Glas Bheinn, Kinlochleven

Glas Bheinn beyond Loch Eilde Mor

Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Ascent:       1078 metres

Distance:    19 kilometres

Time:          5 hours 40 minutes

c    Glas Bheinn     792m      3hrs 26mins

It was shortly after midday by the time we had driven up to Kinlochleven from Loch Eil after our 3 hour morning walk on Meall a' Phubuill. We had stopped for a pot of tea to revive us at Morrisons in Fort William and then enjoyed the splendid drive along the north side of Loch Leven. It is years since I have been along this road. The Ballachulish bridge had isolated Kinlochleven, although in recent years it has seen a revival with the Ice Factor climbing facility acting as a magnet for folk with axes to wield.

The start of our walk was not auspicious, the signs and the numerous paths that leave the car park are confusing and our first sortie ended up in a nearby Kinlochmore housing scheme. We were directed back to the path that climbs to the track leading up to Loch Eilde Mor but such was the complexity of paths that we crossed the required path and ended on the more circuitous path that eventually arrives at the unmetalled road that heads to the loch. This was not before performing a series of dips, bends and climbs that probably lost us another twenty minutes. The consolation was the warm afternoon sun and strong cooling breeze, a perfect combination for walking. There was excellent visibility towards Na Gruagaichean and Sgurr Eilde Beag both providing enticing views of the Mamores. Just before you reach the loch there is a path dropping down to the western end of Loch Eilde Mor. A notice stated that the path was closed and three diggers were making a new road to the outlet of the loch. 

Under the freedom to roam we ignored the notice and crossed the muddy road under construction and thereafter the flat boggy land at the foot of the loch to reach the outlet dam. From here a narrow path follows the south shore of the loch and eventually begins to climb between two hills. It continues towards the Blackwater reservoir. At its high point on Meall na Cruaidhe, a path veers off towards Glas Bheinn. We had been observing the hill on the approach and it had no discernible qualities. The climb was over heathers but on the ridge, these had dried to give good footing. The walk was taking a lot longer than we had expected and it was 3:30pm before we reached the well-built cairn.

This was an isolated hill and I was staggered to see two walkers approaching from the east shortly after we arrived. I told them we were here first and to bugger off. They had walked in from the station at Corrour and were shattered, we engaged in some friendly banter before they continued their traverse over the hill to Kinlochleven. We spent twenty minutes or so admiring the views of the Mamores, the Grey Corries, the Easains and over the Blackwater reservoir to Buchaille Etive Mor and the Glencoe hills. This is a wonderful summit to watch hills from.

Our descent was at a decent lick of pace, we overtook the other walkers in the first mile and only stopped on the descent to talk to some of the construction workers when we crossed their new road. The road was to give access to raise the level of the loch to provide a more reliable source of water and to construct a new pipeline for a hydro scheme. A £13.6m hydro scheme had been started by Green Highland Renewables of Perth, one of many such schemes that have been commissioned in recent years. There are few glens that I have visited this year that are not being exploited for such hydro schemes. The massive dams constructed in the 1950s are no longer in vogue, it is the pipeline that is king. Whilst these are buried, there is no way to eradicate the impact of the access roads that are encroaching on the hillsides. The right for roads is certainly a bit of an antidote to the right to roam.

Descending to Kinlochewe allowed us to enjoy the sheer beauty of Loch Leven. As well as the distinctive Pap of Glencoe, the two corbetts on either side of the loch, Sgorr Dhearg and Mam na Gualainn provide peaky macpeaks at either side of the loch. We arrived at the car by 6pm, we exchanged the joy of the day with two women walkers from another car and then watched seven young people begin an evening walk. They were all on their phones. For the fifth time this year, I drove back through Glencoe on a perfect evening and there was no traffic other than a dozen heavily laden cyclists enjoying the solitude of Rannoch Moor. What a privilege, the scenery I mean.

