A tough climb. The hill is also known as Carn a' Ghille Charr and is a Graham.
Walk Highlands route described as follows:
Carn a' Ghille Charr the more northeasterly of the two Grahams in the Cromdale Hills. Though a simple rounded hill it has fewer visitors than its neighbour, and the old paths that lead up onto the ridge from the Cromdale side have become overgrown which means parts of the route involve harder going through deep heather.
TERRAIN:Pathless for much of the ascent, with sections of deep heather. The ridge is soggy in places with an intermittent path.
STAGE 1
It is possible to park on the grassy verge of the minor road through the Haughs of Cromdale at NJ111298, just south of the (insignificant) Bridge of Shennach. A sign by a gate reads 'Access to Cromdale Hills' - go through the pedestrian gate and cross the burn. Head up through the grassy field, dodging any cows, to a gate at the top end. The gate is marked with an arrow - but the historic path marked on Ordnance Survey maps from here up onto the ridge is now sadly overgrown. Continue towards the ill-defined Cnoc na Seilg ridge seen ahead - a bit of the old path can be seen climbing diagonally up it.
STAGE 2
Rather than trying the old path (overgrown with heather) there is a vehicle track just to the left that eases the ascent at first. Eventually this peters out; continue up the ridge, aiming for a clearer section of the old path. After a steeper section the slope eases; you can either continue tracing the old route (largely overgrown apart from the odd section) as it bears right a little and continues up to the main ridge of the Cromdales, or cut a corner by aiming more directly up onto the ridge, meeting it at a higher point.
STAGE 3
The ridge itself is soggy in parts but most of it has a fairly clear path. Follow this uphill onto Carn Eachie, the top of which is very wet and the cairn is bypassed well to the left. Beyond Carn Eachie the going becomes much drier underfoot and a clear path finally leads to the trig point on the very extensive summit of Carn a' Ghille Charr. Ben Rinnes dominates, with the Paul's Hill windfarm to its left.
STAGE 4
The return walk is back the same way. There are some alternatives; you could make a much longer traverse by heading along the ridge to the hill at the opposite end of the Cromdales, Creagan a' Chaise. If transport can be arranged, it is also possible to descend from where you originally reached the ridge to meet the top of a landrover track that heads down via Knock into Strath Avon. Whatever you decide, look out for reindeer - the Cromdale Hills are home to the larger part of the Cairngorm reindeer herd.
About Ye Ole Survey Monuments
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Ye Ole Survey Monument (YOSM) is a captivating series of caches that pays homage to the remarkable legacy of OutForTheHunt's YSM series (GC45CC).
YOSM caches are strategically positioned at or near Trig Points. These triangulation stations have played a pivotal role as surveying landmarks, contributing to the mapping of expansive territories.
Some of these points, bearing historical significance, might now be situated on private land or have vanished with time. As a result, the caches are artfully placed in close proximity, reverently acknowledging the historical importance of these survey monuments.
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More information, bookmarks and statistics can be found at the YOSM Website
If anybody would like to expand the Ye Ole Survey Monuments Series, please do.
I would ask that you request a number for your cache first at www.yosm.org.uk
so we can keep track of the numbers and names to avoid duplication.
