Moray Club: Climbing Meall Greigh

Sunday

Climbing Meall Greigh

Ben Lawers range

meaning - Hill of the Horse Studs

Sunday 15th Jan

The hamlet at Lawers has always been tricky for parking, but the Hotel offer 'free' use of their car park if you have a pint in the bar before or after your walk , what a pity it was closed this January!

Our walk began at the Horn Carvers shop, which has been there as long as anyone can remember. Taking the track to Machuim (pronounced ma'wheem) there is a helpful sign, put there no doubt, to stop walkers from traipsing through the yard.

Helpful and so much nicer than an 'official' sign

The path beyond the farm is wooded and sheltered; there are glimpses through the undergrowth to the Lawers Burn.

In summer, bracken and ferns give thick cover to this track.
In places it's a little soft underfoot

Imrich track (Gaelic: to move house)

We crossed a small bridge over a deep ditch, it also gives protection to the alkathene pipe.

handy bridge over a rather deep ditch

At the top of the woodland is a tall stile. With the amount of lichen established it's been in place for a while. Spot the 'dog flap' - Andrew has tried getting through these before....but there again so has Bill....

Ron using his leki pole as a 3rd leg.

At this point you gain access to the open hillside and a sign marks the boundary of the NTS Ben Lawers nature reserve.

Just beyond the sign are the remains of many shielings.

Grass and moss cover the walls, but the shape of the dwellings are still recognisable.

These ruins are the relics of transhumance when the local population, usually the village young, accompanied their cattle, goats and sheep to the summer hill grazings.

Scotland has thousands of such sites but it is still a poignant moment when you realise the struggle that the local population had to feed and clothe themselves in the 16th and 17th centuries

so we can't bring the car up here then?

Looking toward the corrie containing Lochan nan Cat; the rocky summit of An Stuc clear of the cloud, our hill of course, remained completely shrouded.

A glimpse of clear blue sky raised hopes for a clear summit

The small footbridge over the Lawers Burn provided a photo opportunity, but it was a detour, for our ascent of Meall Greigh we should have swung up the hill.

'Should have' is the correct phrase as we decided to continue alongside the burn - the walking becoming more toilsome as we became hemmed in hummocky banks.

Footbridge over the Lawers Burn

Eventually we struck uphill, it's always easier to tackle the slopes directly instead of trying to sneak around them.......

it was a cold wind

Roni found the correct path first, how did we all miss it?

Colder and no views

The path was free of snow and ice, we were the only people on the hill today so could only think that the lack of vegetation on the narrow path didn't give the snow/ice anything to stick to.

We all had full winter clothing on

It was a steady plod to the top where we stuffed 'pieces' in our mouths and looked around for the views.
Weather conditions unlikely to change soon.
Let's go down.