Pap of Glencoe

Kinlochmore

Loch Leven with the Pap of Glencoe and Mam na Gualainn prominent

Loch Eilde Mor at outlet dam

Sgurr Eilde Beag and Mor

Glencoe hills from Meall na Cruaidhe

Loch Eilde Mor and Loch Leven from Glas Bheinn

Glas Bheinn cairn

The Easains

Blackwater reservoir and Buchaille Etive Mor

Glencoe hills from the descent of Glas Bheinn

Meall a' Phubuill

Meall a' Phubuill from the bealach

Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Ascent:      824 metres
Distance:   15 kilometres
Time:         4 hours 5 minutes

c   Meall a' Phubuill    774m   2hrs 18mins

We set out at 8:30pm in the evening after an excellent meal at the Prince's House hotel in Glenfinnan. It was appropriate that we were going to be sleeping in tents on the flank of Meall a' Phubuill, the Gaelic for 'hill of the tent'. It took over an hour to walk up to the Glensulaig bothy, where we pitched our tents on a rare stretch of flat dry and stone-free ground next to the gurgling burn. The Gleann was pretty devastated by another hydro scheme under construction and the heather-clad hills provided few places to pitch a tent. After a long day on the hills and the evening walk up the glen, we were tired and asleep before the light finally faded. The soft ground made for a comfortable night and we were up by 6:30am and walking by 7am.

There is a steep track that climbs to the bealach between Meall a' Phubill and the adjacent Graham, Meall Onthaidh. It rises to about 350 metres and after crossing the bridge we struck out up the extremely steep slope towards the summit. If you like your slopes raw and unyielding then this is as good a hill as any. Sheep and lambs were grazing and our leg muscles were burning. There was no respite until we reached the summit in little over an hour. It was clear and quite cold but the visibility was excellent. The whole of Ardgour's vast array of mountains was visible. Although there are no munros, it is as impressive a grouping of tough mountains as anywhere in Scotland with 16 corbetts.  In the past two years, I have climbed many of them and the area is becoming a favourite haunt.

We spent a short time on the summit, there was a strong easterly wind, before testing our quads on the steep descent. The glen was echoing to the sound of diggers laying pipes interrupted by the odd cuckoo. We were back at the tents shortly after 9am and packed quickly, it is unusual to have a dry tent but the wind had done its job. The walkout was a bit tedious on the construction road and when we passed the canteen I asked if we could have a cup of tea. The workmen claimed they had no cups and were munching their morning rolls so the implied answer was no. In the lower glen, the water sparkled over the numerous rock pools and the forest reverted to native species. It was unusual to have completed a walk shortly after 10am but we had made a good call and we were ahead of schedule to head for Glas Beinn beyond Kinlochleven, with time to stop for a pot of tea in Fort William.

Gleann Suileag from the summit

Gulvain profile

Looking south west to Sgurr Dhomhnuill

Looking East to Beinn Bhan

Leaving the summit

An t Suileag

Walking out at 10am

Beinn Odhar Beag, Beinn Mhic Cedidh

Beinn Odhar Mhor and Bheag from Beinn Mhic Cedidh

Tuesday 24 May 2016

Ascent:     1303 metres

Distance:   13 kilometres

Time:         5 hours 49 minutes

    Beinn Odhar Mhor    870m   1hr 54mins

c  Beinn Odhar Bheag  882m   2hrs 33mins

c  Beinn Mhic Crdidh   783m   3hrs 45mins

The ascent of the two Corbetts to the west of Loch Shiel at Glenfinnan offer steep slopes and sublime scenery to the walker. The starting point is on the A830 beyond Glenfinnan at the high point where a gate leads across the West Highland railway line from a parking space for half a dozen cars. It was 11:30am by the time John and I started the walk and, as we began climbing, I heard the familiar barking rhythm of a Stanier Black 5 locomotive panting up the glen. I waited for the chance to capture the train as it appeared round the bend, a happy reprise of all those times I had watched and heard this locomotive as a ten and eleven years old trainspotter. Then they were the most common locomotive on the BR network, now they are the workhorse of preserved steam locomotive collections.

