Carn a' Chlamain

About Carn a' Chlamain

Hidden deep within the Forest of Atholl, this Munro is defined by its long approach through the scenic Glen Tilt. A stark, boulder-crowned dome rising from an expansive plateau, its remote feel is earned by the ten-kilometre journey from Blair Atholl, making a bicycle almost as essential as your boots.

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Did You Know?

• •Derived from the Gaelic Càrn a' Chlamhain, the name translates as the 'Cairn of the Harrier', though in this part of the Highlands, the word was historically used by locals to refer to the buzzards often seen circling the glen.
• •The ten-kilometre approach along the floor of Glen Tilt is so substantial that the route is widely considered the quintessential Scottish 'bike-and-hike', with most walkers stashing cycles at Forest Lodge before beginning the actual foot climb.
• •The ascent from the glen floor utilizes an impeccably graded Victorian stalker's path; its tight zig-zags provide a remarkably efficient, if repetitive, way to scale the steep southern face of the plateau.
• •From the summit, the view offers a stark perspective of the remote 'Tarff Bypass' wilderness to the north and the massive, multi-summited massif of Beinn a' Ghlò rising directly across the deep trench of Glen Tilt.
• •While the lower slopes are relatively gentle, the summit itself is a dome of shattered quartzite boulders, ensuring that any time gained on the easy glen tracks is promptly lost while picking a line through the leg-straining rock fields.