I love a new summit but with a full round of Munros completed and 83 per cent of the Corbetts bagged, there are areas of Scotland that require a bit of Fiona bagging instead. Perthshire is a good example of a region where Fiona bagging makes good sense. I still have plenty of these summits, between 2000ft and 2500ft, to enjoy and as I was planning a trip to Glasgow I looked for one that would not take me too far from the A9. I was fortunate, too, that the weather looked good for my travel day. I chose Beinn na Gainimh, accessed from beautiful Sma Glen, because it offered a good option for a half day of hiking.
Walk to Beinn na Gainimh summit
The route starts at Newton Bridge, just south of Corrymuckloch, in Sma Glen. I drove the A822 from the A9, just south of Dunkeld. There is a long layby on the left-hand side of the road just past Newton Bridge.
To start the route, I walked back along the road for 100m, crossing over the bridge, and then turned left along a Landrover track and past a few homes/ buildings. The track journeys west through a stunning glen and alongside a winding river. On a sunny day, this is a gorgeous place to be.
As I strolled, I suddenly heard voices behind me, which turned out to be a couple cycling to a favourite swimming and picnic spot along the glen. We enjoyed each other’s company for a while, exchanging chat about Munros, Corbetts and Scotland’s outdoor environment in general.
I left them to their wild swimming as I continued along the glen. Soon after, I was a little alarmed to meet a small herd of cows that I had hoped would move away from me as I walked by but, instead, started towards me. Thankfully, they halted some 30 metres away and just eyed me cautiously. I eyed them back, a lot more cautiously.
I quickly walked on and I was grateful that they stayed put. Much more pleasant sightings included common sandpipers and a water rail. I am not sure I have seen the latter before and I was only able to identify it thanks to its singing (I used the Merlin app for this). Numerous butterflies – and several bunnies – also accompanied me along the hot glen. By now, the sun was beating down on me and I stopped to apply sun lotion.
After around 4km, and just past a small plantation of trees, I spotted a track that headed north. It climbed steeply uphill and I could see ahead that there would be very little relief for my calf muscles. At this point, the high summit I could see above me was Sron Bealadh, not Beinn na Gainimh, which was hidden behind and further north.
I followed the track to an elevation of around 550m. This was 300m ascent in les than 1km, so you will appreciate the gradient was somewhat unrelenting.
At this point, I had a choice: To continue on the track but descend 100m, before then climbing uphill again towards the summit, or to track left on to less trodden ground yet retaining the height already gained.
I chose the latter option and tramped over ground thick with grassy tussocks and heather. Here and there, I spotted animal trods, which I followed for a while although they never proved useful for route finding.
The aim was to avoid the crags on the lower slopes of Sron Bealadh but to gain height towards this 725m top. This I did but it involved some very steep climbing using my hands to hold on to big clumps of heather on occasions.
Next, I skirted to the east of the highest point of Sron Bealadh to avoid a large area of peat hags – these are never inviting – and then I discovered a fairly well-trodden path south-west of the summit of Beinn na Gainimh. It may be that this trod/ path can be followed for more of the ascent but there is little evidence of it on a map.
Numerous mountain hares criss-crossed the terrain at speed and I spotted several red deer in the distance. The sound of almost constant bird song accompanied me for much of the walk, too.
The very rounded hill had a small cairn at what appeared to be its highest point of 730m but I still wandered about a bit on the plateau to be sure I’d actually reached the top.
The views of the hills and mountains of Perthshire were lovely, including prominent Ben Chonzie to the west. I have walked this Munro several times, including the occasion of Hubby G’s last Munro in his first round.
Return route from Beinn na Gainimh
To descend, I decided to check out the alternative route I’d not taken earlier in the day. Instead of returning to the south, I chose a south-easterly line, at first tramping over vegetation with no path. After a while, I spotted a more obvious trod and stuck to this as much as I could. The trod became a steepish path, which then joined a wider quad/ ATV track.
This ATV track joined with the Landrover track I’d used to ascend from the glen earlier. After joining the track, I looked up to the south-west at a very steep ascent. It turned out that this amounted to some 300m with 100m of climb, so it’s not that much of an elevation difference really.
I can’t decide if I would advise walkers to follow this route as their out and back. I think that overall, it is probably the easier option for navigation and finding a path, although it does require a bit more ascent and descent overall.
From the bealach at 550m, I returned downhill by the same track I’d climbed earlier in the day. A cooling wind that I’d been very grateful for at higher elevation on Beinn na Gainimh disappeared and I found myself walking in very warm and humid temperatures back downhill and along the glen.
By the time I returned to the base of the glen, the number of cows appeared to have quadrupled. Where did they come from, I wondered? They lined both sides of the track and I suddenly felt quite uneasy. I am not easily scared but cows can be unpredictable and so I tried to walk with purpose but as inconspicuously as possible. (I admit this is not easy when you wear brightly coloured skorts and tops as I do!)
I made it through dozens of curious cows, which thankfully didn’t seem bothered by me, until I then spotted a bull. Again, I was grateful that the bull was more interested in the lush grazing than a woman in a snazzy skort.
Once past the cows, I relaxed again and thoroughly enjoyed the stroll back to the road and my van. The cold river offered a lovely cool-down dip before I got into the driver’s seat to continue my drive to Glasgow.
I recommend you save this Fiona for a day of good weather because it’s a place of scenic beauty.
Route details: Beinn na Gainimh, Sma Glen, Perthshire
Distance: 15.5km
Total ascent: 650m
Fionas bagged: 71