Peaks
Carn Liath (976m) – Munro
Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain (1,070m) – Munro
Carn nan Gabhar (1,121m) – Munro
- Ascent: 1,317m
- Distance: 21.7km
- Duration: 8 – 9.5 hours
- Terrain: Good paths on approach and on the hills; boggy and sometimes pathless on the descent down the glen
- Steepest gradient: 30°
- Exposure: very light; steepest sections are on good paths and broad slopes
Beinn a’ Ghlò is the name of an entire mountain range in the Southern Cairngorms near Blair Atholl. The range contains three Munros that can be bagged on one long walk. The route is straightforward in good weather and gives good walking on the ridge and the plateaux higher up. The descent is pathless occasionally, and the walk back can be tiresome – but the views and the ridge walk will have made up for that.
You start your walk in the parking area at the end of the public road near Loch Moraig 
. Follow the road and walk through a gate 
.
Continue on this track until a footpath branches off to the left and leads to a fence and a stile 
. Climb over and continue on the other side. The path is straightforward and climbs uphill in a very direct way. Finally, after some effort, you arrive at the cairn of Carn Liath 
– the first Munro of the day.
The ridge ahead, linking up to the second Munro, expands in front of you. Head down over the curving ridge. At the lowest point, you follow the path making a right turn up the slopes. Here is the steepest section of the walk 
. The exposure is only very light, however. Continue uphill, and after a while, you reach the second of the three Beinn a’ Ghlò Munros: Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain 
.
Descend the ridge and the slopes to the northeast. You lose quite some height before you reach the bealach further below 
. Continue on the path leading up to Carn nan Gabhar on the other side of the bealach. The going here is straightforward, and the summit of the last of the Beinn a’ Ghlò Munros 
is marked by a huge cairn.
Retrace your steps to the bealach, and turn left 
. To the left side of the burn, a path leads down into the glen. The path is boggy in places and disappears occasionally. Just continue on the left side of the burn.
Eventually, you reach a section where you can cross over 
. Now continue on a path on the right side of the burn. The path keeps improving and soon becomes less boggy and pleasant to walk on (this path isn’t marked on OS maps).
After a while, the path joins a broader track 
, which is the track leading back to the car park. There is one substantial ford to cross on this track, which can be filled particularly high with water after heavy rains. Since it’s no longer far from the car park, the quickest way is to wade through. The boots will dry again. 🙂