There is widespread forestry that covers the eastern slopes of the Bran Scultair – Carrigroe – Carriglachan ridge of hills. This forestry stops abruptly at the top of the ridge, and the western slopes are relatively free of forest growth. Therefore from Bran Scultair it is simple to handrail this forestry along the ridge north for the 3 ½ km walk to Carriglachan via Carrigroe. As if this wasn’t an easy enough route to follow, there has been an almighty track gouged out of the bog along the ridge. This extends from Bran Scultair to beyond Carrigroe. It is up to 15 feet wide in places. There is another 4 foot wide strip alongside this track made up of the debris that was dug up to create the track. This track must have been created to facilitate forestry operations but it really seems like overkill. It appears like a white scar on the landscape and is highly visible along its length. The whiteness is because of the stone and rock that is the base of the track. It stops just before the drop to the col north of Carrigroe, and the rest of the journey to Carriglachan is along a more traditional wide boggy track. Complaints aside, the track makes the route easy to walk, and the views are great to the west. As murphysw has said, it is possible to drive the car as far as you want along the forest tracks, even to within a half kilometre of the summit of Bran Scultair. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/446/comment/3939/

To access the road to the summit, drive to S758364 B. This is the start of the road to the summit, which begins just after the Piano Gallery (???). The main road swings to the left, ours goes straight. Despite being marked as a track, its actually in great nick for an unsealed road and is more than suitable for an ordinary car. There is a barrier near the bottom so beware being locked up on the Blackstairs for the night! You can park the car anywhere, depending on how much work you want to do. I parked at S784393 C and took the path to the summit of Ballycrinnigan Rock, with its summit cross and Millenium Altar. From there its a straightforward stroll to the top of Bran Scultair with its mast and strangely perched trig point. The views over Carlow and to Brandon are superb especially when you do not have to break sweat to get there! Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/446/comment/3081/

Climbed Bran Scultair yesterday taking in Carrigroe and Carriglachan as well.Following the road out of Rathnure from Killanne I took the first right hand turn,then right at the next junction and then left onto Ballybawn lane.Follow this narrow road to its end there is parking for two or three cars just at a bridge over a tributary of the river Boro.I then followed the forest track uphill ignoring the first left hand junction upto where it swings around to the left.After about 50 metres take the right hand turn and then up a rough track on the left, there are a couple of trees down across this track and its best to stay to its edges as the mud is knee deep in spots.
This track leads to a wide track transversing the ridge with Carriglachan to the right and Carrigroe and Bran Scultair to the left.The track handrails the forest on your left with some great views of the countryside and Brandon hill in the distance.This track can be quite uneven and rocky in places but makes for easy walking nevertheless.Bran Scultair is marked with a Trig point on a rocky outcrop as well as a couple of masts.Its possible to return via forest track to the main starting track but not been a fan of these I returned the way I came.The wide track also gives a good approach to Blackstairs mountain via Cathaor Roes den and its one to try in the future.Distance 9.8 km, time taken 2 hours twenty mins with a stop for lunch.High point 508 metres. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/446/comment/17852/