Hidden Scotland
Sign in
Càrn Liath's cone under a cap of snow, lit russet by a low sun, above a fence line and rough grass.
Blair Atholl and Glen Tilt

Beinn a' Ghlo - Carn Liath

A Munro of 976 metres, number 180 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Càrn Liath is one of the three Munro summits of Beinn a' Ghlò, near Blair Atholl on the southern edge of the Cairngorms National Park.

Its path was once a scar visible from the A9. It was repaired in 2019 with 900 metres of stone pitching, and a car park opened at its start in 2023.

The Càrn Liath path starts at the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland's car park at Loch Moraig. It was repaired in 2019 with 900 metres of stone pitching.

Starts from
The Beinn a' Ghlò car park at Loch Moraig, near Blair Atholl, at the start of the Càrn Liath path.
The ground
A Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area. Stags are stalked from August to 20 October.
Under snow
No avalanche forecast is issued for Beinn a' Ghlò: the service forecasts for six other areas. Having no forecast does not mean there is no risk here under snow.
Summit
Grid reference NN 936 698.
Car park
The Beinn a' Ghlò car park at Loch Moraig, PH18 5TT, is run by the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland and has 60 spaces. In 2026 it charged £5 a car, by contactless card, Apple Pay or cash.
Other vehicles
Motorbikes £3, campervans £8 and minibuses £15; a year's permit is £20 a vehicle. An attendant patrols daily. The access road is narrow.
Toilets and food
There are no toilets at the car park. Our nearest cafés are in Blair Atholl and Killiecrankie.
On the hill today
0° to 4°Drizzle on the summit, 976 m. Feels like −3° in the wind.

West wind to 13 mph, gusting 26
Dry, or nearly
Light from 7.49am to 6.11pm, ten hours

Sat 17Some cloud−1° to 4° on top · 9 mph, gusts 20
Sun 18Clear−4° to 4° on top · 7 mph, gusts 13
Mon 19Drizzle−5° to 6° on top · 10 mph, gusts 20

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Southeastern Highlands forecast, Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecast, Càrn Liath.

October2026

MTWTFSS

Going another day?

Choose the day you mean to climb.Near or far: the light you will have, and what the summit is likely to be doing.

Photographs by Perfect pics, gregory666 and Matthew Graham, via Google

Before you go

Carry

  • A paper map and a compass, and the skill to use them
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves
  • Food and drink
  • A head torch, a whistle and a first aid kit
  • A survival bag
  • Boots with a good grip

Under snow and ice this is a different day, with short light and the risk of avalanche. It needs an ice axe, crampons, winter boots and the skill to use them.

If something goes wrong

  • Dial 999, ask for the police, then mountain rescue
  • Give a six-figure grid reference: the summit is NN 936 698
  • Say how many are hurt, how many are with you, and your number
  • Register to text 999 before the day: text the word register to 999

The summit is optional. Turning back is the right decision whenever the cloud, the wind or the light say so.

How to call for help in the hills · Safety and skills for the hills · ThinkWINTER

From our readers

Nobody has written from Beinn a' Ghlo - Carn Liath yet. If you were up, yours would be the first.

Tell the next person

Were you up? Three words is enough.A free account, a word for the weather and a line if you like.

Sign in to tell them
From the magazine
Read more elsewhere

For the route itself, take the map and read these.

Sleep and eat at its foot

Next along: Beinn a' Ghlo - Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, Beinn a' Ghlo - Carn nan Gabhar, Carn a' Chlamain, Beinn Dearg. Checked on 9 October 2026. The facts on this page are the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland's, Atholl Estates' and Lude Estate's; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's and the Met Office's. Height and position from The Database of British and Irish Hills, v18.3, adapted, CC BY 4.0. This page is not a route description and does not replace a map.