Having wasted time on a bit of steam locomotive nostalgia, we continued to climb the fierce slopes that are interspersed with several rock bands that needed careful threading. I took the wrong line at one point and had to spend ten minutes extricating myself from exposed and slippery rocks. Once on the ridge, the gradient slackened and we entered the delightful corrie. Numerous erratics of quartzite were randomly perched on the exposed bedrock of schist. Several burns ran down dispensing a sweet cool refreshment. We were once again blessed with a bright day with a breeze to take the heat out of the climb. 

At the summit of the confusingly named Beinn Odhar Mhor, there were three walkers and a dog sitting having their lunch. They were not very welcoming, which is unusual but understandable given the remoteness and intensity of the ascent. We barely broke step and continued over to the twin peak of the slightly higher Beinn Odhar Beag, it looks smaller from Glenfinnan, hence the name inversion. It is a delightful romp across a broad bealach that overlooks a vertical drop to Loch Shiel before the final climb to the summit. On a warm afternoon, we could sit and enjoy the views as we ate some lunch.

It is a long descent of 400 metres to the bealach leading towards Beinn Mhic Cedidh and an energy-sapping 300-metre climb to the summit. Views from here were equally good but a slight haze hung over the views to Rum and Skye. The route down is by a ridge to the north that is narrow and interesting but eventually, there is a need to veer to the east for the final 350 metres of descent into the broad glen. There is a metal footbridge and then a boggy path that leads down to the Mallaig railway line. After tunnelling below a narrow bridge under the line, there is another kilometre before reaching some stepping stones over the river.

Finally, it is a ten-minute walk along the road to the car park at the high point of the road. A young walker was preparing to begin an ascent of Beinn Odhar Mhor and he turned out to be the fireman from the steam locomotive. He had seen us on the hill starting our climb as the train passed us and wanted to climb it on a perfect spring evening. He advised us to eat at the Prince's House Hotel and then shared his good news. He had just secured a job firing the Flying Scotsman, which was to be maintained and run by the company he worked for before being handed over to York Railway Museum in two years time. What a job. We ate at the Prince's House Hotel before driving the 12 kilometres to Fassfern from where we walked up Gleann Suileag to camp below tomorrow's Corbett, Meall a' Phubuill.

Stanier Black 5 near Ctoss on the Mallaig train

On the ascent of Beinn Odhar Mhor, view to Streap

Looking west to Ross Bheinn and Rum

From Beinn Odhar Bheag towards Loch Shiel and Streap

Descending the north ridge of Beinn Mhic Cedidh

Descent to the railway line

Ben Vuirich

Summit of Ben Vuirich

Route - anti-clockwise

Saturday, 14 May 2014

Ascent:      861 metres
Distance:   16 kilometres
Time:         4 hours 35 minutes

c    Ben Vuirich    903m      2hrs 46mins

This was my last remaining Corbett east of the A9. I had decided against following the recommended route from Loch Moraig near Blair Atholl. I had climbed Beinn a' Ghlo from here on half a dozen occasions and should probably have added Ben Vuirich, which would have added a couple of hours. Instead, I approached it from the south, from somewhere on the A924 road between Pitlochry and Kirkmichael. I had intended to take the bike and cycle up Glen Fearnach although it would require 4 or 5 kilometres of climbing rough ground after leaving the bike. I decided to walk, it would be 8 kilometres in each direction over mainly rough ground. The start was at Dalnavaid by a bridge over the Brerachan Water. There is parking for two or three cars and then a climb through a field of sheep and lambs to the derelict cottage at Stronhavie.

I followed an old track that circled the foot of Stronhavie Craig and when the path petered out headed north over heather and boggy ground that had firmed up in the dry weather of the past week. I was feeling unusually tired after a couple of long runs and gardening in the past couple of days, so took my time climbing up the rising ground leading to Crungie Clach. I passed it to the east, dropped down a bealach and then climbed up the southern slopes of Creag Chiacharnach. A herd of deer were watching me from the crags but had dispersed by the time I reached the ridge. There were a series of deer paths heading north and I followed these towards Creag nan Gobhar. There was a more distinct path from here, it is on the recommended route from Loch Moraig. The day was getting brighter but there was still a strong cool northerly wind requiring a jacket for the final couple of kilometres to the summit.

