The Cateran Mindless Sheep Trail

[Wildfisher]

I just watched a video of two guys camping and fishing at Loch Beanie in June. I won't trouble you with a link to the video as they blanked and it was pretty dull.

Anyway it looks like that loch's days of peaceful fishing are now a memory. Some genius has routed another of these endless  long distance sheep walk trails along the banks. It looked like there was a continuous line of fed up looking overloaded hikers on the banks most of the day. It was like Sauchiehall Street.

So that's another once lovely peaceful place to fish dashed off the list.   

[Fishtales]

I take it it was the video with this blurb under it

'This is a wild camping and fishing trip to Loch Beanie in Glenshee. We did not know when we planned this trip that our camp spot was on an alternative route of the Cateran Trail, it was the time of the Cateran Yomp and our remote, quiet camp got invaded by around 1000 people.'

The alternative route has always been there so why did they take the Yomp that way when it is off the Cateran Trail?

[Wildfisher]

I think that's it. they were there last year and blanked then too. Tough conditions and it does happen, but I think the peaceful magic that was once Beannie has now gone forever with that fecking trail. Not long now until the wild swimmers and paddle boarders arrive I suppose. 

[ianmck]

£450 quid to sign up for the Cateran Yomp? 

These charity events always feel a bit suspicious to me. Often they are scams where they give a percentage to charity but someone is usually pocketing the majority of the money.

[Wildfisher]

£450 quid to sign up for the Cateran Yomp? 

Plus £10 for a day ticket on the loch 

[Wildfisher]

The alternative route has always been there so why did they take the Yomp that way when it is off the Cateran Trail?

The alternative route is much shorter. Like most of these "Scottish" long distance sheep tracks this one seems to be loosely defined and very contrived. Probably the best defined one is the West Highland  Way. The Cape Wrath Trail for example is an ill defined bog hop for much of the route and passes through some very wild and remote terrain.

[Fishtales]

The Cateran Trail is marked on the OS map but not the alternate route. The Cape Wrath routes are marked in the guide book I think but it is also left up to the individual which way they go. The West Highland Way is just a linear route with very few alternate paths.

[Wildfisher]

The details are here:

https://www.strathardlelodge.com/2021/12/12/walking-the-cateran-trail/

[Fishtales]

The details are here:

https://www.strathardlelodge.com/2021/12/12/walking-the-cateran-trail/

I had a look at a few sites and it isn't in the official guides but is on some walking sites.

[Wildfisher]

Taking the Beanie route knocks a good few miles off the route. It is a hell of a boggy route though.