Creag Mhòr
Encyclopedia
Creag Mhòr is a Scottish
mountain which stands in the ancient Forest of Mamlorn deer
forest, it is located ten kilometres north east of Tyndrum
on the border between the Perth and Kinross
and Stirling council areas.
and a Marilyn
. It is commonly climbed with the neighbouring Munro of Beinn Heasgarnich, which stands 3.5 km to the NE, the two mountains form the high ground between Glen Lochay
and Loch Lyon
. Creag Mhòr is one of the remotest of the southern highlands being situated about eight kilometres from the nearest public road, it is surrounded by other high ground which make it difficult to get a good view of the mountain from any valley, and the best aspect is obtained from the surrounding peaks. The mountains name translates from the Gaelic
as “Big Rock”, an unusual name for a hill which is mostly grassy, however its top has craggy areas and the name refers to a series of rocky buttresses near the summit.
Cheathaich (Misty Corrie), a former royal hunting ground which was made famous by Duncan Ban MacIntyre
, the Scottish Gaelic poet who worked as a gamekeeper in the area. He wrote the poem Òran Coire a' Cheathaich (Song of the misty corrie) which gives a natural description of the corrie and its flora and fauna and includes the line "'S rìomhach còta na Creige Mòire" (lovely is the coat of Creag Mhòr).
The south ridge includes the subsidiary summit of Stob nan Clach (956 m) which is listed as a top in the Munros Tables and is reached from the main summit by contouring round the head of Coire Cheathaich for a kilometre. A third ridge on the mountain goes north over the 895 metre subsidiary top of Meall Tionail (Hill of the Gathering) before dropping down to Glen Lyon. This north ridge can be used for access to or from Beinn Heasgarnich, as the ridge can be left after a short distance and Heasgarnich can be reached by going east over the boggy Bealach
na Baintighearna (654 m). All rainfall on Creag Mhòr drains to the east coast of Scotland at the Firth of Tay
, either via Glen Lyon or Glen Lochay.
Meall Tionail has an unusual geographic feature on its western slopes, it is marked on OS
maps as Coire Chirdle, however it is not a corrie in the usual sense as there is no hollow cavity in the mountain. Instead there is a clearly marked semi circle (see picture) called an arcuate scarp below which is a bulge. This was probably created after the last Ice Age
when the unstable hillside saturated by meltwater
slipped down the steep slope. The nationally rare plant Bartsia Alpina grows on the slopes of Creag Mhòr, it is found as high as 950 metres, the highest occurrence in the U.K. It grows on brown loam
soil on the mountains alkaline mica-schist
rock.
The approach from the west starts at Auch (grid reference ) on the A82 and goes under the viaduct of the West Highland Line
, then SE up Glen Coralan and over the Corbett of Cam Chreag to reach Creag Mhòr. If continuing to Beinn Heasgarnich from the summit, a direct line NE is not recommended because the hillside is steep and rocky, instead use the north ridge as mentioned before heading east to the col
between the two mountains to avoid dangerous ground.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mountain which stands in the ancient Forest of Mamlorn deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
forest, it is located ten kilometres north east of Tyndrum
Tyndrum
Tyndrum is a small village in Scotland. Its Gaelic name translates as "the house on the ridge". It lies in Strathfillan, at the southern edge of Rannoch Moor.The village is notable mainly for being at an important crossroads of transport routes...
on the border between the Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
and Stirling council areas.
Overview
Creag Mhòr reaches a height of 1047 metres (3435 ft) and qualifies as a MunroMunro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
and a Marilyn
Marilyn (hill)
A Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Isle of Man with a relative height of at least 150 metres , regardless of absolute height or other merit...
. It is commonly climbed with the neighbouring Munro of Beinn Heasgarnich, which stands 3.5 km to the NE, the two mountains form the high ground between Glen Lochay
Glen Lochay
Glen Lochay is in Perthshire, Scotland through which the River Lochay runs eastward towards Loch Tay, joining the River Dochart at Killin. Glen Lochay is about 20 miles long, running from a point north of Crianlarich to Loch Tay....
and Loch Lyon
Loch Lyon
Loch Lyon is a freshwater loch in Glen Lyon, located in Perthshire, Scotland, which feeds the River Lyon, a tributary of the River Tay. The original natural loch was much expanded by a hydro-electric dam, part of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Breadalbane scheme....