The views across to Beinn a' Ghlo were very impressive, as had been the view to Ben Vrackie earlier in the walk. At the summit, a large sprawling circular cairn concealed a trig point. Views were good to the snow-capped summits of the Cairngorms and I recognised the Corbetts that I had climbed a few days ago. I ate some lunch with the distinct impression that this was not a well-visited hill. I decided to take a different route down and descended to Carn Dubh to the southeast and then followed the subsidiary ridge to Druim Mor and Carn Liath. There were vehicle tracks here and some shooting butts. I also came across several wooden boxes of what looked like a feedstuff and wondered if it could be poison for raptors. There had been quite a few hares scooting down the hill and I had figured this must be a good hunting ground for eagles.

I crossed the Clunskea burn below Crungie Clach and followed the path down, meeting a middle-aged couple who were walking up and wanted to know whether they could do a circuit and descend by the next glen to the west. The answer was yes, they made it clear that they had no intention of climbing Ben Vuirich. I cut across a couple of fields and through a small plantation, where I disturbed a fox, to get back to the car. It was still not 3pm so I considered climbing the Graham, (hill between 2000 and 2500 feet with a drop of at least 500 feet to any adjacent hill) Blath Bhaig opposite. It would have added a couple of hours to the day, but I decided to head home for a beer in the garden instead.

Stronhavie Crag

Beinn Vrackie to the west

Ben Vuirich and Carn Dubh

Beinn a' Ghlo

Cairngorms from the summit

Descending to Dalnavaid

BBC

Thankfully the recent decision by the PM to remove Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale, for his indiscretions with a sex worker may have safeguarded the BBC from the government's desire to penalise and control its independence. It is notable that the Murdoch press and others had unusually suppressed the stories of the scandal. The Murdoch press were not willing to sacrifice their tame minister who had responsibility for press regulation swell as the BBC. 

Our worst fears of government interference in the running if the BBC were highlighted by the luvvies at the recent BAFTA television awards and they will no doubt claim some credit for the climb down. More important were the opinion polls that showed massive support for the BBC and the respect the organisation has across the world.

Now maybe the beeb will get back to objective independent broadcasting. Their performance in recent months leading up to the charter review, including the recent election coverage, has been woeful. They could start by removing Laura Kuensberg who is a liability compared with her two predecessors: Andrew Marr and Nick Robinson. She is a mediocre journalist compared to outstanding colleagues like Mishal Husain, Katya Adler and Lyse Doucet who have genuine knowledge that they impart without claiming insider knowledge, using three adjectives where one would do or trying to tantalise us with rumours.

Channel 4 news has become to go to news programme to avoid the aforesaid Laura and the tendency of too many BBC journalists to give equal weight to both sides of an issue even when the evidence points clearly in one direction. Channel 4 news has journalists who know their stuff and are not afraid to express an opinion.

Hopefully Rupert Murdoch and his gang of robbers can return to their cave.

Glen Feshie Corbetts

Glen Feshie

Monday, 9 May 2016

Ascent:       1670 metres
Distance:    41 kilometres (14 by bike 27 walking)
Time:          8 hours 26 minutes

Bike ride to ruin          405m       47minutes
Leathad an Taobhain    912m       2hrs 54mins
Meallach Mhor             769m       5hrs  6mins
Carn Dearg Mor            857m       6hrs 50mins
Collect bike                 405m       7hrs 50mins

Summer had arrived and it seemed like a good occasion to tackle the three Corbetts at the head of Glen Feshie. At this time of year, it is possible as a day excursion with 5 hours of driving and, I assumed optimistically, 8 hours on the cycle/walk. I left home at 7am, hoping to clear the Broxden roundabout at Perth before the morning queues. Despite hitting it at 7:45am, there was still a 10-minute delay. The A9 was its usual dastardly self. Too early for the motor homes but lots of lorries, observing the average speed cameras by travelling at the 50mph limit. There were long tails of traffic behind the commercial lifeblood to the Highlands. I turned off at Kingussie to follow the old A9 road and found myself travelling much faster than the traffic on the A9 trunk road that runs in parallel with the old road.

