Area: Ben Loyal, Sutherland
Often known as the 'Queen of Scottish Mountains', Ben Loyal is a superb looking miniature range from the vicinity of Tongue and became an essential outing as I drove from Thurso along the north coast after returning from Orkney. I briefly flirted with the idea of doing it in the evening, but instead slept in the car boot in Tongue after scampi and chips at the Ben Loyal hotel. Mist spilled over the rocky summits as I drank my coffee in the morning, but by the time I approached it via the track of Ribigill (just inland from Tongue) it began to peel away from the summits. The approach is easy but gets steep after the abandoned farmhouse of Cunside, and then very steep up towards the first - and most striking - peak. This is Sgor Cheonasaid, and it felt a bit of a slog until the ground levels out. I went to the true summit, which gave a short scramble. Superb views out to the Kyle of Tongue and the rest of the north coast, as well as across to Ben Hope and the Flow Country, all the way back to Morven in Caithness. The onward route to An Caisteal, the true summit, is grassy and easy (via another peak which proves to be nothing more than a spur) and I was surprised the trig came so soon. The day was improving all the time and I really should have continued the traverse. However, conscious of my plans for the rest of the day, I took a direct line back down instead, avoiding Chaonasaid and heading towards lonely Loch na Creige Riabhaich before descending past numerous calling cuckoos back to Ribigill. I got some basic provisions from the tiny shop in Tongue, then ate them at the Kyle of Tongue, a scenic lunch spot.
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