Fiarach

The plan for this day in August 2022 had been to take the train from Tyndrum to Loch Awe and climb the Corbett Beinn a' Bhuirdh. However the forecast was for rain and persistent low cloud above about 700 metres so I decided a much better option was to climb one of the Grahams (2000-2500 feet hills) near Tyndrum instead. This proved a good decision and resulted in an interesting and moderately challenging walk.

About 45 minutes along the West Highland Way from Tyndrum a minor road is reached near Dalrigh at NN745 288

The road crosses over the River Fillan...

...and just beyond the bridge a forest road leads off to the West.

It heads off parallel to the railway line to Oban..

...which is crossed on a bridge.

In the distance can be seen the mine building at the Cononish gold mine.

The track climbs gently up Gleann Auchreoch...

.....passing this cascade on the Allt Gleann Auchreoch.

The track does an S bend and there is the first view of Fiarach's summit.

At the entrance to the forest there is a gate but the way to the hill.....

......is up the hillside along the deer fence. Initially, I thought there was a path but soon realised it was a quad bike track for the sheep farmers and was leading me well away from where I needed to go so.....

......it was back towards the fence and a largely pathless ascent and in places very steep ascent.

Having climbed the first section I realised that there were several drops if I followed the fence so I took a detour off  to the left of this photo...

....before returning to the fence.

Looking back down hill I spotted what looked like a path further to the right and decided that I would aim for that on the return. It is surprising how it is often easier to see these faint tracks on the descent.

There were also intermittent tracks through the grass although whether made by humans or animals I couldn't decide.

Looking back down the hill with Tyndrum visible below.

The forest runs out but a delapidated fence continues and begins to...

.....turn from heading east to south east.

A clearer path develops as the first small lochan is passed....

There's another bend in the fence towards the south. It has clearly seen better days!

Lochan Fiarach enlivens this section of the walk...

....as the fence heads directly towards the summit. In places the ground is quite boggy.

The rocky north west top of Fiarach comes into view...

....but the actual summit of Fiarach (652m) is a little further on with another small lochan adding to the scene. It had taken two and a half hours from the start of the walk at Dalrigh.

A panorama looking down into Strath Fillan at Crianlarich. As can be seen the clouds are hiding the high mountains such as Ben More and Stob Binnein but otherwise visibility is good.

Click on the photo to see a larger image.

To the south is a vast expanse of desolate moorland and beyond Glen Falloch.

Sitting on the summit I noticed a long passenger train heading up the West Highland Line. It was the "Northern Bell" dining trains from Edinburgh to Rannoch and back (after a 40 minute wait there!). There was a Class 47 loco at both the front and back.

Another view taken on the way back downhill. In the centre distance and under cloud is Ben Dorain.

I'm heading along a faint track through the grass and well away from the forest edge. To the left are the tree covered slopes of the Munro Beinn Dubhchraig

A closer view shows that the ones on the lower slopes are remnants of the old Caledonian Forest.

And finally back on the West Highland Way the return "Northern Belle" returns from Rannoch to Edinburgh.