. Creag Mhòr is one of the remotest of the southern highlands being situated about eight kilometres from the nearest public road, it is surrounded by other high ground which make it difficult to get a good view of the mountain from any valley, and the best aspect is obtained from the surrounding peaks. The mountains name translates from the Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
as “Big Rock”, an unusual name for a hill which is mostly grassy, however its top has craggy areas and the name refers to a series of rocky buttresses near the summit.
Geography
Creag Mhòr is composed of three ridges, the ESE ridge (Sròn nan Eun) descends to Glen Lochay at the habitation of Batavaime and gives the usual route of ascent from that glen. Another ridge also descends to Glen Lochay, this initially goes south from the summit before swinging SE down steep slopes, which need care, to reach the glen. These two ridges enclose CoireCirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
Cheathaich (Misty Corrie), a former royal hunting ground which was made famous by Duncan Ban MacIntyre
Duncan Bàn MacIntyre
Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir is one of the most renowned of Scottish Gaelic poets and formed an integral part of one of the golden ages of Gaelic poetry in Scotland during the 18th century...
, the Scottish Gaelic poet who worked as a gamekeeper in the area. He wrote the poem Òran Coire a' Cheathaich (Song of the misty corrie) which gives a natural description of the corrie and its flora and fauna and includes the line "'S rìomhach còta na Creige Mòire" (lovely is the coat of Creag Mhòr).
The south ridge includes the subsidiary summit of Stob nan Clach (956 m) which is listed as a top in the Munros Tables and is reached from the main summit by contouring round the head of Coire Cheathaich for a kilometre. A third ridge on the mountain goes north over the 895 metre subsidiary top of Meall Tionail (Hill of the Gathering) before dropping down to Glen Lyon. This north ridge can be used for access to or from Beinn Heasgarnich, as the ridge can be left after a short distance and Heasgarnich can be reached by going east over the boggy Bealach
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
na Baintighearna (654 m). All rainfall on Creag Mhòr drains to the east coast of Scotland at the Firth of Tay
Firth of Tay
The Firth of Tay is a firth in Scotland between the council areas of Fife, Perth and Kinross, the City of Dundee and Angus, into which Scotland's largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay, empties....
, either via Glen Lyon or Glen Lochay.
Meall Tionail has an unusual geographic feature on its western slopes, it is marked on OS
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps as Coire Chirdle, however it is not a corrie in the usual sense as there is no hollow cavity in the mountain. Instead there is a clearly marked semi circle (see picture) called an arcuate scarp below which is a bulge. This was probably created after the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
when the unstable hillside saturated by meltwater
Meltwater
Meltwater is the water released by the melting of snow or ice, including glacial ice and ice shelfs over oceans. Meltwater is often found in the ablation zone of glaciers, where the rate of snow cover is reducing...
slipped down the steep slope. The nationally rare plant Bartsia Alpina grows on the slopes of Creag Mhòr, it is found as high as 950 metres, the highest occurrence in the U.K. It grows on brown loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
soil on the mountains alkaline mica-schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
rock.
Ascents
Creag Mhòr is a rather isolated mountain and approaches require quite long walks to reach the foot of the hill. Ascents are possible from both the east and the west with the eastern approach from the road end in Glen Lochay being the most popular with guide book writers. This eastern approach starts at Kenknock (grid reference ) which is now the farthest it is possible to drive up Glen Lochay with locked gates stopping cars from going any further, however it is viable to use a mountain bike. It is a six kilometre journey west up the glen to reach Batavaime at the foot of the SE ridge from where the mountain can be climbed.The approach from the west starts at Auch (grid reference ) on the A82 and goes under the viaduct of the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
, then SE up Glen Coralan and over the Corbett of Cam Chreag to reach Creag Mhòr. If continuing to Beinn Heasgarnich from the summit, a direct line NE is not recommended because the hillside is steep and rocky, instead use the north ridge as mentioned before heading east to the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between the two mountains to avoid dangerous ground.