Ben Tirran is a straightforward hike of about 3 miles from the parking area next to Wheen farm on the B955 in Glen Clova. The entrance to the track is across the road from the parking, accessed via a gate with a “Welcome to the Moor” signboard just inside. The summit is part of a popular longer circular walk that starts further up the road in the village of Clova and which passes above two lochans, Loch Brandy and Loch Wharral. You only get to see Loch Wharral by going up from Wheen.
Two other walkers set off from the car park at the same time as me, but they were just heading up to the loch. They mentioned that there was a crashed bomber somewhere near Ben Tirran. I checked afterwards and it is a Wellington which crashed in WW2 to the North of the summit.
The broad track splits shortly after crossing a burn and winds uphill, getting significantly steeper after a left turn. A cairn at the col comes in to sight from some way down and this marks the point where the single track up to Ben Tirran starts.
Looking back down the track to where it splits, my 2 brief companions from the car park visible.
The cairn - smoke on RHS from controlled burning
Quite a lot of controlled burning was going on and unfortunately the gentle breeze was blowing smoke my way - not a great atmosphere to breathe.
The single track heading up
Although not obvious from satellite pics, the single track is more or less continuous - just keep right at any junctions, but is pretty steep until a small cairn is reached at the start of the Ben Tirran plateau.From there the track is marked by several more small cairns and winds gently up to the trig.
Path to summit, trig point with small shelter just visible on the horizon
Trig point with shelter
Activation
Due to the ARRL contest I had decided to just use 2m and 17m.
Equipment: KX3, 2m transverter, 5 el homebrew 2m yagi, 17m delta loop. Quansheng UV K5 2m back-up.
WX was OK but not fantastic; slight breeze but cloudy much of the time, c 4C.
Started on 2m with a S2S with MM0EFI/P, Fraser, on the Coyles of Muick, just 7km away. This was Quansheng to Quansheng as I forgot that my transverter works better if you remember to turn the power on - doh! GM5ALX, Alex in Aberdeen, was next and I then got the transverter working and turned the beam South, getting 3 more in the log from Livingstone, St.Andrews and near Brechin.
17m brought 21 chasers including 3 S2S, including a local, Hibby MM0RFN/P, up on Little Conval GM/ES-057. Best DX EA8CCA and EA8DMZ.
After getting gently rained on, I nearly packed up, but the shower passed and I went back to 2m, getting another 10 itl, including 2 pedestrian mobiles down near Peebles. MM0JNL, George, gave me 59+30 from Kirriemuir :).
I had about a dozen visitors, with a few dogs, all interested in what I was doing. One guy said his internet router looked just like my transverter and was also made in Ukraine!
Some views from the top
The fence is just north of the the trig
Looking NNE at Mount Keen
Flank of Loch Wharrel in the foreground
On the way back, I made the mistake at a path junction of taking the one that headed straight down, only for it to peter out. A short sideslip towards the loch was required in order to pick up the correct track.
Loch Wharrel on the way down, on the correct path
Looking down Glen Clova
The clouds disappeared as I neared the car. Looking back I saw a paraglider floating above Ben Tirran
73 all.