Càrn Gorm
Encyclopedia
Càrn Gorm is a Scottish
mountain situated 22 km west of Aberfeldy
in the council area of Perth and Kinross
, it stands in a group of four Munro
s known as the Càrn Mairg group or the Glen Lyon Horseshoe on the north side of Glen Lyon
.
. It is often climbed as part of the circuit of the Càrn Mairg Munros which stand in a curving arc around the Invervar Burn. Càrn Gorm is the first of the hills climbed when the round is walked in a clockwise direction, it is then followed by Meall Garbh
, Càrn Mairg
and Meall nan Aighean. Although not the highest of the group Càrn Gorm is often regarded as the finest looking with its summit shaped into a neat cone. The hill lies within the Chesthill estate and large herds of deer are often seen on its slopes. Càrn Gorm translates literally from the Gaelic
as “Blue Hill”, but the word gorm is also used for the green of foliage, and probably comes from the dark tones of the grass on the hillside rather than the shady hues of the conifer plantation on its south east slopes which was planted well after the hill was named.
its lower slopes are clothed in the woodlands of the Carie and Cragganester Woods SSSI part of the ancient Black Wood of Rannoch. The SE ridge descends to the valley of the Invervar Burn and is planted with coniferous woodland on its lower slopes. This eastern side of the mountain is part of the Càrn Gorm and Meall Garbh SSSI, a 1930 hectare area of sub-alpine mountain habitat, an example of natural and undisturbed territory within the UK with rare plant species. Lower down by the Invervar Burn are the remains of some old shielings from the time when cattle were brought up to summer pasture on these hills.
Càrn Gorm's south ridge is short and steep with some crags and is best shunned as a walking route, it descends quickly to Glen Lyon near Camusvrachan. The north ridge is more significant connecting the mountain to the adjoining Munro of Meall Garbh, firstly going over the subsidiary top of An Sgorr (The Rocky Peak). With a height of 924 metres An Sgorr is listed in the Munro Tables as a “Top” of Càrn Gorm. On the traverse between the two Munros, An Sgorr can be by-passed on its NW side but most walkers will climb it and then drop to the col
with a height of 845 metres before climbing to Meall Garbh. In between the ridges there are steep slopes, especially to the east, north and SW. All drainage from Càrn Gorm feeds the River Tay
with the majority going south via Glen Lyon although a small percentage goes north via Loch Rannoch
.
while 80 metres to the NW is the site of the OS
trig point
which has been pushed over and is lying on its side, surrounded by a wind shelter. The best views from the summit are to the south, there being an aerial view of Glen Lyon and a good spectacle of the Ben Lawers
range.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mountain situated 22 km west of Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross
Aberfeldy is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, on the River Tay. A small market town, Aberfeldy is located in Highland Perthshire and houses a population of about 1,895, as of the 2001 census...
in the council area of Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
, it stands in a group of four Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
s known as the Càrn Mairg group or the Glen Lyon Horseshoe on the north side of Glen Lyon
Glen Lyon
Glen Lyon may refer to:*Glen Lyon, Scotland , a glen in the Perth and Kinross area of Scotland*Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania, a U.S. village named after the Scottish glen...
.
Overview
Càrn Gorm reaches a height of 1029 metres (3376 feet), it qualifies as a Munro and a MarilynMarilyn (hill)
A Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Isle of Man with a relative height of at least 150 metres , regardless of absolute height or other merit...
. It is often climbed as part of the circuit of the Càrn Mairg Munros which stand in a curving arc around the Invervar Burn. Càrn Gorm is the first of the hills climbed when the round is walked in a clockwise direction, it is then followed by Meall Garbh
Meall Garbh (Càrn Mairg Group)
Meall Garbh is a mountain on the north side of Glen Lyon in the Scottish Highlands. The flat summit of the hill is has two tops of almost equal height, the north-west one being considered the higher....
