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…
Loch Laggan and Creag Meagaidh
Geal Charn
A Munro of 1,050 metres, number 80 of the 282.
The hill
This Geal Charn stands south of Loch Laggan on Ardverikie Estate.
Three other Munros share the name, in the Ben Alder range, the Monadhliath and at Drumochter.
It is the middle in height of the estate's three Munros. Creag Pitridh is under two kilometres to the west and Beinn a' Chlachair about four and a half to the south-west, and Mountaineering Scotland describes the three as surrounding Loch a' Bhealaich Leamhain.
The avalanche service counts it among the outlying mountains of its Creag Meagaidh area, on the eastern side.
- The walk in
- Ardverikie Estate asks walkers to leave their cars in a lay-by on the A86 and walk in.
- The ground
- Day visitors are welcome to walk over the public areas of Ardverikie Estate at any time. The estate asks walkers to keep away from the castle and the houses, and allows no vehicles on the estate itself.
- Stalking
- The stalking season runs from August to March. If you are worried about running into a stalk, ring the estate office during normal office hours on 01528 544300.
- Under snow
- The avalanche service applies what it learns in its core area to outlying hills such as this one, which its forecasters visit in turn as the winter goes on. No forecast is issued before 17 December 2026, and having none does not mean there is no risk under snow.
- Summit
- Grid reference NN 504 811. The other Munros of this name are in the Ben Alder range, the Monadhliath and at Drumochter.
- Parking
- Ardverikie Estate names two lay-bys on the A86: one about ¼ mile west of the Gatelodge, at grid reference NN 533896, and, for the far west end of the estate at Moy, the large lay-by beside the concrete bridge, at NN 433830, from where you walk in.
On the hill today
−2° to 3°Cloudy on the summit, 1,050 m. Feels like −5° in the wind.
West wind to 8 mph, gusting 17
Dry, or nearly
Light from 7.54am to 6.11pm, ten hours
Sun 18Clear−1° to 4° on top · 10 mph, gusts 19
Mon 19Drizzle−5° to 5° on top · 6 mph, gusts 11
Tue 20Drizzle−1° to 5° on top · 7 mph, gusts 14
A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecast, West Highlands forecast, Geal Charn, Ardverikie, Creag Meagaidh avalanche forecast.
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.
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 504 811
- 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 Geal Charn 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.
- The Munros on WalkhighlandsRoute descriptions with maps. Choose the Geal Charn of Ardverikie, south of Loch Laggan beside Creag Pitridh, not one of its three namesakeswalkhighlands.co.ukThe route↗
- Ardverikie Estate: public accessThe estate on walking in, the two lay-bys and the stalking seasonardverikie.comThe estate↗
- Geal Charn, Ardverikie, 11 February 2021The avalanche forecaster's report from a day on this hill, 11 February 2021, with photographs of the snow he foundmeagaidhblog.sais.gov.ukIn winter↗
- Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecastThe Mountain Weather Information Service's forecast, three days ahead and written by forecasters. Its area takes in the Ben Alder hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan; read the West Highlands forecast as wellmwis.org.ukMountain weather↗
- West Highlands forecastThe neighbouring area, which takes in Glen Spean and Creag Meagaidh and reaches from Ben Alder southmwis.org.ukMountain weather↗
- Geal Charn, ArdverikieThe Met Office's forecast for the summit itself: a model for one point, not a report from the hill. The Met Office lists it as Geal Charn (1049m), the height the avalanche forecaster also gives, and its mountain forecast link is to North Grampianweather.metoffice.gov.ukSummit forecast↗
- Creag Meagaidh avalanche forecastThe avalanche service names this hill, Geall Charn in the east, as one of its outlying mountains, and its forecaster reached it through the Ardverikie Estate in February 2021. Forecasts ended for the winter in April 2026 and the full service begins again on 17 December 2026; having no forecast does not mean there is no risk under snowsais.gov.ukAvalanche↗
- Ardverikie Estate: public accessThe estate's page on access, parking and the stalking seasonardverikie.comNotices↗
Sleep and eat at its foot
Next along: Creag Pitridh, Beinn a' Chlachair, Carn Dearg, Geal-charn. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Ardverikie Estate's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service's; 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.