Taking advantage of rocky viewpoint
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All is still on the surface of the loch until tiny circular ripples show where a fish has just surfaced momentarily, hundreds of metres below where I stand. Another curious circle interrupting the smooth surface of the water is believed to be a crannog, an ancient dwelling now collapsed into the depths of time.
Unusually, my route is the one thing that isn’t circular – a straight up and down walk being easier to negotiate than the exploratory possibilities of a more rounded outing. In any case, it’s the view from the top I’m after more than anything else today.
The hill in question is Stac Gorm, a fine rocky summit that overlooks the tranquil Loch Ruthven, home to an RSPB reserve thanks to its popularity with the rare Slavonian grebe. There are only 30 breeding pairs of this colourful species in the UK and many of these are in the South Loch Ness area, so the habitat here is vital for the species’ future success.
I didn’t spot any grebes today despite a plod to the water’s edge before I set off on my mini ascent, and neither did I see any sign of the once suggested submerged causeway linking the crannog to the shore at the prominent knoll of Tom Buidhe.
The walk to the trig point at the top of Stac Gorm is straightforward on a clear day, following a path through the heather to a rocky ridge with some steep drops down to the loch. It took me an hour to get up and down from the RSPB car park at the east end of the loch.
For those who like to categorise, Stac Gorm is a Marilyn – a hill in the UK, Ireland or Isle of Man with at least a 150m drop on all sides – and in my view must be one of the most impressive looking of the smaller summits in the country. At 430m high, it boasts its own trig point due to its prominence, affording fine views of Strathnairn, particularly Brin Rock and the “kidney-shaped” Loch Ruthven directly below.
I wanted to see if it was possible to get a good view of the whole of the loch from up there, so headed off one sunny morning when I had a few hours to spare.
A clear path leads away from the car park and a hop over the small fence gives access to the route. You can see the trail from below as it enters the crags that make up the higher part of the hill. Initially the path leads through grass and then heather to some small boulders before gradually climbing to a very large boulder which is clearly used by climbers. Chalk marks on some impressive little overhangs are evidence of some quite technical climbing practice going on here – certainly beyond my abilities!
The well-established heather is high and woody so this is not a walk to do in summer shorts. I had long trousers and gaiters over my boots to stop the scratching and reduce the chance of any ticks getting in.
From the large boulder the route heads up to the left to reach the north-east ridge, where it crosses an old wire fence which is now an easy step over to continue the walk.
Higher up the path winds through rocks and over slabs, an interesting little climb for such a small hill, and soon the trig point comes into view a short distance away.
The views get better with height, with Loch a’Choire visible in the forest north of Loch Ruthven, Brin Rock just to the north-east and, to my delight, the whole of Loch Ruthven spread out below.
It was hard to make out any detail in the crannog in the south-western corner of the loch, which stretches two-and-a-quarter miles in length, but the sight was impressive from this peaceful summit.
It seemed that every lump and bump in Strathnairn was visible from this vantage point, and the early morning stillness was hardly interrupted in this uncrowded landscape.
I looked at the steep cliffs heading to the lochside and at an eastern spur which could have offered an alternative descent route, but finally decided there was no harm in taking the easy return via the large boulder after a short but satisfying outing.
