Glas Tulaichean

Overview

Glas Tulaichean (meaning 'Green-grey hillocks' in Gaelic) stands at 1051m deep in the plateaux of the mounth between Glen Tilt, Glen Shee and Glen Lochsie. It is a shapely hill with wide ridges radiating southwards towards lonely Glen Lochsie and it's ruined shooting lodge. The mountain also has a number of impressive corries to the north namely Glas Coire Mhor and Glas Coire Bheag, however these can only be fully appreciated from the upper reaches of Gleann Taitneach.

The most direct route comes from Dalmunzie in lower Glen Lochsie along a land rover track to the old shooting lodge at the head of the glen where until 1977 a railway ran to provide access for the stalking. This track leads right onto the spur known as 'Breac-reidh' over springy heather and begins to peter out the further up the ridge you go until it becomes an eroded path up the final pull up to the summit. Alternative routes include following the old railway line and cutting up to the spur called 'Creag Bhreac' or following Gleann Taitneach up and assualting the hill from the Lochan nan Eun side over boggy and often rough terrain.
Glas Tulaichean can also become part of a ski tour from Glen Lochsie or Glen Shee. It can provide an excellent high level tour in remote and wild country provided snow cover is sufficient, an exceeding rare event these days. There is also the possibility of rock and ice climbing in the area, the SMC records short routes on the Northern corries of Glas Tulaichean.






It can also be climbed in combination with a number of other hills to create a longer walks through more remote country over very ardous ground.:

Carn an Righ
Beinn Iutharn Mhor
Carn Bhac
Mam nan Carn
An Socach

Getting There

Access from the central belt (i.e. Edinburgh and Glasgow) is very simple. The M90 across the Forth Road Bridge can be followed from Edinburgh to Perth where the reader should turn off and follow the signs for Blairgowrie and the A93. Follow the A93 north through Bridge of Cally until you turn off at the Spittal of Glenshee and take the track 2km down to the Dalmunzie Hotel where parking is avaliable to start the walk.

During winter, the road may be closed at points along Glen Shee so it is worth checking road conditions at www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/travel.

From Aberdeen take the A93 past Banchory and Ballater to Braemar and the Cairnwell Pass where on the south side lies the Spittal of Glenshee. From Inverness or further north take the A9 south to Pitlochry where you turn off to take the A924 to Kirkmichael and then the B950 to meet the A93 about 6 miles south of the Spittal.

Red Tape

there is no restriction on walking in this area thanks to the Land Reform Act (Scotland) of 2003 which allows movement at any time as long as there is no disturbance.
However do watch out for men with guns during the stalking season (from July to October). It is not often they visit this area, prefering the easier hunting grounds further up Glen Shee and to the east but caution must be taken anyway.

Camping and accomodation

Wild Camping is popular in this area but if you are a strong walker there is no pressing need to camp out unless you want to. If you are wild camping it would be prudentto let either the Dalmunzie Hotel or the people at the Spittal
know where you are going.

Notable sites include anywhere beside Lochan nan Eun or the upper reaches of Gleann Mor but this may become very boggy after rain of any sort. Higher sites may be preferable after that sort of weather and good campsites may include the col between Mam nan Carn and Carn an Righ or the glen between Mam nan Carn, Beinn Iutharn Mhor and Beinn Iutharn Bheag.





There are a number of notable B and B's in the area. For those looking for a more expensive experience the Royal Hotel in Blairgowrie may be suitable if you are willing to drive to start points. the Dalmunzie Hotel itself is good hotel and will provide a decent night's sleep before a long walk in the morning.

The Spittal of Glenshee itself has rooms and gives good service however shabby the buliding looks.
Gulabin Lodge,a very cosy bunkhouse across the road is run by the local Ski School instructor and provides a very good service.

There are also a number of good B&Bs in Blairgowrie but many do not have websites so look at the Scottish Tourist Board for more infomation

Ski Touring

There are a number of ski touring possibilities involving Glas Tulaichean. The most common tour follows the same route as the walk up from Dalmunzie and either down the same way (if your telemark is up to it) or follow the coirre lip round to Lochan nan Eun and down Gleann Taitneach. It can also be traversed in combination with either Carn an Righ and Beinn Iutharn Mhor from Dalmunzie or the Ski Centre at Glenshee or for those with two cars a combination including Carn a' Gheoidh and the Cairnwell.

External Links

Books and Publications

The Munros (SMC)
Ski Mountaineering in Scotland (SMC)
The Cairngorms (SMC)
Walking the Munros Volume 2 (Cicerone)
Walking in the Cairngorms (Cicerone)

Images

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