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Creag Garbh, Loch Tay from South Loch Tay Road

Start/Finish

About 1 mile E of Killin on the South Loch Tay road at NN 585 323 where, just after a bridge, a private tarmac road starts on the S side of the road. There is no parking here. The grassy verges are too soft to park on but about 300 m E, there are firmer, gravel verges with limited parking space.

Distance/Time

12 km      Approx 4 hours

Peaks

Creag Garbh, 637 m, NN 632 327. OS Sheet 51.

Introduction

This is a very easy Graham to ascend. A tarmac road, then a good track take one to within about 600 m of the summit which should not take too long to locate even in thick weather as it also has a trig point. However, one should ascend this peak in clear weather as there are excellent views to the Ben Lawers range which is just across Loch Tay as well as to the Tarmachan ridge, the Shee of Ardtalnaig and Creag Uchdag. More distant views include Meall Ghaordaidh.

Route

(1) Follow the tarmac road up through the forest. When the end of the forest on the right, S, is reached, there is an obvious telecommunications aerial on the right. Continue up the tarmac road past the end of the forest on the left, N, to reach the obvious dam of Lochan Breaclaich where the tarmac road becomes a good track. Continue on the N side of the lochan until reaching the middle of the hairpin bend at NN 633 323. Leave the track here and climb left, W, on to the ill-defined ridge (no path) which runs roughly N and soon reaches the trig point which marks the summit of Creag Garbh, 637 m. Be careful not to stray to the right, E, of this ridge as there are some steep crags.

(2) Return by the same route or walk SW to rejoin the track near to the dam.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 18^th February, 2009 and 18^th October, 2011.

(b) It looks possible, on the map, to descend NW from the summit to join the South Loch Tay road about 4 km E of the start. This possible descent has not been checked out.