Carn a' Chlamain

Carn a' Chlamain
Perthshire
Càrn a' Chlamain from Glen Craoinidh
Range:	Tarf and Tilt Hills
Summit:	3,159 feet NN915758 56°51’39"N, 3°46’52"W

Carn a' Chlamain is a mountain amongst the Tarf and Tilt Hills of the Grampian Mountains in the Atholl region of Perthshire. It reaches a height of 3,159 feet at its summit, and so it qualifies as a Munro.

The mountain's name is from the Gaelic, in which it is known as Càrn a' Chlamhain, and means means "Hill of the Kite" (or Buzzard).

The mountain can be found roughly 8½ miles north of Blair Atholl, in the Forest of Atholl. It is the highest point of an undulating plateau lying north-east of Glen Tilt. The River Tarf, a tributary of the Tilt, rises on the north-western slopes before curving round the northern side of the plateau, whilst a further Tilt tributary marks the plateau's western boundary.

Ascents and summit

The summit of Carn a' Chlamain is a prominent boulder covered dome rising up from the surrounding moorland.

The hill is almost invariably climbed from Glen Tilt. The most common route starts at Forest Lodge in Glen Tilt, from where a stalker's path climbs the steep side of the glen in a succession of zig-zags before crossing the plateau to the summit. As there is no public vehicular access to Forest Lodge the six miles from Old Blair must been undertaken on foot or bicycle.

One alternative route to the summit follows the southeast ridge; this may be joined about two miles down the glen from Forest Lodge.

References

• The Munros, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1986, Donald Bennett (Editor) ISBN 0-907521-13-4
• In the Hills of Breadalbane, V.A. Firsoff, no ISBN
• The Munros, Scotland's Highest Mountains, Cameron McNeish, ISBN 1-84204-082-0
• The Magic Of The Munros, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0-7153-2168-4
• Hamish's Mountain Walk, Hamish Brown, ISBN 1-898573-08-5