Leathad na Lice Inverness-shire

Images are sourced within 2km of 56.901496/-4.0349232 or Grid Reference NN7680. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Camp at source of Allt a' Chaoirnich

Scottish 'Alpine' start at 7am for a long day's trek.

Alan Reid

Allt nan Caoirnich

The awkward descent to the Garbh Gaick by Comyn's Road uses the east side of this gorge.

Richard Webb

Allt Aillig alluvial fan

A constantly changing scene, but so remote from roads that it will receive little recording. In December 2015 heavy rain devastated Ballater and rearranged some of the Mounth's geography. Bridges and roads were destroyed, rivers rerouted and here in the Gaick a lot of material was washed down the gorges and on to the glen floor.

Richard Webb

Comyn's road descends to the Gharbh Ghaig

Another name for Comyn's Road or Rathad nan Cuimeinach is the Garbh Gaick or rough Gaick, named after the deep glen and burn in the picture. Since Glen Garry, the road has crossed gently sloping moorland, here the ground drops away and the road begins its descent to the Gaick. The line of the route, little used since the sixteenth century can clearly be seen as a terrace in the hillside. Further downhill, landslides and rock fall have all but obliterated the route.

Richard Webb

Allt a' Chaoirnich - Leum nam Fiann

Taken from the hazardous descent of Comyn's Road from the Mounth Plateau. The gorge cuts deep into the high ground and has very unstable slopes. Rockfall, avalanche and landslide are all hazards here, and have all but obliterated the ancient road. The map names a Leum nam Fiann. Why the warriors jumped is a mystery, but the Gaick is rich in Gaelic legend and folklore - there is a story here.

Richard Webb

Allt Gharbh Ghaig

A frosty morning at just under 500m in the wild Gaick. View upstream towards the northern slopes of Bac na Creige.

Richard Webb

Allt Gharbh Ghaig

The fast flowing Allt Gharbh Ghaig becomes braided when it meets the flat floor of the lower glen. The hills here weather into small stones and are easily eroded. There are few crags, the steep slopes being made of screes covered in peat and vegetation. The burns still shift a lot of stones down on to the glen floor leading to constant course changes and braiding in the rivers.

Richard Webb

Burns leaving the SrÃ²n BhÃ¹irich plateau

Two burns on a precipitous descent to the Garbh Gaick from the boggy plateau above.

Richard Webb

Allt Gharbh Ghaig

View downstream with the steep slopes of Sròn Bhùirich.

Richard Webb

Glacial mound, Garbh Ghaig

Mound of glacial gravel, deposited by a burn flowing off ice in the Garbh Ghaig glen. These were held to be houses of the fairies. Rather sinister given the Gaick's reputation. Sgòr Dearg in the background.

Richard Webb

An Dubh-easain

Waterfall running off the plateau from a hanging valley.

Richard Webb

An Dubh-easain

Draining a hanging valley off the plateau. This is a little known large waterfall in a remote setting beyond the sight of most tourists.

Richard Webb

Coire an Dubh-easan

The Garbh Ghaig glen below the waterfall with the Alltan Crom falling in from right.

Richard Webb

Allt Gharbh Chaig

The braided river with the Dubh-easain waterfall in the background.

Richard Webb

Plateau above Bruthach nan Creagan

Above the craggy slopes of Bruthach nan Creagan is a big area of high dry tundra plateau. Looking across the mossy ground into Inverness-shire from near the march.

Richard Webb

Plateau above Bruthach nan Creagan

Near the 853m summit marked by the Ordnance Survey. The actual highest point is hard to identify on such a large featureless summit. View across the Monadh Ghaig tundra, across the deep Garbh Ghaig glen to a distant Carn an t-Sabhail in what used to be called the Cairngorms before the name became applied to almost the whole of the Mounth. This is on the northern march of Atholl which at the time of visit was also the boundary of the extremely arbitrarily defined, and somewhat misnamed "Cairngorms" National Park. There were plans at this time to add Atholl to the park.

Richard Webb

Plateau beyond SrÃ²n BhÃ¹irich

The 852m summit is just as flat and featurless as its neighbour to the south. The view is towards Sròn Bhùirich, the middle green top in the picture. Sròn Bhùirich is a sharp looking peak and ridge above the Gaick Pass NN7583 : Sròn Bhùirich. The reality is that it is the edge of a vast plateau. These uplands are the collecting grounds for the snows of the Gaick's infamous avalanches.

Richard Webb

Deer herd, Allt an Dubh-easain

The deer were grazing in Coire Crom, far from my route. Only when I passed south of them in the rapidly strengthening wind, they detected me, and ran for Atholl, across my route. Now at the end of July, stags are joining the herds of hinds and calves, the rutting season is approaching. Along with the blooming heather, a sign that summer will soon end.

Richard Webb

Leathad na Lice is located at Grid Ref: NN7680 (Lat: 56.901496, Lng: -4.0349232)