At One with the Mountains - An interview with Nick Gardner
Issue 6: Nick Gardner and his wife Janet were living an idyllic life on a croft…
Blair Atholl and Glen Tilt
Carn a' Chlamain
A Munro of 964 metres, number 192 of the 282.
Photograph by Graham Grinner Lewis (CC BY 2.0)
The hill
Carn a' Chlamain stands above Glen Tilt, north of Blair Atholl in Perth and Kinross.
Its nearest Munro neighbours are the three tops of Beinn a' Ghlo, the closest of them about four and a half kilometres to the south-east.
This is Atholl Estates country. The estate counts six Munros and two Corbetts among its hills, with long-distance routes such as Glen Tilt and the Minigaig Pass running through them, and it was admitted into the Cairngorms National Park in 2010.
Atholl Estates' main routes on Càrn a' Chlamain are the south-east ridge and the path from behind Forest Lodge to the summit.
- The day's notice
- Atholl Estates posts the day's stalking notice at about 8.15am at its Glen Tilt car park in Blair Atholl, where one of its map boards stands.
- Stalking
- In the stag season Atholl Estates asks hillwalkers to keep to its main routes, or to ring its Hillphone on 01796 481740, updated at 8am daily. Its access page gives the season as 1 August to 20 October, but other dates are printed elsewhere, so ask the estate. There is no stalking on Sundays.
- Summit
- Grid reference NN 915 758.
- Car park
- Atholl Estates' Glen Tilt car park, at Blair Atholl. Cars, campervans and caravans may not be left there overnight.
- Rifle range
- Atholl Estates closes the track through its Glen Tilt rifle range on days of long-range shooting, and routes in Glen Tilt through the range may be affected. Its list for 2026 ends with Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October: read it before choosing a way.
- Toilets and food
- Do not count on toilets at the car park. Blair Atholl has a railway station, and our nearest places to eat are in Blair Atholl and Killiecrankie.
On the hill today
0° to 4°Drizzle on the summit, 964 m. Feels like −4° in the wind.
North-west wind to 14 mph, gusting 30
Rain, about 1 mm
Light from 7.49am to 6.11pm, ten hours
Sat 17Some cloud−2° to 4° on top · 11 mph, gusts 24
Sun 18Clear−3° to 3° on top · 8 mph, gusts 15
Mon 19Drizzle−6° to 6° on top · 11 mph, gusts 22
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 a' Chlamain, Scottish Avalanche Information Service.
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.
Photograph by Graham Grinner Lewis (CC BY 2.0)
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 915 758
- 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 Carn a' Chlamain 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.
Read more elsewhere
For the route itself, take the map and read these.
- Càrn a' Chlamain on WalkhighlandsA full route description with a map, for the start and the waywalkhighlands.co.ukThe route↗
- Walking on Atholl EstatesAtholl Estates' hill routes, its walking map and its rifle range closuresatholl-estates.co.ukThe estate↗
- Deer stalking in the CairngormsThe park authority on planning a day around stalkingcairngorms.co.ukStalking↗
- Southeastern Highlands forecastThe Mountain Weather Information Service's forecast, three days ahead and written by forecasters. The hill sits where two of its areas meet, so read this one and the nextmwis.org.ukMountain weather↗
- Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecastThe neighbouring area; the service's area map shows which covers the hillmwis.org.ukMountain weather↗
- Càrn a' ChlamainThe Met Office's forecast for the summit itself: a model for one point, not a report from the hillweather.metoffice.gov.ukSummit forecast↗
- Scottish Avalanche Information ServiceThere is no avalanche forecast for Atholl: none of the service's six areas covers it, and their forecasts begin on 17 December 2026. Having no forecast does not mean there is no risk here under snowsais.gov.ukAvalanche↗
- Atholl Estates' guidance for public accessThe estate's main routes for the stag season and its Hillphone, 01796 481740, updated at 8am daily. The page gives the season as 1 August to 20 October; ask the estate, as other dates are printed elsewhereatholl-estates.co.ukNotices↗
- Glen Tilt rifle range closuresAtholl Estates' list of the days in 2026 when the track through its rifle range is closed to the publicatholl-estates.co.ukNotices↗
Next along: Beinn a' Ghlo - Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, Beinn a' Ghlo - Carn nan Gabhar, Beinn a' Ghlo - Carn Liath, Beinn Dearg. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Atholl Estates'; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's, the Met Office's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service'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.