KYQ4: Beinn Sgriol

Beinn Sgriol from Ladhar Bheinn

Wednesday, 16 May 2018

Ascent: 1095 metres
Distance: 8 kilometres
Time: 4 hours 6 minutes

Beinn Sgriol 974m 2 hours 20 minutes

Leaving Torrin on Skye to get to Glenelg was not as straightforward as I had hoped after getting down from Bla Bheinn. I immediately drove to catch the Kylerhea to Glenelg ferry, figuring that I could eat some lunch on the ferry or during the wait for it. Despite the narrow single track road with few passing places that runs from the A87 at Broadford aerodrome to Kylerhea there were few delays. I arrived just before 2pm as the ferry was on the slipway. Unfortunately, all 6 car spaces had been taken so I was told that it would take twenty minutes for it to return. If only that were the case.

The tide was at its lowest ebb of the year and the ferry had to make a long dogleg across the narrow channel. It took far longer to return than expected and struggled to reach the slipway in low water or to let down its ramp. Three cars and two German bikers with touring BMW bikes were eventually loaded and then shuffled up and down the rotating platform several times before the weight distribution allowed the ferry to reverse off the sea bottom. Its diesel engine was emitting black flumes of smoke and the seabed well and truly agitated.

It was well after 3pm before the ferry reached the Glenelg slipway and the long drive to Arnisdale began, through Glenelg village, past Gavin Maxwell's house at Sandaig (Camusfearna) and on to the remote village of Arnisdale. I parked at the far end of the village at the designated parking place overlooking the shore but then discovered that the start of the path had been relocated since my last visit to the entrance to the village. It took me ten minutes to return and prepare for the walk, changing into an old pair of Inov8 trail shoes that would be scrapped at the end of the walk after five years of good service.

Two ladies talking outside the Post Office pointed out the start of the path. Immediately I was confronted by a narrow boggy path that climbs to about 100 metres before taking a sharp right diversion through a new gate, crossing a couple of burns and then joining the original path from the centre of the village. This is the start of a brutally steep ascent. I had been up this way only once before on a wet October day and I now realised why. It is an even worse route than the steep climb through almost impenetrable vegetation from the road three miles west of Arnisdale that I had endured on a couple of occasions. On a warm sunny May afternoon, it was going to be a long sweat inducing slog.

I met a young couple from Ambleside, they complained that even descending the path was hard work and so much more difficult than walking in the Lakes. They did acknowledge that the views from the summit were worth it. This part of the climb continues to Bealach Arnasdail at 604 metres where there is a turn to the left and then another energy-sapping climb up the east ridge. There is a path but it meandered into a scree slope at 750 metres. Then another 150 metres of trail dancing on boulders to reach the top at 906 metres.

Suddenly the views were spectacular in all directions and the walking became enjoyable as I ambled down and across a grassy ridge to the summit about a mile away. It was 6pm as I reached the broken cairn and languished for ten minutes in the glorious evening sunshine. As I had hoped the views to Knoydart and along Loch Hourn were stunning whilst Skye glistened beneath the sinking evening sun in the west. I figured that it would be almost 8pm by the time I was back down to the car. I needed to decide whether to drive home, 4 hours at least, assuming I could stay awake at the wheel, or return to Lochcarron for another night. It was a no-brainer, I phoned my brother and by 9pm I was drinking a bottle of Red Cow bitter from the local Strathcarron brewery and enjoying a ham salad. Sleep was assured after 9 hours of walking and 2100 metres of ascent.