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| Name: | The Sow of Atholl [Meall an Dobharchain] |
| Hill number: | 401 |
| Height: | 798.9m / 2621ft |
| RHB Section: | 05A: Loch Ericht to Glen Tromie and Glen Garry |
| County/UA: | Perth and Kinross |
| Catchment: | Tay |
| Class: | Marilyn, Hump, Simm, Corbett, Yeaman (Ma,Hu,Tu,Sim,C,Y) |
| Grid ref: | NN 62519 74109 |
| Summit feature: | cairn on boulder |
| Drop: | 160.8m |
| Col: | 638.2m NN 6186 7347  |
| OS map sheet(s): | (1:50k) 42 (1:25k) OL50 393 |
| Observations: | ground at NN 62480 74118 40cm higher than base of boulder |
| Survey: | Abney level/Leica RX1250 |
| Change log: | show changes for this hill entry |
| GPS data: | show GPS entries for this hill |
N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way. Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land(*).
*For information about access rights in Scotland see the ScotWays website.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass. Please quote the hill number and hill name.
| Logged Descriptions (logged by 487 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all) | By | Date of Ascent |
| From layby 79, under railway, then balancing act to ford river. 1km W up track to bridge and track half way up Sow of Atholl then grass and short heather to summit. Path down SW and up butts path to Sgairneach Mhor E top. Track to Munro Sgairneach Mhor and old GR. Out and back along fence line on ok ground to An Sgulan, then path to Munro Ben Udlamain summit. NE to low point and E down easy grass slope, maybe a path but never found it, to fords on Allt Coire Dhomhain. Easy track out, but didn't ford river at E end, instead took path NE to railway, climbed fences and crossed line. 21km, 1000m climb, 6:30hrs. Snow showers stuck in Cairngorms and we had great weather. | Lynnebe | 17/04/2024 |
| Parked at Balsporran Cottages. Circular walk taking in A' Mharconaich (973.2m) Bruach nan Iomairean (969.8m), Beinn Udlamain (1010.2m), An Sgulan (865m), Old Sgairneach Mhor (963m), Sgairneach Mhor (991m), Sgairneach Mhor E Top (758m) and the Sow of Atholl (798.9m). Then a separate circular walk around Geal-charn (917.1m) at the end due to an error at the start. Generally clear and sunny but cloud on some summits, still a nice walk with some snow on the ground but not too much. Thought I'd seen a path from the East Summit opposite but failed to find it at any point going up, it's a steep pull late on in the day but great views over the A9 valley! /D | meltdiceburg | 01/04/2024 |
| A very windy walk to bag the Munro summits today, had to do this too! | emily | 03/02/2024 |
| Parked at Balsporran Cottages. Circuit of Geal Charn, Bruach nan Lomairean, A'Mharconaich, Beinn Udlamain, old Sgairneach Mhor, Sgairneach Mhor, Sgairneach Mhor E Top and the Sow of Atholl. Prepositioned second car at the road to take us back to Balsporran Cottages to save the 4km cycle path walk. Blustery but generally clear and an enjoyable walk. With Gillian, Denise, Tony and Zoe and meeting Bernard and Sarah on some of the tops. | richard69 | 03/10/2023 |
| From the bulldozed road don't be tempted to take the first muddy atv track as it turns back downhill. Instead stay on the road until a junction and turn right. A few yards further there is a turning circle from which a clear atv track runs up the slope alongside grouse butts and marker posts. Beyond the last butt it disappears in places but goes directly to the top. As is often the case it us much easier to follow it on descent. | Ben Rinnes | 05/07/2023 |
| great weather, climed with Meall na Leitreach. Parked next to railway crossing. | FCMark | 19/05/2023 |
| Solo from Dalnaspidal Lodge. Sow of Atholl, down to the bealach then up an ATV track and joining the main track to Sgairneach Mhor. Continued on to Beinn Udlamain, then returned to car the same way, going over the top of Sgairneach Mhor again. Lovely, sunny day. Plenty of folk out. | DampandDusty | 13/05/2023 |
