pre-booked hill trips to see the animals close up.
Our aim for the day wasn’t to see the reindeer to but enjoy a wee excursion into the hills without a full-on mountain day. Sitting above the Chalamain Gap, Creag a’ Chalamain is a straightforward climb, and we planned a return through a slightly less dramatic notch in the hillside.
The Chalamain Gap itself requires some scrambling as you meander over huge boulders, and it can be a perilous place in the grip of winter conditions. The Eag a’ Chait, on the other hand, has a path all the way through its relatively paltry collection of rocks, but is a fascinating feature.
We began at the outflow of Loch Morlich, crossing the wooden plank bridge that gives access to Rothiemurchus Lodge. Keeping right at the junction, we continued to follow a sign for the lodge for now as we enjoyed a gentle start to our day.
This was the first time I’d been to the Cairngorms since the first lockdown in March, and already it was a pleasure to be among the beautiful trees with the mountains ahead just beginning to transform into their winter guise.
After passing a few lochans, we continued to a marked fork in a cleared area, where we went right towards the Lairig Ghru rather than continue towards the lodge. A left turn at the next junction had us heading towards the spectacular pass, initially through glorious pine forest where roots and rocks underfoot make for a great trail into the wilds.
Just as we were talking about running into the hills – and how much I’m missing it at the moment – a young runner came down the path, having come through the Chalamain Gap. The trails around here are fantastic for the self-sufficient hill runner, giving access to some truly remote and rugged terrain.
The clear path stays high above the Allt Druidh before levelling off below Castle Hill and Creag a’ Chalamain. Now we looked for a way up, and the guidebook suggested a heather bash up beside an obvious burn.
It was a steep plod up the pathless hillside but the summit of Creag a’ Chalamain was clearly visible ahead – and with only a dusting of snow.
We were soon at the cairn, being blasted by a fearsome cold wind, so we didn’t hang around for long. We headed north-west over Castle Hill then north-east to descend towards the Eag a’ Chait.
A mountain hare darted out from behind its shelter, a low rock on the eastern slope of the hill. The descent was straightforward as we aimed for the western end of the ‘notch of the cat’, where a path up from Rothiemurchus lodge meets the route.
We got in among the rocks and hunkered down out of the wind ourselves to grab a bite to eat.
Our return route took us through the Eag a’ Chait then left to skirt the edge of Lochan Dubh a’ Chadha, which lies inside the reindeer enclosure. A path – unmarked on the OS Landranger map – leads down into the forest, passing a hut once used by the first reindeer herders in the area.
The reindeer have been here in the Cairngorms since the 1950s, when Mikel Utsi brought some of his Swedish reindeer to Scotland to show that they could survive here. Inside the hut today are photos from the time showing Mikel harnessing the reindeer outside the building.
We continued along the path, over one of many boggy stretches, before finally reaching a forest track at a wooden gate. The track led back towards Loch Morlich, and we kept left at the first junction then went right at the second to follow the track towards the east end of Loch Morlich.
Next, we turned sharply left to follow the track alongside the loch back to the junction just south of the outflow, from where a right turn led back to the car.
Route details
Creag a’ Chalamain and Castle Hill
Distance 11 miles / 18km
Terrain Forest paths, rocky mountain path, pathless heather and rock over tops, very boggy on descent
Start/finish Loch Morlich outflow, Glenmore
Maps OS Landranger 36; OS Explorer OL57
Heading through the reindeer enclosure after a low climb in the Cairngorms
