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Meall Tairneachan and Farragon
Hill are two
Corbetts
to the north of Aberfeldy.
They are the highest tops in a line of knobbly
schistose¹
hills that stretch from the
Wade
road at Loch Kinardochy in the west to
Pitlochry
in the east. There are several fine lochans between the
countless heathery bumps and crags.
Whilst these may not be the most exciting of hills, they
do offer fine views from the wild north to the gentle
south and are always dominated by the vast cone of
Schiehallion to the west - especially from Tairneachan.
Meall Tairneachan 2582 feet/787m derives its name from
the Gaelic for 'hill of thunder'. It is listed in the
Geological Conservation Review (GCR) database - a review
that encompasses the range of geological and
geomorphologic features of Britain - and has a working
open-cast
barytes² mine east of the summit crags.
Farragon Hill 2559 feet/780m is a prominent landmark in
Strathtay with its bold, craggy summit is the shapelier
one of the pair and commands an extensive view over
wild, mountainous country. It lies between Loch Tummel
and the River Tay to the west of Loch Derculich and was
probably named after St Fheargain, a missionary from
Iona. Like its neighbour the southern slopes are given
to forestry plantations.
Start from the side of the B846 Aberfeldy to Tummel
Bridge road and begin the serious, uphill ‘trudge’ -
quite steeply at times - to a height of 2,400 feet /
731.5m before relenting near the summit of Meall
Tairneachan after which the road dips to a roundabout!
Since it is a relatively short and easy ascent, the
climb to the triangulation pillar on Meall Tairneachan
is best left for the return journey, as the ‘assault’ on
Farragon Hill calls for a considerable amount of energy
resources. Continue up to the short flat summit of the
climb then descend into the corrie where the barytes
mine dominates the foreground and Farragon Hill the
distant skyline.
The mine, perhaps one of the world’s richest deposits of
barytes, has been worked since the late 70's and few are
aware of its existence. It is a strange, unearthly and
depressing place to come across, especially in dreich
weather and not a particularly pleasant sight in this
beautifully remote area, nor is it any pleasure to pass
through. The descent to the mine is equally as steep and
rough as the previous part of the route and care should
be taken to avoid a slip or fall on the loose surface.
Follow the road as it bends round the upper area of the
mine past a multitude of wet sink holes where the water
draining off is mixed with lime to neutralise the
quarried stone in order to ensure its purity as it
eventually flows into Loch Tummel far below.
The next part of the route continues on the wide road
but now it is more overgrown with sort grass and makes
for more pleasurable walking. Where the road ends,
descend the grassy bank on the right and head on a
direct course for sharp cone that is the summit of
Farragon Hill. There are no paths through the heather
and boggy grass, so be prepared to expend some energy!
Once through this, the climb begins in earnest though
all the crags are small and it is very easy to find a
way up.
From the summit
of Farragon Hill the path ascending distant
Beinn a'Ghlo
to the east is obvious and the view is unusual in that
Braigh Coire Chruin Bhalagain, one of the three Munros
that make up this massif, is the dominant peak. The
overall panorama is well worth the effort involved in
getting there. Below, to the east, long, winding roads
lead around and over the knobbly ridge from the upper
reaches of Strath Tay in the south, northwards to
eastern end of Loch Tummel and the many lochans dotted
around glisten in the sunshine – especially on a good
day! On not so good days, take extra care on the summit
to avoid a slip or fall on the steep sides. North and
south the distant hills are too numerous to identify but
to the west, the summit of Schiehallion can just be seen
beyond Meall Tairneachan.
Return by the same route, remembering to keep to the
upper side of the mine away from the workings. The track
up from the mine is steep and tiring after having
climbed Farragon Hill and beaten a way back through the
heather and boggy grass of the corrie. At the top of the
climb at Grid Ref NN807547 there is a small iron post on
the bank. A narrow path heads south from here up an easy
slope to the cairned triangulation pillar on the summit.
Do not be tempted to follow the easy path to the
southwest from this mark as it bears away from the
highest of the three tops!
Return to this point, turn left, and follow the mine
access road back to the starting place in the knowledge
that the rest of the route is all downhill - with the
exception of one or two small undulations that perhaps
went unnoticed on the way up!
Sincere thanks are due to my friends Jean Taylor and
Moira Clark for reconnoitring this route in less than
ideal conditions. However, on the day, the sun shone
ensuring a most enjoyable day’s walking.
¹ Schistose rocks are metamorphic and can be formed
from basalt, an igneous rock; shale, a sedimentary rock;
or slate, a metamorphic rock. Through tremendous heat
and pressure, these rocks were transformed into Schist.
²
Barytes (also known as Barite and Barites) is a form of
Barium Sulphate. The mineral is heavy and is used
as 'mud' in oil wells to counter the pressures of the
up-welling oil and also in the foundations of nuclear
plants and hospital radiography units.
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WALK FACTS
Distance:
10½ miles / 17km
Map:
OS Landranger 1:50,000 sheet 52 or Explorer 1:25,000
Sheet 386
Start/Parking:
Roadside parking at Grid Ref.
NN780561
on the west side of the B846 Aberfeldy to Tummel Bridge
road just past Loch Kinardochy at the junction with
Schiehallion Road, opposite the entrance for the Foss
Mine where there is room for several cars.
Grading:
This is an exposed and quite strenuous walk over two
Corbetts, through some fairly remote countryside and
suitable for fit and well-equipped hill-walkers only.
Much of this route is on the rough access road to the
Foss Mine and a short distance beyond, but some of the
route is trackless and requires some accurate
navigation, especially in adverse weather conditions.
There is no shelter from the elements once above the
tree line therefore care must be taken to ensure that
proper footwear and clothing is worn. A good route but
in winter weather or low cloud, a map and compass, and
the ability to navigate with them effectively may be
required. Sheep graze the hillsides so dogs should be
kept on a lead and under strict control at all times.
Rock blasting takes place at the mine from time to time
and walkers should obey all signals or instructions
given. |