| Geal-charn (Drumochter), Bruach nan Iomairean, A' Mharconaich, Beinn Udlamain, Sgairneach Mhor (Old), Sgairneach Mhor, Sgairneach Mhor East Top & The Sow of Atholl (Meall an Dobharchain) from parking at Balsporran Cottage | JasonStark | 01/04/2023 |
| From the level crossing at Dalnaspidal where there is good parking. In cloud from about 550m but easy walking. Solo. Stopped off on way home from Ullapool. | bolton | 02/12/2022 |
| Had a few hours to kill in the morning, so a wee solo up n down of The Sow seemed like a good fit. 10mins of light drizzle when I set off from Dalnispidal, clag on the top 50m, but dry and clear otherwise. Straight forward hill - total time 1h 43min. | mproudfoot | 24/11/2022 |
| West Drumochter Munros plus Sow. Sunshine but one light-ish shower on Mharconaich. Left bike at Dalnaspidal. En route to Inverness. | Rounsfell | 05/08/2022 |
| SHC walk from Layby 79. Sow of Atholl, Sgairneach Mhor and Beinn Udlamain. | TRG318 | 24/07/2022 |
| Good parking by level crossing NN 6454 7321. Track SW then W. Fork right on unmapped track NN 6331 7267. Becomes good atv but ends at last grouse butt - NN 6297 7344. From there a feint path up but very easy pleasant walking | carole engel | 25/06/2022 |
| Sow and Meall na Leithreach from Dalnaspidal. | thekirkie pirate | 25/01/2022 |
| Balsporran Cottages - Geal-charn - A’ Mharconaich - Bruach nan Iomairean - Beinn Udlamain - Sgairneach Mhor - The Sow of Atholl - footbridge at NN620750 - track and A9 cycle path back to Balsporran. | Mark Jackson | 25/08/2021 |
| With Moira on drive up to Boat of Garten | ColB | 03/08/2021 |
| 1/5 Sow of Atholl, Sgairneach Mhor East Top, then Both tops of Sgairneach Mhor and Meallan Buidhe (via Mam Ban which thank you mam deserves a mention as lovely soft mossy place to rest). | nickywood1 | 08/07/2021 |
| The Sow of Atholl, Sgairneach Mhor, Beinn Udlamain and A'Mharconaich from Layby 81. Recorded route and write-up at http://gayleybird.blogspot.com/2021/06/four-tops-from-drumochter-pass.html | Gayle | 17/06/2021 |
| I had driven up to the top of Strathconon.on Friday 4th June. With the plan of hikking into Glen Orrin and bagging the Strathfarrar munros on the 5th. But i had a very low blood sugar, so I camped next to the metal suspension bridge in Strathconon Friday night. Got to Dalnasipdal for 10:40 on Saturday 5th June and I was back at the car for 13:40. Great views of Speyside and south into Perthshire. | chillyman8 | 05/06/2021 |
| Quick bag from Dalnaspidal trying to dodge hail showers. Quite dry underfoot | Rockdoctor | 01/05/2021 |
| with Tam, broken cloud | TamCollie | 28/11/2020 |
| Anticlockwise loop from layby 79 on a9 via B&B then up! All tops in this area except the boar. Couldn't face it after the steep ascent and descent from the sow. Just under 7hrs including walk in | Nicky C | 24/08/2020 |
| From Dalnaspidal to weirs then up atv tracks then good going to summit cairn. Wandered to apparent high point then decended on atv to track higher up and back to car. | SS | 25/07/2020 |
| Followed a track from Dalnaspidal Lodge, which went pretty much all the way to Sgairneach Mhor East Top, the last section running parallel to a row of shooting butts. Crossed a beallach to its South East then a short pull up to the Sow. A muddy track goes half way up The Sow's SE flank, so got on to this (little more than muddy ruts) until it rejoined the main stone track. Nice wee jaunt - 2.5hrs total. | summitter | 16/11/2019 |
| Meall na Leitreach and The Sow of Atholl from Dalnaspidal Lodge. | rhalstead | 21/06/2019 |
| From Dalnaspidal along tracks to SE slopes of Sow of Atholl, then straight up to summit, return down to main track, across and followed ATV tracks over Sron na h-Eiteich and Meall na Leitrach, return same way back to Dalnaspidal | kdbennett | 04/05/2019 |
| Solo with Lily and Rosie. Followed ATV tracks past a series of well constructed stone butts to summit. Mountain hares, geese and lapwings. 90 minutes. | alexmaclennan | 21/04/2019 |
