Thursday 15 May 2025 - The Brack

We are staying in a cottage in Tarbet called 'Loch View'. Pictured above is our view of the loch, and Ben Lomond, at dusk last night. Not pictured is the settee I had to stand on to get the view. The accommodation is brand new. Comfortable but not quite sorted for visitors. For example, there's a brand new oven but no ovenware or oven gloves. We are managing fine, having to be very careful with the brand new razor sharp knives, etc.

Anyway, we were on the hill by 10am this morning. I dropped Sue off in Succoth to climb Beinn Narnain and The Cobbler, before going to Ardgartan, where the car park was empty. My plan was to climb a Corbett, Ben Donich.

I set off up the forestry track on what was supposed to be a 4km walk up to a turn into the forest. After 2km I arrived at a sign advertising the path up The Brack, pictured in the distance shortly after I started walking.

Rather than continue up the forest track, I took the path to The Brack. It was steep, with tree roots to hang onto at times. I didn't fancy going back down the same way. Good views across the valley to Sue's hills opened out.

Here I am on a brief section of more level ground near a small lochan beside which I enjoyed my lunch.

After the welcome pause for lunch by the lochan, another steep haul (in all 700 metres ascent in less than 1 kilometre), brought me with some relief to the summit trig point.

There were fine views all around. 

En route and on the subsequent descent I noticed Orchids, Bluebells, Dog Violets, Tormentil, Cuckoo Flower, Milkwort, Lesser Celandine and lots of Cotton Grass, whilst Ravens soared above me and Meadow Pipits dashed about in the long grass.

I headed down towards the Bealach Dubh-lic. Or so I thought. So after ambling down towards the bealach I was somewhat surprised to reach the Cowal Way.

Instead of descending north west, I'd gone south west. The hill ahead of me that I thought was Ben Donich was in fact Cnoc Coinnich.

Oops!

A 3km yomp up to the correct bealach followed, with a message to Sue saying I would be later than expected. 

Once at the correct bealach, after the trudge through an area rich in wild flowers, it took me a while (after peering over a selection of precipices) to locate the white posts that led safely down to a path through the forest.

After the stile pictured above, five or ten minutes on a forest path though an area of wind devastation brought me to the forest track further to the east of which I'd started the walk. From there it was an easy stroll back to the car. I hadn't seen a soul since leaving the car park some six and a half hours earlier.

My delay enabled Sue to enjoy a paddle in Loch Long before I returned to pick her up.

Here's my route - 13.5 km with 840 metres ascent. Looking at that, I might have found it easier to follow the green diamonds of the Cowal Way.

Here are a few of Sue's pictures from her walk up Beinn Narnain and The Cobbler, before she went for a swim in Loch Lomond.

Monday 13 May 2024 - Beinn Liath Mhor a'Ghiubhais Li

After dropping Sue off to bag a few Munro summits in the Fanniachs, I took a ten minute drive to a car park by Loch Glascarnoch. I was aiming for a nearby 766 metre summit that I'd not previously visited. It turned out to be a big lump with a nice summit ridge and good views. 

First, a deer fence obstacle. A bit harder than yesterday's, but my thanks go to whoever made it feasible to hop over.

The hillside was well endowed with Cloudberry and Magellan’s Peatmoss, as well as Tussock Cottongrass, not to mention a few good old fashioned tussocks, the basal leaves of Butterwort, and lots of other mosses and lichens.

Just before reaching the summit, a couple of pairs of ptarmigan, and a plover, became very concerned about the possibility of my disturbing their nests. They need not have worried. Wheatears were also in evidence.

I made my way to a large cairn (above) from where there were good views inland to the east. Visibility was moderate today, with a grey sheen to everything. I was happy though, the summits were clear.

The main 766 metre summit was gained after a pleasant stroll along the wide ridge. A good shelter provided a lunch spot out of the light breeze.

There were good views to the Fannaichs and to the Beinn Dearg massif.

It didn’t take me long to get down the hill and back to the Fannaichs car park, from where I enjoyed a second lunch and a nap, before wandering down the track to meet Sue.

She had been delayed by a need to go for a swim, giving one young lad in particular a bit of a shock when she emerged!

Anyway, she’d bagged three Munro summits with ease, and must have picked up some sort of odour from her swim, as a deer tagged along with us for the last bit of the walk back to the car.

Here’s my route - 6.5km with 540 metres ascent, taking all of four hours. There was nobody else on the hill.

Sue’s commendable exploits will be recorded on her Facebook page.

Saturday 20 May 2023 - Carn Mor

 

After a lovely meal last night, fortified by Diane's breakfast this morning, we were set well to enjoy a 15km circuit from Chapeltown, over the Corbett summit of Carn Mor (804 metres). I'm pictured on the top.

The onward journey to Braemar had us arriving at 5pm, just as Mike Parsons got there in his van, now parked outside for the night, and Mike has spent the evening with us.

A minor panic regarding Mike's wife Marian's whereabouts seems to be resolved - her tracker's battery has probably expired. 

Friday 19 May 2023 - Carn Ealasaid

This morning the TGO Challenge Control team left Newtonmore at 6am to relocate to the signing in point for participants - the Park Hotel in Montrose. 

