📌 Glen Isla, Angus
★★★
If you live around Dundee or Perth, this heathery summit is the perfect option for a winter day with limited daylight hours, or for a lazy start after a late night! Decent tracks lead to the very top, with excellent views up Glen Isla towards Monamenach and Glas Maol on the ascent from Folda. Climbing Badandun Hill from this direction also gives the possibility of a loop around lovely Auchintaple Loch, with some precarious stepping stones and a couple of awkward-to-open gates to add character.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Mount Blair from the start 
Good views up Glen Isla from the outward track 
Track up Badandun Hill 
View back to Mount Blair from the ascent 
View west to Glen Beanie 
Auchintaple Loch (left) & Mount Blair 
Red deer 
Head of Glen Isla 
Upper slopes 
Badandun Hill summit, looking southwest 
View northwest to the Glas Maol Munros 
View northeast to Mayar & Driesh 
Track descent 
Traversing the east side of the hill 
Badandun Hill from the south 
Auchintaple Loch 
Crossing the loch outflow 
Path across the dam 
Southwest shore of Auchintaple Loch 
Badandun Hill beyond the loch 
Boathouse 
Final descent back into Glen Isla
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at track junction on minor road just north of Folda & south of Bridge of Forter
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 187648
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.767479,-3.330990
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Layby – don’t block track junction
📝 Key info
▶ 12 km / 7 mi | ▲ 530 m | ⌛ 4-4.5 hr
Features: △ Badandun Hill (740 m, “Torbett”); 💧 Auchintaple Loch
⬤⬤ Moderate to Tough | Tracks throughout, except for narrower path around Auchintaple Loch. Start of path around Auchintaple Loch was concealed by a couple of fallen trees on our December 2021 visit. Outflow from the loch is crossed on a pile of stones with wooden railing – may be impassable in spate. Easy route for this grade.
Download file for GPS➡️ Clockwise circuit: start – Cuingard – Badandun Hill via southwest slopes – descend northeast to track junction at 600m contour – track south then southwest to join Cateran Trail – cross Auchintaple Loch outflow & dam – boathouse – track northwest to rejoin outward route – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Dozens of red deer high on Badandun Hill, cows near start. Mute swans & ducks on Auchintaple Loch, pheasants in Glen Isla on the way to the start.
Weather: Full sunshine & almost windless. Below freezing at start with glen frost persisting all day. Much milder on summits – perhaps 12°C or so.
December 2021