| From Dalnaspidal Lodge, freezing strong wind, sunny spells, great views. | iangalbraith | 14/04/2019 |
| light snow cover, sunny day.down to Dalnaspidal and a long walk back along the cycle path to Balsporran. | gettingonabit | 28/10/2018 |
| Drumochter 4 round | quadbarrel | 18/10/2018 |
| Easy hill. | tallblond | 04/06/2018 |
| With J on way to Sutherland for a week. A glorious sunny & warm morning but with a keen breeze higher up. Parked at Dalnaspidal, crossed the railway & the first bridge. Lots of oystercatchers squawking away. Just before the second bridge, took the track on N bank of Allt Coire Luidhearnaidh past a line of grouse butts. Right fork then leads shortly to a turning circle of sorts & from there an ATV track leads up past several foxhole type shooting butts. This makes for an easy ascent leading to the upper slopes where the ground is easy underfoot. A grand view. Back by the same route & then onwards to Bonar Bridge. | NotReallyABagger | 19/05/2018 |
| From Dalnaspidal. Very easy bag. Sunny but cool. It felt it didn't take all that long to get up and bag down. Lots of shooting positions so climb out of shooting season. | Jhimmy | 21/04/2018 |
| With James D, Doug W, Chris W. Parked on A9 SB layby one km beyond Dalnaspiddal. Biggest flock of grouse I've ever seen. Startled a mountain hare less than 10 metres away, it bounded off very rapidly. Very soft snow, lots of it. | Owen B | 13/02/2018 |
| Completed on own, deep snow, approached from the north where there is a good track most of way up | JamesSDonald | 13/01/2018 |
| Veryhappybunny | 16/04/2017 | |
| A late start (1.30), hoping the weather would improve. Dry when I started but it reverted to sleet, rain and gale as soon as I got to the Dalnaspidal level crossing. But it's an easy, quick walk and a lovely plateau even in the absence of views. Carried on to Meall na Leitreach and was rewarded with clearing skies and sunshine at the summit. | Gill | 31/03/2017 |
| Up the SE breast from Dalnaspidal where there is plenty of parking. Only the top 100 ft or so was attractive, on wind-clipped heath. Very good summit views of the often visited Drumochter Pass. Sunny N, cloudy S. Good tracks in valley which is boggy and bird-rich. With Pete. | pwheeler | 28/03/2017 |
| Short walk with Richard on a very wet and windy day on route to the DMC new year meet at Kinlocheil. | amcculloch | 30/12/2016 |
| 35th – With Allan. From Dalnaspidal, follow track into glen, then head directly up hill side to summit. Cloud base just above/below top. Continuous rain, but short walk. Spotted two mountain hares. | RGibbs | 30/12/2016 |
| Solo. | Dangerous Dave | 23/09/2016 |
| ghaley | 09/09/2016 | |
| Weather fair. | MountainMac | 05/08/2016 |
| Solo fr P at NN630760, after 4 Munros, mostly running, except where too steep/boggy/stony. Tops now clear of mist, dry, though still plenty of wind, but quite enjoying it now. Steep descent and short run N along rd to top of pass, where a 15-min heavy shower got me! Stayed at Duke of Gordon Hotel in Kingussie. | NorfolkPT21 | 31/07/2016 |
| Plenty of parking off the A9 at 643734. (Turn north at the hairpin bend just west of the A9). Ascended heathery slopes of the over managed grouse moor. We saw 8 grouse all day. Descended SW for an ascent of Sgairneath Mhor. | mindlessflogger | 31/05/2016 |
| Hitched to Dalnaspiddal from Dalwhinnie then back over the tops in wet and windy weather. easily up The Sow and An Torc with nice bridge in between not on map. Descent north to pickup a track (again not on map) which took me part way to Balnasporran but then rougher going most of the way to Creagan Mor. Easy enough finish though dropped down NW side rather too soon because I thought I saw a track which was not there! | dickscroop | 26/03/2016 |
| Bill | garbo1103 | 25/02/2016 |
| Meall na Leitreach and The Sow of Atholl from Dalnaspidal | RobertP | 07/11/2015 |
| with Guy | Huwel | 03/09/2015 |
| All 4 munros and the sow of atholl from balsporran cottages. | isabelle | 17/06/2015 |