Blath Bhalg Hill of the rutting stags

According to the SMC book this hill translates as ‘pleasant bulge’. As we know, Gaelic is such a atmospheric and descriptive language, that I was unsure about my expectations for this walk. I suppose it depends on where you are looking at the hill from but my route was as per the book, I had quite a few bulges, pleasant or not, an individuals call.
However, this is not a negative review, far from it, I had a superb walk and I would rename it ’hill of the stag’. The timing of the red deer rut not coincidental.
I had driven north this morning and wanted a leg stretcher within my tight timeframe. Just off the A9 and on the Pitlochry-Blairgowrie road was the Graham, Blath Bhalg, 641m in height but a lot less in actual walking.

The Start

Easy to find the start, two aerials stand proud either side of the parking area. Actually, when getting out of the car the northerly wind was chilling, a combination of now no car heater and the real wind chill temperature. Seasons are progressing towards the cold front.
The view ahead from the parking area was to be fair, potentially uninspiring, but there is no such thing as a bad walk.

Boggy ATV track

To avoid clambering through heather simply follow an ATV trail past the ariel and upwards, vague at times, but it takes you uphill all the way to the fence line. At times it does become less easy to spot but it is never far away, stop and look. Some reports mention walking across the heather, fine if you want a shortcut but the easiest way is to follow the track. This track is very boggy in places, particularly after this weather, but easy enough to walk around, however gaiters recommended
Soon into the walk I heard a stag loudly roaring to my right, must be beyond that hillock. Before long I spot four hinds moving quickly across the moor heading towards the area of the roaring, coincidence?

Follow the fence

A straightforward walk alongside Dalnacarn hill and its moorland plateau leads you to the fence line and then simply follow this fence all the way to the summit, great for navigation in poor weather, albeit there are a few minor up and downs on the way. 
I spot a large bird on the top and through the binos an eagle, no doubt. Photos are too blurry to publish but on zoom the wings and tip feathering is clear.
Two other birds dominated today. It was my first visuals this year of large skeins of geese following the northern wind highway south, probably arriving from where I have departed. Plus, this does not appear to be a shooting hill but red grouse were plentiful bursting out of the heather alongside me.

Summit ridge ahead

Following the fence to the top, take a 90 degree right turn which takes you along the up and down ridge to the tops at 637 and 639 and then go the last little bit for the extra views to the south and Loch Broom I think.
On this day not another person in sight, total isolation, the only noise is that from nature, bliss.

Summit looking to Beinn a'Ghlo

For a grey day the sun is still shining in patches and there are great views of Ben Vrackie, the Beinn a’Ghlo ridge going in and out of cloud, Carn Liath hopefully a destination for later in week but not all three Munros for me . 

Scheihallion zoomed

Schiehallion is unmistakable and could that be Ben Nevis behind in the distance as seen through the binos, not in this picture?

Looking to the west top

Summit top reached in 1 hour 10 mins, a short but good walk. Walked to the west top and back. Took my time up top soaking in the views. Then, time to descend, but this took much longer than the ascent and was the best bit. Why, because my eyes could focus on the moor, going slowly and I was deer watching. The roaring could still be heard but where were they?

Lonely stag

Shortly after I began the descent I spotted a sole, but majestic looking stag, standing in the open moorland to my left, he had also spotted me and quickly ran to the trees but he was not prepared to jump the deer fence, the photo is a grainy action shot. He simply ran up the fence line until out of sight. Imagination runs riot, was he a previous Monarch of the Glen or a Young Pretender? Interestingly he was the only stag I saw without hinds.

Stag 2 harem hidden from view

Then movement away to my right. This handsome stag was giving me the eyes, not too far away, and after a minute or so of deliberation he led his small harem of 6 hinds up the same slopes that I had just descended, much quicker going up than me.

Vrackie & Carn Liath

As I came back around Dalnacarn hill I walked over a top and stumbled across a herd of about 20 hinds just below, the wind was in my favour, where had they all appeared from? They were actually very close and then they saw/smelt me and ran away going round the eastern flank whereas I would go to the west. My concern was where was the stag and was I between him and his herd. I know the danger of getting between a testosterone beast and his harem, basically don’t. I didn’t but whatever but it was exciting and I was looking out for him for a while but never even spotted the hinds again.
Further down on my left another group feeding in the distance. The stag never lifted his head from his feeding but in the binos his bulk compared to the hinds, he was a very big boy.

Typical terrain on the descent

So a fairly short hill walk, read some of the online the reports and it seems unadventurous but boy, today it was the opposite, I had a great day. That’s what the hills are about, you just never know what you will see or here.

Time: 2.32 hr
Distance: 4.66m (7.5km)
Height: 997 ft (304 m)