Scottish Highlands ~ Mull and Glencoe

Saturday 30 May 2015

We spent a week in the Scottish highlands, enjoying walking, camping and wilderness. As with Sicily and the Lake District earlier this year, we experienced snow later than I expected. Five years ago I was walking the Mamores in a t-shirt. Not this time! Plus the midges were earlier - I've not seen them in Scotland before (having previously visited in mid April to late May), but there were a few of them about this time, especially towards the end of the trip.

I've added a short description about the walks we did, not detailed enough to guide anybody unfamiliar with the area, but should you find the photos inspiring it will allow you to plan something similar with the help of a good map or a written guide. All these photos were taken with a Nikon D7000 and 16-85mm lens, a combination I often use out in big hills.

Ben More, Mull - 23rd

The mountain forecast said rain was coming later in the afternoon, so we set off pretty early to climb Ben More. There's a good path all the way up, but our way today was along the less trodden Beinn Fhada, followed by some mild scrambling up A' Chioch. Scrambling is like spicy food, what one person finds mild, another might find unbearably spicy. I'm not great with heights, but was quite happy here, although we found a path to the left that avoided the hardest scrambling as the clouds were beginning to swirl around us.

A little more gentle scrambling and some screes and we reached the summit of Ben More, mainly above the cloud but with limited views down to sea level due to extensive cloud below us. Rather beautiful and much better than being in the cloud. We descended the well trodden path back to Loch na Keal - there's plenty of height to lose, arriving back at the car a few moments before the rain came. The forecast had been spot on, a theme for the week.

Clouds touching the summits of A' Chioch (left) and Ben More (right)

Looking south when ascending A' Chioch

Fleeting glimpses of Loch na Keal from A' Chioch

Above the cloud on Ben More

Iona - 24th

We caught the first ferry over to Iona, ahead of the crowds. A visit to the Abbey and Museum and then we set off for a walk and explore. First we climbed to the highest point Dun I, to have lunch and survey the little island. We dropped down to the beaches at the north end, then proceeded down the west coast. Here the paths became fainter and more boggy, skirting rocky outcrops. Slow going indeed. Once we picked up a proper path again at the golf course we were soon down at St Columba's bay (Port an Fhir-bhreige / Port na Curaich on the OS map), which has the most fantastically varied coloured pebbles, a rainbow of rock.

Iona Abbey from the ferry

Colourful pebbles at St Columba's Bay

Carsaig backpack, Mull - 25/26th

Setting off from the small road leading to Carsaig, we headed east across the boggy hills high above the sea, past Loch Fraing and Ben Charsaig, to drop rather steeply down into Glen Byre. (Any much later in the season, the bracken will make this descent difficult to pass.) We were lucky enough to see a white tailed eagle very close here, but alas it was too quick to catch a photo. After a refreshing dip next to a waterfall we arrived at the coastpath between Lochbuie and Carsaig.

What a strange and wonderful path this is! The cliffs are tall, but set back and higher than the sea, and an isolated strip of land exists in between cliff and sea. There are pockets of trees and plenty of grass spots, perfect for a wonderful wild camp. Streams descend from somewhat sinister canyons to provide fresh water. We found driftwood placed strategically in deep bogs to allow them to be crossed and some tatty rope to help a short scramble down some rocks - we didn't need this, but it could be helpful if it was wet, or the tide was higher. Later on, there were places where the path had been built up onto a wall to cross a rocky headland - considerable effort must have been made in the past to ensure this route was open.

Above Carsaig, looking towards the arches (not visible)

Amazing land, between cliff and sea - Carsaig to Lochbuie coastpath

Sunlight on a distant shore - from Carsaig to Lochbuie coastpath

Loch Buie

Car problems - 27th

Sometimes things don't go to plan, but I have found that good fortune often accompanies bad. If you are going to break down in the highlands, then being able to limp into Fort William - rather than some remote part of Mull - is surely the place to do it. Then we were very fortunate to find Scott at Edgar's Auto Services, who kindly got us back on the road the same day.

Above Loch Leven, on Mam na Gualainn - 28th

Again the mountain weather forecast proved accurate, saying that the cloud base would be at 800m, occasionally raising higher. So I picked a route from Kinlochleven over Beinn na Caillich and Mam na Gualainn that took us to 796m. Indeed we were rarely in cloud, whilst the higher peaks on both sides - Glencoe and the Mamores - were rarely out of it. It was a day of strong winds and short, heavy showers which were wintry as we got higher. In some of the hail storms we were forced to turn our backs to the onslaught and just wait for it to stop, it was so ferocious. After the ridge we dropped down, later finding a reasonable but flooded path, to join with the West Highland Way. But we found the river was too high to easily cross, so we walked some boggy land until the Way crossed back to our side of the river. Tired by then, the good path back to the car was most welcome.

Rain & snow, and lots of it

The Mamores, white on top

Even some brief blue sky

Another shower over the Mamores

Loch Leven and Ballachulish

Glencoe, the hidden valley - 29th

Late in the day, after some time in the interesting and wide ranging West Highland Museum, we headed to Glencoe to find the hidden valley, inspired by my friend Ruth's photos and description. Lots of people were descending the path, which has quite a drop down to the roaring river in places. I enjoyed it though, until we reached the river crossing. Here the stepping stones were under fast flowing water and looked quite difficult. We opted for an icy knee deep wade instead.

A short climb later and the magnificent hidden valley revealed itself, with plenty of snow still at its head, and the river we'd crossed strangely disappearing into the valley floor. On the return, keen to avoid more icy water, we crossed the river much higher up, as it begins to emerge from the huge boulders. There was a path visible in the moss on the boulders, but this route was harder than the way by the river. But taking this showed us a higher path for the return, allowing us a bit of a circular walk.

Two of the three sisters, Glencoe

The hidden valley (Coire Gabhail), Glencoe

Mamores: Stob Coire a' Chairn and Am Bodach - 30th

Finally, after a few days of fairly bad weather, we got a day up high without too much wind and cloud. We set off from Kinlochleven, up the Allt Coire na Ba valley. A reasonable path got fainter, until we missed it somewhere and ended up hacking up some steep bogland to the col between Stob Coire a' Chairn and Na Gruagaichean - at least enjoying impressive views of the eastern face of Am Bodach. From here, we were soon in snow - recent, but slightly wet. As it compressed underfoot, it got a bit slippy so we put on our crampons. Stob Coire a' Chairn was our next objective and we made our way up the ridge, quite wide at this point, to enjoy great views on the windy summit for lunch.

A fair few people were doing the Ring of Steall, one commenting to us that he wished he'd brought some winter gear too. We continued along the ridge, up the steep ascent to Am Bodach. This was hard going, demanding great care and so we were glad to have crampons for better grip. Once at the summit the views it was safe to admire the splendid views in all directions. During the afternoon, the cloud had lifted and even Ben Nevis was clear, shining high and white across Glen Nevis. Continuing on, we dropped down into Allt Coire na h-Eirghe valley, happy to find a reasonable path that took us down to the relative motorway of the West Highland Way.