David - noticing comments is fun! That's what it's all about.

Coming directly along the shoreline from Ben Alder Cottage (Haunted by An Unpleasantness, so the story goes) there's one point to watch out for. It's at around NN 507 681 - just below Price Charlie's Cave to the SE.

The track narrows and then completely disappears, and you're faced with a 5 or 6 metre scramble to your right over some slabs, which could prove greasy in wet conditions. There's a moderate amount of exposure - worst comes to worst you'll fall into the loch and the ospreys will pick yr bones come summer.

NNE over the Bealach Breabag (Kick-ass Pass) and on to Loch Pattock via Bealach Beath (Birch Pass) and the Allt a' Chaoil-reidhe (The stream that flows through flat ground with no grazing for cattle - great descriptive name as this is a particularly sodden piece of ground) will, as Colin says, see you right and is a more sporting route.

Garrons, by the way, are Clydesdale/Highland-pony crosses. Think scaled-down Chinooks or Landrover Defenders in horse form. Strong and aimable.

HMP3,

"Strong and amiable" -a pretty accurate description of the average vetter one could say, and perhaps also enthusiastic, magnificent, encyclopaedic, dependable, caring, modest, understanding,determined, vastly experienced, reliable, modest, kind, utterly and absolutely safety concious, trustworthy, tactful, full of spunk and grit, oozing humility and totally, totally inscrutable, but perhaps above all,.. utterly modest.

Thanks Humphrey and Chris who eats outdoorsgrub.

I hadn't planned to cut down to Ben Alder Cottage so I can avoid the dice with a swim in the Loch scramble that you mention. My current plan after Uisge Labhair is to ford (?) the stream somewhere near 461722 and then head approx NE to the path that goes across Bealach Dubh and down to Loch Pattack, where I shall, apparently, be eaten by those garron pony thingies. I have had the bothy at Culra Lodge recommended as a potentially sociable camping spot but that might give me too long a walk the following day when I need to get to Kingussie and a real bed. Still, I shall have to see how it is going after the Uisge Labhair....

Rob,
Probably a bit late to be any help as others have covered this, but are you sure you were on the path when you found it so disgusting. The first time I did this I strayed onto an argocat track which is, indeed, pretty horrible. I am also aware of a couple of challengers, names withheld, who made the same mistake and had a hard time getting back down again. The path on the map is actually quite nice and well defined - there are many worse.

If you are heading for Dalwhinnie it is easier not to cross where shown on the map - carry on until about NN468725 where the water splits (divide and conquer) - this is shown on an Explorer map but not Landranger.

Colin.

Thanks Colin. I have marked that GR on my map!