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Lat/Long: 56.832318, -04.222905
OS NN 64383 73391
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As I’d spent the night in the small car park near the old
Dalnaspidal Railway Station site I was able to get an early
start, which was needed as I’m driving home after the walk. I
was on my way just before 6am under a cold clear sky. I headed
north along the line of the old A9 road for about 2 km until I
came to the entrance to the Dhomhain valley. I turned left down
the track and under the Highland Main Line Railway and followed
the track up to the river ford. The last two times I’ve been
here it's been too deep and I’ve made a detour via the rail
bridge. Today the water is low so I had no problems hopping
across the boulders. |
Sub zero in the Hidden Valley. |
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Heading west up the valley I came to the left turn that drops
down to the bridge over the main river. This is the route taken
by most people heading up Sgairneach Mhor as just over the
bridge is a faint path heading diagonally up the mountain. Today
I’m returning to the unnamed valley I call the ‘hidden valley’.
I followed the stony track up then turned right up a muddy quad
bike track for a short way. I left it to head down to the left
and to the entrance to the higher valley. I reached a quad bike
track which goes part way up the valley but there is also a
narrow path but no sign of any boot prints. I continued up to
the site of a pond I saw in Nov last year. When I got here it
had vanished completely. Last month it was little more than a
puddle in the bottom of the basin. Further up I took a different
way out of the valley. |
Sub zero in the Hidden Valley. |
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I climbed a bank to the left to a high flat area with a faint
path heading to the top head of the valley. My original plan was
to head for a track to the SW but as it was such a nice day I
decided to turn left and head NE up the steep slope of The Sow
of Atholl. It was steep and rough at first but I soon came to
the unmarked path and continued to the low summit cairn. There
was clear sky all around and Schiehallion was clearly visible
20km away. The summit area is relatively flat with nothing to
see other than the cairn. |
Summit cairn on Sow of Atholl, Schiehallion on the horizon 20km
away. |
Looking east down Glen Garry |
I headed SE to start my descent across the open hillside
and started to descend to rougher ground. I was glad to reach
the shooters track and impressive stone build shooting butts. I
reached the main stoned track by the river and followed it back
to the railway crossing and once across my car. |
Nicely built sooting butt. |
Towards Loch Garry. |
Penstock wheels. |
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