The West Mounth: Blair Atholl to Braemar

Details for: The West Mounth: Blair Atholl to Braemar

The area of this section of Munro's Tables may be described as the south-western half of the Mounth. It is bounded on the west by the Minigaig Pass, an historic right of way between Blair Atholl and Glen Tromie, and on the east by the A93 road from Glen Shee to Braemar.

The northern boundary is the line of the River Dee westwards from Braemar up Glen Geldie to the head of Glen Feshie. Another important feature of this area is Glen Tilt, which carves a deep trench through the heart of the mountains and is also the line of an historic right of way. As a whole this area is characterised by rounded hills and extensive tracts of high moors, and only Beinn a' Ghlo among the hills is distinctive enough to be recognised from a distance. On the north-west side of Glen Tilt there is an extensive area of rounded hills extending northwards beyond the Tarf Water to the head of Glen Feshie. Beinn Dearg and Carn a' Chlamain are in the southern part of this area, lying about 10 kilometres north of Blair Atholl and fairly accessible from there. North of them, Carn an Fhidhleir and An Sgarsoch are the highest points in the very remote tract of rounded hills in the wild land where the headwaters of the Feshie, Geldie and Tarf burns have their sources. The south-east side of Glen Tilt is dominated by the great range of Beinn a' Ghlo, whose several peaks and corries make this the finest mountain massif in the south-west part of the Mounth between Blair Atholl and Braemar.

To its north, and accessible from Spittal of Glenshee, is Glas Tulaichean, a large sprawling hill far up Glen Lochsie, and behind it in the mountain hinterland Carn an Righ is another very remote hill. To their north, Beinn Iutharn Mhor and Carn Bhac rise at the head of Glen Ey and are most easily accessible up that glen from Inverey on the River Dee. To their east, and lying just west of the A93 road at its highest point between Glen Shee and Braemar, are The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda, two hills whose flanks are scarred by the ski tows and snow fences of the Glen Shee ski centre. They are probably the two easiest Munros to climb. Hidden between them and the head of Glen Ey are two more retiring hills, An Socach and Carn a' Gheoidh, which are also most easily reached from the A93 road.