A drive north from Ayrshire after a few days of bagging Donalds was hot and sunny. Having spent several hours behind the wheel of my van, I decided I needed a walk. I had already spotted a new (to me) Fiona hill near Newtonmore – and, at a total distance of 6km, it seemed like the perfect way to round off a great wee spell of summit bagging.
Creag Dubh is a popular local climbing crag and I started the route at a lay-by on the side of the A86, south of Newtonmore. I walked through a gate in a fence and progressed up the path used to access the south-facing crags.
The path continues to climb steeply and quickly turns into a rocky walk-scramble. I decided to follow close to the line of a fence to my right to avoid straying too close to the crags themselves. I was also keen to use the fence as a handrail to ensure I found a corrie that would give me a way up on to the ridge.
The route took me through quite dense woodland and some places where fallen trees partially blocked my way. This is a steep route and, in retrospect, I would recommend other walkers head up the route I later descended because it’s a more obvious and gentler slope overall. At least this is my advice in the summer when vegetation is thick and tall.
As I reached the corrie, I was faced with large areas of dense, tall ferns. I pushed on regardless, heading west and steeply uphill, but made a note to myself to check my whole body for ticks later on.
It didn’t take too long to climb out above the ferns and on to a rockier section before meeting a path – the one I would follow in its entirety later for the descent – and then turning right.
The path made the walk so much easier – and with the sun still warm in the late afternoon, I enjoyed the rest of the ascent. The route undulates over several smaller summits with a few short sections of easy scrambling heading in a NNE direction. There is a large cairn on the summit at 756m and superb views all around, including Creag Meagaidh and the Monadhliath peaks.
Along the ridge, I was charmed to meet a herd of feral goats, including kids. They eyed me curiously before trotting off around the hillside.
To return, I retraced my steps back down the ridge, taking care with the short scrambles, and then, instead of heading back down the steep slope I’d ascended at the start of the route, I continued south-west and further down the ridge.
The path takes you above the climber crags, to the south-west end, and then descends. I was frustrated to lose the path a few times in more thick ferns and vegetation. After checking the map, I headed downhill alongside Allt na Glaic and into woodland. I found it hard to stay on the path for some reason and eventually picked up a more obvious route over the other side of a broken metal gate.
I didn’t realise the gate had only one hinge and when tried to climb over it, it swung forwards and threw me off on to the ground the other side. I wasn’t hurt but I was annoyed with myself!
I think the route would be easier to find when there is less dense vegetation, so that would be before or after the summer months.
The final section was more straightforward, first on an obvious path and then turning left to complete the walk along the roadside and back to where I had parked my van.
Details: Creag Dubh, Newtonmore
Distance: 6km
Total elevation: 570m