After a few pickups on route, our full minibus arrived at Loch Turret to drop off the main party who would traverse the munro, with the second party doing a loop from Invergeldie.
On a pleasant still day, Loch Turret provided a fine surface for autumnal reflections. The upper lochan was more Ordha (golden) than Uaine (green) but nonethless provided a view for 1st lunch, with the crags of Ben Chonzie towering dark and near – for certain a more interesting approach than the shorter route from the west.
A short steep scrabble up a rocky (unmapped) path brought us to the rolling plateau, and we soon mingled with the masses who’d ascended on the Walkhighlands trade route.
After a brief viewless stop in the mist, we followed a line of posts then turned south-west and passed our “loop party” heading for the top; we decided to push on to the bouldery outcrop of Carn Chois where we had a 2nd lunch while enjoying the views of the rocky ridge of Creag a h-Iolaire due west.
After an speculative “shortcut” turned into a thrash through deep heather we rejoined the track to Carroglen to head downwards. A sortie to investigate a waterfall in a gorge of the Carroglen burn was abandoned as hazardous. Further down and uncertain of a bridge across the Lurg Burn, we headed onwards, surrounded by pleasant autumn scenes and finding a good footbridge across the River Lednock to make the road and await pickup from the “loop” party.
We had finished in good time so first drove to Crieff where we had an extended refreshment break before the long drive home.
