Geal Charn

About Geal Charn

Rising at the head of Gleann Beag, this rounded highland mass offers a sense of solitude rarely found on the nearby Munros. Its broad, heathery slopes lead to an expansive plateau, rewarding walkers with clear views across the deep trench of Glen Ey toward the high, granite tors of Ben Avon.

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Did You Know?

• •Geal Charn translates from Gaelic as 'White Cairn', a name typically given to hills where quartzite stones or persistent snow patches make the summit appear pale from the glens below.
• •The hill sits on the watershed between the Tay and Dee catchments, marking a topographical transition between the rolling hills of Perthshire and the more rugged terrain of the Cairngorms.
• •The approach through Gleann Beag follows an old track past several 'shielings'—stone ruins of seasonal shelters used by highlanders for centuries when moving livestock to higher summer pastures.
• •On a clear day, the summit provides a perfect vantage point to survey the massive southern cliffs of Lochnagar to the east and the sprawling masses of Beinn a' Bhuird to the north.
• •In heavy mist, the summit plateau is so remarkably flat and devoid of features that one could easily walk a full circle while searching for the modest summit cairn.