Munro Bagger - Cairngorms - Trekking up Carn Liath

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Looking up at Carn Liath from the makeshift car park at Glen Tilt, even an experienced trekker can’t help feeling slightly intimidated. It dominates the landscape of Glen Tilt and the white path makes a clear scar up the mountain to the summit.

It looks like a gruelling and rewarding trek and it scores well on both counts. I planned to do an up and down, though it is also a two peak traverse to the other side of The Cairngorms, ending at Inverey.

I set off perhaps a bit late just after lunch and made my way through the gate up a gentle incline to the bothy, where the path takes one to that white scar and up - after some hours of climbing - to the summit. The higher one gets, the better the views. Glen Tilt unfolds in it’s magnificence and over to the west, the peaks of the Isle of Skye come into view, to the east, Ben y Vrackie.

Being a fine and clear sunny afternoon, it was enough to take my breath away.

The estate road trail up to Carn Liath in the Cairngorms National Park near Blair Atholl in Perthshire, Scotland, UK. For those who don't want to climb up the steep and hard trail to Carn Liath, this estate road provides a nice, more gentle 'glen trek' to Inverey - Photo: Jonathan Mitchell

I tend to trek quite slowly, not only as I am in my 50s, but I find that to rush up any beautiful mountain like Carn Liath is to miss a lot of the fine views, which should be savoured and for me, at least are the best bits of a mountain trek - sitting and enjoying the fantastic views.

A handful of trekkers were on their way down and even a father and daughter pair of fell runners (who quickly disappeared down the trail), most of whom had done the whole traverse from Inverey.

It is a long climb up to the summit and there are many false ones before I finally arrived at the cairn. Despite the clear weather, the wind was gusting at 50mph and I welcomed the stone wind-break that had been constructed near the summit.

The geographical trig point on the summit of the peak of Carn Liath on the left in the Cairngorms National Park near Blair Atholl, Perthshire in the Scottish Highlands of Scotland UK - Photo: Jonathan Mitchell

From the summit, there is a beautiful view of Carn Na Moine, though sadly, I had not the time or equipment or supplies to continue to that summit. Some other day perhaps. In fact, whatever direction you face, the views from Carn Liath are amazing.

I lingered there taking pictures and taking in the spectacular panoramas for about an hour, before heading back down to the trail into the late summer evening dusk.

The stunning panorama from the summit of Carn Liath in the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands of Scotland - Photo: Jonathan Mitchell

This turned out to be very tough, as I was wearing cheap boots, the rock of the trail - which has many, many steps is gneiss granite and every step was akin to stamping my foot as hard as I could. In the end it was quite a painful experience.

Though despite the tough lesson in the importance of wearing Vibram soled boots, the views on the way down as the long summer evening approached darkness were just as beautiful as the ascent.

Completely exhausted I returned to the makeshift car park and only one vehicle was there, a Volkswagen Transporter. I got chatting with the owner and he turned out to be an accomplished Munro Bagger and was now aiming to climb all the Corbetts.

The strange thing about Carn Liath is that technically it is neither a Munro or a Corbett!

I chatted with the fellow for some time and realised I was way to late to catch a pint in the pub - and I was very thirsty and hot. Then, this wonderful man produced a can of Innis & Gunn lager. I bade him good night and returned to my camp. It was the best and most refreshing beer of the year!

Getting there and away, facilities, attractions, etc

A good base for trekking this side of Carn Liath is Blair Atholl, where there are bus and train links from Edinburgh and Inverness, a great pub - The Blair Atholl Arms Hotel (which has great beer also sells very good food), accommodation options (including camping, mobile home pitches), a grand castle - Blair Castle and Gardens, a petrol station, nice cafes and a shop. There is a good car park at the Bridge of Tilt which is free. Otherwise, just follow the road up to Loch Moraig, where it is possible to park on the grass by the side of the road and begin the trek from there.

It is a couple of miles to Glen Tilt and the end of the public road where the trail begins. Do note that if you plan to traverse across to Inverey, there is not much there - as it is a small hamlet - and not much in the way of public transport to Braemar (which is a very long walk away). So it is better to do a circuit from Inverey or do the traverse from there to Blair Atholl.