At Kincraig I followed the road around Loch Insh, it was mesmerising in the morning light and, after turning up the Glen Feshie road and passing the glider airfield, I was in the car park before Auchlean by 9:30am. It took a few minutes to assemble the bike that I prefer to carry in the boot rather than on a bike rack and then to gather and pack my walking gear. The cycle up glen was fine until the burn that you have to cross about 2 kilometres up from the car park. It was too deep to keep dry feet. I was a bit perplexed by the notice on the gate explaining that the old footbridge had finally collapsed and the nearest one was 2.7 kilometres "downstream" Did I have to go back? I was sure I could see the new bridge ahead. I dug out the map to check the stated grid reference of the new bridge on the public notice and was relieved that the new bridge was the one ahead.

Glen Feshie is a glorious glen, one of the few places that I have seen a wildcat when I had camped late on a Friday evening and watched a wildcat saunter past the tent early the next morning. The river was running high with all the snowmelt and the footbridge gave a close-up view of the raging torrent. The road across the river on the west side runs up to the cottages at Carnachuin and then on to Feshie Lodge. The road is metalled and in perfect condition, even with a fresh breeze and the gradient against me, it was an easy ride. Beyond the lodge, the road deteriorates into a rough stone track but the gradient allows for a steady pedal up to the ruin at a junction where 3 horses were grazing. I turned right and began the ascent up to Lochan an t-Sluic. At the top of the plantation, the gradient became too steep for continued cycling so I dumped the bike and began the walk.

It is 6.5 kilometres up a gravel track to Meall an Uilt Chreagach and then another 1.5 kilometres to the Corbett of Leathad an Taobhain. It is only 1 metre short of being a Munro. Apart from a plantation beyond the Lochan, it is a landscape of rounded hills and heather. I caught up with another walker at about 750 metres, he asked me where he was and discovered that he had taken the wrong turning at the ruin. He would have to walk back 6 kilometres and then cross the river to continue his walk to Braemar. I briefly thought about suggesting a more direct route but the terrain would be difficult and I doubted if his map reading skills were up to it. The summit of the hill is a bit of an anti-climax: a lone Vanessa trig point squatting on a flattish heather and dry grassy hillock but with fine views to the Cairngorms. I continued to the nearby 902m top and then took a north-westerly route down steep slopes to find the Minigaig drover's road. It has fallen into disuse and largely follows boggy ground until it joins the Allt Coire Bhran. After 3 kilometres of trying to keep my feet dry and crossing dozens of small burns, I was glad to strike up a slope in the direction of Meall an Dubh-chadha, the outlying top of Meallach Mhor.

It was a long slog and there were extensive peat hags separating the twin peaks. It is times like this that I walk on automatic pilot, just find a pace that allows me to grind out the climb without any rests until the summit. It was a beautiful afternoon, the views were good particularly to the Loch an t Seilich and the Gaich pass to the south. I had some lunch before beginning the next leg of the walk. This required a descent to the peat hags again and then a steady climb to the summit of Meall an Dubh-chadha. From here I headed for the plantation and found a track made by an eight-track vehicle that transported "sportsmen" to the shooting butts. 

After descending to a burn I was left with a further ascent of 100 metres to reach the gravelled track above the plantation that heads towards Carn Dearg Mor. In the afternoon heat, I made speedier progress for the next 3.5 kilometres to the summit of Carn Dearg. The views over the Cairngorms were excellent in the evening light and the summit a splendid place to appreciate the extent and the scale of the Cairngorms. I was hoping to get down by 6pm so I took a direct route down to the side of the hill to the track that leads back via Lochan ant-Sluic. As I began the final descent to my bike, a large mountain hare watched me approach to within a few metres but bounced away as soon as I tried to retrieve my camera.