, Càrn Mairg
Càrn Mairg
Càrn Mairg is a Scottish mountain located 18 km west of Aberfeldy in the Perth and Kinross council area. It stands on the northern side of Glen Lyon in a cluster of four Munros known as the Càrn Mairg group which are situated in a semi circle around the Invervar Burn.- Overview :Càrn Mairg is...
and Meall nan Aighean. Although not the highest of the group Càrn Gorm is often regarded as the finest looking with its summit shaped into a neat cone. The hill lies within the Chesthill estate and large herds of deer are often seen on its slopes. Càrn Gorm translates literally from the Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
as “Blue Hill”, but the word gorm is also used for the green of foliage, and probably comes from the dark tones of the grass on the hillside rather than the shady hues of the conifer plantation on its south east slopes which was planted well after the hill was named.
Geography
Càrn Gorm is mostly composed of grassy slopes with sporadic rocky outcrops, its attractive summit peak is formed by the meeting of four ridges of varying lengths. The NW ridge is the longest, running for eight km down to the shores of Loch RannochLoch Rannoch
Loch Rannoch is a large body of fresh water in Perth and Kinross, Scotland.The loch is over long in a west-east direction with an average width of about . The River Tummel begins at its eastern end. The Tay Forest Park lies along its southern shore...
its lower slopes are clothed in the woodlands of the Carie and Cragganester Woods SSSI part of the ancient Black Wood of Rannoch. The SE ridge descends to the valley of the Invervar Burn and is planted with coniferous woodland on its lower slopes. This eastern side of the mountain is part of the Càrn Gorm and Meall Garbh SSSI, a 1930 hectare area of sub-alpine mountain habitat, an example of natural and undisturbed territory within the UK with rare plant species. Lower down by the Invervar Burn are the remains of some old shielings from the time when cattle were brought up to summer pasture on these hills.
Càrn Gorm's south ridge is short and steep with some crags and is best shunned as a walking route, it descends quickly to Glen Lyon near Camusvrachan. The north ridge is more significant connecting the mountain to the adjoining Munro of Meall Garbh, firstly going over the subsidiary top of An Sgorr (The Rocky Peak). With a height of 924 metres An Sgorr is listed in the Munro Tables as a “Top” of Càrn Gorm. On the traverse between the two Munros, An Sgorr can be by-passed on its NW side but most walkers will climb it and then drop to the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
with a height of 845 metres before climbing to Meall Garbh. In between the ridges there are steep slopes, especially to the east, north and SW. All drainage from Càrn Gorm feeds the River Tay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
with the majority going south via Glen Lyon although a small percentage goes north via Loch Rannoch
Loch Rannoch
Loch Rannoch is a large body of fresh water in Perth and Kinross, Scotland.The loch is over long in a west-east direction with an average width of about . The River Tummel begins at its eastern end. The Tay Forest Park lies along its southern shore...
.
Ascents and summit
As mentioned, Càrn Gorm is invariably climbed as the first peak of the Glen Lyon horseshoe, the start is at Invervar in Glen Lyon (grid reference ) where there is a small car park. The route goes north through the woodland for just over a kilometre until the open hillside is reached, the hill can then be climbed by its SE ridge. As an alternative to the Glen Lyon horseshoe walk, Càrn Gorm can climbed with the adjoining corbett of Beinn Dearg which lies 2.5 km to the west across the steep sided Dubh Choirein starting at Camusvrachen (grid reference ) at the foot of that glen. The summit has two high points, the true summit is marked by a small cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
while 80 metres to the NW is the site of the OS
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
trig point
Triangulation station
A triangulation station, also known as a triangulation pillar, trigonometrical station, trigonometrical point, trig station, trig beacon or trig point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity...
which has been pushed over and is lying on its side, surrounded by a wind shelter. The best views from the summit are to the south, there being an aerial view of Glen Lyon and a good spectacle of the Ben Lawers
Ben Lawers
Ben Lawers is one of the highest mountains in the southern part of the Scottish Highlands. It lies to the north side of Loch Tay, and is the highest point of a long ridge that includes seven Munros. Ben Lawers was long thought to be over 4,000 ft in height; accurate measurement in the 1870s...
range.