Sue and I slept through their departure and woke to an eerily quiet hostel. We had breakfasted and started to tidy the hostel and extricate our possessions when a string of Challengers arrived, all begging for tea and cake. It was duly provided and the morning flew past.

Eventually we got away and an hour's drive got us to the foot of Carn Ealasaid, just beyond Tomintoul. 

We walked a little way together but it soon became clear that my slow pace would result in a rush to our B&B and to a 6pm restaurant booking. So Sue went ahead and I just pottered along, turning back around the 500 metre mark, by which time Sue was a dot on the horizon. Can you spot her, heading for the summit, which is on the far left in the next picture?

Here's Sue's proof that she did reach the 792 metre summit before trotting back down to join me.

I had descended gently, relishing good views to the north in today's splendid weather.

Sue spotted some clumps of Cloudberry as she made her way through the tussocky heather.

Argyle House is an excellent B&B that we've been to before. We have a lovely room in which we have plenty of time to relax before strolling along to the Clockhouse restaurant.

Monday 24 April 2023 - Craiganour Lodge (2) - Beinn Mholach

I'm having trouble with postings that aren't from home, and with email postings. And any comments I make seem to be Anonymous, even when I'm signed in to a Google account.

There is also a poor phone signal and slow WiFi here at Craiganour, so please bear with me - I'll try to add more at a later date if time permits.

So postings and pictures will be limited and brief for a while.

Today eleven of our group of 18 set off from Craiganour with the 841 metre summit of Beinn Mholach in mind. The other ten were all intent on climbing a scraggy little hill called Creag a'Mhadaidh on the way. That proved enough for Mike, who promptly turned around and headed back down the track.

The remaining nine nearly caught me up at my lunch break on the slopes of Mholach. But they stopped for their own leisurely lunch a little below the spot where I was perched.

After the 9:30 start, I reached the summit before 2pm. For a long time the top looked deceptively close due to the huge cairn that forms very good wind break.

Black grouse were seen on the ascent, and lizards on the descent. Others saw deer, hares and ptarmigan.
A slow descent had me expecting the others to pass me, but the only person I saw was Bee, our chef, out for a run.

Back at base, excellent tea and cake on arrival at 5pm, with the others strolling in a few minutes later, having taken a different descent route.

The picture above was taken on Mholach's summit. Note the iconic shape of Schiehallion in the background.

21km, with about 700 metres ascent, in about 7.5 hours. Map to follow. 

Later - More pictures (and a map) from today:

Loch Rannoch from our bedroom.

Getting ready to walk from the Lodge.

Through the woods to open ground with a view of Beinn Mholach in the distance.

Looking north from the slopes of Mholach, towards Loch Garry.

Still quite a way to the pimple that is in fact a big cairn.

A view from the summit, to Loch Rannoch and Schiehallion.

21km, 700 metres ascent, 7.5 hours.

Back at base, our dining room.

Ullapool 2007 - 29 March - Beinn a'Chaisteil

Thursday 29 March

Cooler and clearer today after rain.

Julie and I took bikes from Black Bridge to Lubachlaggan then walked up Beinn a' Chaisteil, a Corbett, whilst Pam and Paul enjoyed Cul Beag, and Andrew, Dave and Barry had a good day on a Graham - Beinn an Eoin. The latter found that hill a real challenge.

We spent the day under the cloud level - ideal for Corbetteering as all Munros were in clag.

Julie was quicker today, both cycling and walking, so I didn't have any long waits. The cycle in to Lubachlaggan was against the wind along a mainly tarmac track with a significant hill before the descent to Loch Vaich. We passed a busy but jolly farmer, and lots of very clean sheep and highland cattle.

Half an hour from Ullapool to Black Bridge - plenty of space to park, but also plenty of gooey black sludge. The bike ride from 9:45 to 10:45 got five miles under our belts with ease.

After a 15 minute break, we started up a faint stalkers path - fairly easy going even when we left that at 500 metres or so to head directly towards the summit, reached at 12:15. Very barren and dry up here.

Good views until the cloud came in.

We then allowed ourselves to be blown in 45 minutes from Beinn a' Chaisteil to the southern peak, Meall a' Ghrianain. Quite windy here - my Rab vapour rise jacket proved excellent.

A mountain hare passed just in front of us.

A steep and sometimes boggy/tussocky descent got us quickly back down to the old farm at Lubachlaggan, and a lovely cycle ride out with the wind behind us, though a stone did rip the wall of my new rear tyre!

Black Bridge 9:45; Lubachlaggan 10:45 to 11:00; summit 12:15 - 30; second summit 13.15; Lubachlaggan 14:05 - 20; Black Bridge 15:00.

Our route - 25 km with 950 metres ascent, taking 5¼ hours (including 16 km on bikes, taking 1¾ hours)

Back to finish off our veg, with some rather old salmon steaks from the butcher, who wasn't really interested. Very disappointing - all the good stuff goes to Europe, leaving the locals with rubbish. Pam and Paul joined us for another jolly evening.

Meanwhile Martin Scoular, who had been going to join us, texted to offer his apologies for absence due to a cold.

Next Day