It might be only 6.5 miles and some 680m of ascent, but the circuit to the summit of the Corbett Beinn a’Chuallaich (891m), near Trinafour in Perthshire, was surprising rough and tiring. The views from the 891m summit were beautiful, however, with both Rannoch and Tummel lochs to be seen, as well as the striking Schiehallion mountain.
Two days after a challenging run-hike of the seven Lawers Munros meant I had tired legs. I’d gone over on my ankle, too, which had led to a sore calf and ankle muscles/ligaments. I reckoned the walk would ease my legs, which it did, but the walk to the summit from the B847 was on mostly pathless terrain.
We completed the circuit suggested by Walk Highlands anti-clockwise. We headed up the south-easterly side of the neighbouring hill Meall nan Eun. It was steep and rough with overgrown bracken, heather and a lot of bog underfoot.
Finally, at about 650m elevation at Meall nan Eun top, we turned south along a wide ridge for a much easier walk to Beinn a’Chuallaich. The Corbett boasts a trig point and a cairn and while it was windy, we stayed for a while to take in the panorama.
We met a man from London, who works for the Red Cross in Afghanistan. It was interesting to chat to him about how Afghanistan has faced the Covid-19 pandemic. The walker was on holiday in Scotland staying with a relative.
The descent from Beinn a’Chuallaich was much easier to find on a path and headed mainly south. Lower down the slope we walked towards a Landrover track to the west. We followed this track downhill, through farmland and on to the B847.
The view of Schiehallion ahead was fantastic.
The walk back along the tarmac for a few kilometres was not the highlight of this route. In retrospect, we should have used our two vehicles for the start and finish or chosen a return walk more directly from the south.