It was a perfect evening but my camera had frozen when I tried to capture the hare nor could I capture the pristine views of the glen. The ride down was fast with the breeze and gravity to assist me. My feet got wet again crossing the burn. A young school PE teacher had reached the end of the metalled road at Auchlean on her road bike and we shared our appreciation of being privileged to witness the glorious evening in Glen Feshie. I freewheeled down to the car, took the wheel off the bike, remembered to load it in the car - unlike last year when I lost a wheel - and then set off for Kingussie and Newtonmore to buy some diesel. The A9 was slow but the perfect light conditions made it an enjoyable journey with no major hold-ups. I was home at 9pm.

River Feshie bringing down the snow melt

Traditional cottage in the glen

Lochan an t- Sluic

Track up Leathad an Taobhain from Meall an Uilt Chreagach summit

Cairngorms from Leathad an Taobhain summit

Mealach Mhor summit looking south to Gaich Pass

Looking north to Cairngorms over the heather moors

Path up Carn Dearg Mor

Cairn Toul and Angel's peak from Carn Dearg Mor 

Descending to Lochan an t-Sluic, Sgor Gaoith in distance

River Feshie in the evening

Sgurr Dhomhnuill and Carn na Nathrach

Sgurr Dhomhnuill from Carn na Nathrach

Friday, 6 May 2016

Ascent:     1691 metres
Distance:  22 kilometres
Time:        8 hours 29 minutes

Sgurr Dhomhnuill      888m       2hrs 53mins
Carn na Nathrach       786m       4hrs 57mins
Druim Garbh ridge    704m        6hrs 31mins

After a night in the Ariundle Centre bunk house, I gave myself a treat, a cooked breakfast in the excellent cafe. I had decided to climb the nearby mountain, Sgurr Dhomhnuill, the highest peak on the Ardgour peninsula rather than  my original intention of the Fuar Bheinn and Creach Bheinn horseshoe that form an excellent walk but are possible in a day's outing from home. The optimist in me had also decided to try and add Carn na Nathrach to the walk; it would take 8 hours or so but save a day later during my attempt to complete all the corbetts. 

The walk began by a stroll through the Ariundle Oakwood, a national nature reserve. It was a bright morning, the winds of the last few days had died out and it was warm enough to walk without a jacket. The excellent car park is 500 metres further up the road from the centre, beyond it a track continues for 4.5 kilometres to the old lead mines. The oak forest is festooned with lichens creating an exhibition of bright green sculptures beneath the oak canopy. The primroses were out and the woodpeckers provided a soundtrack for the early part of the walk. At the junction a couple of kilometres from the car park it is better to take the left hand trail that stays high and then climbs as a path towards the remnants of the mine workings where ores that contain the element strontium (Sr) was discovered. It was isolated and named after the local village by Sir Humphrey Davy.

Beyond the old mine workings a path crosses the waste to the burn, which I crossed whilst keeping my feet dry. I headed across rough rising ground towards the long ridge of Druim Garbh. Once on the ridge the walking is very enjoyable with the outlying peak of Sgurr na h-Ighinn ahead. I undercut this peak by an obvious ramp to the north and arrived at the bealach below Sgurr Dhomhnuill. It had taken me this far to work off the breakfast so a top up of water was all that was needed before the final 200 metres of ascent to the fine pointed summit of the mountain. It was still before noon and the summit was a good viewpoint. I nibbled a few nuts and a chocolate bar and set off slightly nervous about the route ahead, why had no-one else attempted it? The two hills are both difficult to access but are only 2 kilometres apart as the eagle flies but it involves a combined 900 metres of descent and ascent over uncompromising ground.

