Creag Bhan is the highest summit on Gigha. Its diminutive 101 metres of height may seem puny, but the summit view surpasses that of many a Munro. The walk also visits an old mill.
Summary
Road, sometimes muddy track and a winding hill path, rocky near the summit.
Terrain
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1. From the ferry terminal, walk up the road, past the two sandy beaches, to reach a junction beside the shop and post office. Turn right here and head along the road; there is very little traffic. Soon you will see Gigha golf course on the left side; continue along the tarmac which is very straight as it cuts across the fertile farmland of Gigha. When a farm is reached, turn left onto a track signed for Creag Bhan, Ardailly and the Old Mill.
2. The track has a hard base but as it is part of a cattle farm the surface is liable to be coated with mud over the top. Follow it as it bends to the right and then the left, ignoring branches into the surrounding fields. Creag Bhan, the highest summit on Gigha, can be seen over to the right, a low mass of gorse and outcropping rocks. When the track forks, keep to the right (the left branch ends at the water treatment works on the Mill Loch).
3. A short distance further there is a signpost indicating where to leave the track and begin the ascent of Creag Bhan. Head uphill, keeping left when the route forks to head towards the covered reservoir that is the island's main water supply. Pass to the right of this (with a marker post) and follow the now clear path as it heads up towards the top of Creag Bhan. There are great views back over the Mill Loch as the summit area of rock and gorse is approached.
4. The true summit is a little further back than expected at first but the path winds a rocky course to reach it. It is a delightful spot, with a trig point and a view indicator crowning the topmost rocks, but it is as a viewpoint that it really excels. Jura, Islay, Kintyre, Knapdale, Mull on a clear day and even Northern Ireland are all to be seen, as well as almost the whole of Gigha. Return from the summit back down to the track.
5. An attractive white cottage and an old stone building may have caught the eye from Creag Bhan; the latter is an old mill. To visit it, turn right along the track and follow it past the house until it winds to the Mill, an attractive spot. The walk ends here; return the same way on the track back across to the road to the east.
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