Walk report – Amulree Sunday 3rd March 2024

Being a local walk, this had been organised as one of the club’s three of four car meets per year. Groups of walkers left from a number of locations and met at the Amulree community centre car park. It was a then a matter of forming the three groups that would walk the A, B and C organised walking routes. The largest of these, the A walkers, set off west along the Rob Roy Way and left the Kenmore Road at Croftmill. The route took them through Glen Lochan between Ben nam Fuaran and Beinne na Gainimh. After 5 kms the party turned right onto the Glen Shervie track.

From a point wsw of their hill, they climbed steeply up Ben nam Fuaran, by this time the weather was very cold and they were walking in a good covering of snow. A cold white piece break was enjoyed by all. From the summit the group walked east along the ridge, then down its eastern shoulder to meet their outward path before Croftmill and then back to the car park.

The B & C groups started together in a north-westerly direction on good tracks. The C party struck left after less than a Km and onto another excellent track towards Craig Hulich, the track turned north as it reached its shoulder and skirted along its side, a red kite was spotted at that point. After elevenses the party continued towards OS point 608. Eventually the walkers began the walk down to Loch Freuchie, seeing an opportunity, they took advantage of a shooting shelter, just as wind driven snow began to fall.

The way down from there was shared with the B party above but alongside the increasingly energetic Allt na Moine. Towards the bottom they were surprised to see a quite spectacular water fall, deep in the burn’s gorge. From there it was an easy scenic walk on good tracks along a section of the Rob Roy Way and back to the start.

The B party had a more challenging route firstly into Glen Fender where they made good progress towards their target hills.

Of the three tops, the highest Meal Dearg, was under light snow. The party needed to walk on a bearing between Meall Dearg and Creag an loch as it was quite misty.

Climbing to and dropping down between tops was through heather that sapped the walkers’ energy.

There were plenty of red grouse on the tops. The moors being managed for grouse shooting, grouse butts were plentiful and provided some shelter for the party at piece time!

The walkers heard peewits, curlew and saw big skeins of geese grazing on pastures in Glen Quaich.

The B party followed the same track back to the start that had earlier been enjoyed by the C walkers