I soon found out how difficult it was going to be, the very steep descent down the north west ridge was a bit of a riddle, with crags breaking up any obvious route and no sign of any path. It took almost half an hour to descend the 240 metres. I decided to lose more height by heading due north hoping to avoid the crags to my left that protect the 803metre top of the Druim Garbh ridge. Sadly the OS had failed to show the full extent of the crags on the land ranger sheet and I found myself in a walker's worst terrain. Vast bolsters of granite were interlocked with tongues of boggy grass and mosses. Dozens of small burns were disgorging water creating slimy rock faces and the steepness of the slopes just added danger to the mix. It took a long 50 minutes to negotiate my way to the bealach at 390 metres. And then for the tough stuff an unrelenting 400 metres climb up a steep gulley to reach the ridge of Carn na Nathrach. This was a walk for masochists and explained why no-one else seems to have bothered with it or if so have not shared the agony.

Carn na Nathan was an excellent summit, a long graceful ridge with a pap like summit that hosts an attractive rounded cairn. It was 2pm and I was almost an hour behind my schedule for the walk. It was time for a break and I ate what little food I had brought, an orange and some nuts and drank my fill of water before beginning the next leg that would return me to the bealach that I had just climbed up from and then take a rising traverse to climb the Druim Garbh ridge. I was feeling strong  and found a reasonable descent route to the typical boggy bealach. The ascent to the Druim Garbh ridge was over a rock strewn rough ground and after 20 minutes of this I decided to head straight up a gulley. It was another 250 metres of punishment with loose rock and mud slips at a gradient that made you dizzy. It was with some relief that I topped the ridge but unfortunately I had reached it at a height of 704 metres, I should have continued the traverse for a further kilometre before climbing, it would have saved me 100 metres of ascent. 

It was all downhill from here, I headed for the burn that flows westwards from Sgurr Dhomhnuill, It was a perfect mountain stream and walking along its banks, the lilting rhythm of the water cascading over the rocks more than compensated for the boggy ground. I eventually hit a little used path that joined up the frequent bogs alongside the river. My ankle gaiters were completely out of their depth as I squelched along like a baby elephant. Just before I reached the old mine workings, I went through a gate and onto a better path that went past a few of the old mine shafts. It was with some relief when I alighted on the path down to the glen from the mine. I then enjoyed the final hour of the walk passing through the oak woodlands as the evening sun cast long shadows and the lichen covered sculptures provided constant interest.  

I was back at the car for 6pm and hoped to catch the news of the election results. Alas there was no radio reception so I drove on to Ardgour hoping to catch the 6:30pm ferry. Unfortunately the Scottish Six Day Motor Cycle Trial had been taking place in Ardour and there was a queue of almost a mile for the ferry. I was able to listen to the news and admire the serenity of the perfect spring evening and the man patrolling the beach playing his bagpipes probably told me all I needed to know about the election results. Three police motorcyclists were helping control the traffic queues. I fell into conversation with one of them as the queue made intermittent progress and we discovered that we had both trained with Ross County football team. I had never made the team when I worked in Dingwall for a summer, he had managed a few games. We fell into an easy chat about Police Scotland, sport and life in Dingwall. He caught the ferry before me as the police completed their supervision of the event but before leaving he came back to say goodbye and wished me a safe journey home. It was well after 8pm when I caught the ferry, it had been shuttling across the loch constantly to eliminate the traffic delays. It was a beautiful drive home through Glencoe and over Rannoch Moor, very little traffic and I was home by 10pm.

Path through the Ariundle oak woods

Former lead mines with Sgurr na h-Ighinn peeping out

Carn na Nathrach from Sgurr Dhomhnuill

Carn na Nathrach summit

Sgurr Dhomhnuill and my route down to the bealach

Glorious Granite slabs

Descending Carn na Nathrach to the bealach

The route up Druim Garbh, not for the faint hearted

Garbh Bheinn from Druim Garbh

Looking east towards Sgurr Dhomhnuill

Ariundle Oakwoods

Piper on the shores of Loch Linnhe