Area: Loch Mullardoch, Scotland
These hills between Strathfarrar and Mullardoch are quite remote, even if you can get fairly close to them by road. That road leads up from Cannich through its beautiful glen until it reaches the dam at the end of Loch Mullardoch. Here I spent the night, which was very windy at first, watching hares, mistle thrushes and wheatears. The morning was cloudy again, so I took my time before heading out along the north of the loch. I missed the path up the forepeak of Mullach na Moile, instead heading up the bleak valley of Allt Mullardoch before striking west up a very steep hillside. This was direct at least, and I found a little scrambling before reaching the Mullach. Prospects were a little bleak ahead, a thick cloudbase draped quite low around the peaks, including Carn nan Gobhar, to which I was heading. This was a rocky slog, reminiscent of the Carneddau, which led to a double top. The mist was pretty dense, so I hung around for a while. I was in no rush, and I began to get hints of a clearance which I felt would make the day far more pleasant and interesting. Eventually I got bored so took a bearing north-west towards the obvious bealach below Lapaich. At this point the mist began to clear and as I approached the bealach I could see the wonderful lonely loch of Tuill Bearnaich and the snowy Coire nan Each above. This was one of those places that exerts a peculiar pull - I experience a similar phenomenon above the Oxnadalur valley in Iceland. Hard to leave, a wonderful ambience, with golden plover adding their distinctive notes to it, along with a distant ring ouzel. To the north, even remoter valleys drained into Strathfarrar. Above the bealach, the east ridge of Sgurr na Lapaich heads upwards through little crags: with a wonderful cwm left and the loch below, mist swirling around but much less dense now. At the top, a little scrambling as the ridge narrows to a small summit. This was tremendous, a great peak, and I got intermittent views of the valleys all around as the mist drifted in and out. Then came a delightful romp along the lip of the cwm heading south to Sgurr nan Clachan Geala, a distinctive top. Again, this felt so special I sat there for some time just drinking it in. Eventually I dropped down directly to the base of the valley containing the Allt Taige, which my route had formed a horseshoe around. Slightly boggy down this, with lots of little deer paths but nothing very established. I ended up heading all the way down to the lochside, and the sun finally came out in earnest at this point, illuminating the entire valley. It soon became very hot and rather tiring along the path and back across the Allt Taige, which apparently has a fearsome reputation when in spate. Then a drive to Inverness via the Beauly road in glorious sunshine, and down the A9 to Feshiebridge.
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