Sub 2000 Marilyns: Beinn Lunndaidh
Date: 16/05/2013
Distance: 10 km
Ascent: 500 m
Time taken: 2 hours 15 minutes
Weather: Fresh and sunny

I had a little job to do up at Rhives farm behind Golspie, so I thought I'd squeeze in a quick walk (well, I jogged bits of it) before heading back into the office.

I parked up in the large carpark near Rhives farm and for some reason ended up following a mountain bike trail on a rather winding course not entirely going in the direction I wanted. In retrospect I should just have gone through the farmyard.

Once in the forest, there was a good path heading for the summit. Before passing onto the open moor, there was a bizarre shelter which had a mountain bike trail going over the roof. Views opened out to the sandy beaches around Dornoch once clear of the forest, and I realised that the 'wee mannie' statue at the summit was a lot larger than I had thought!

Funny shelter:


Golspie Links and Embo:


Loch Fleet and Beinn Tharsuinn:


Carn Chuinneag, Carn Ban and Seana Bhraigh:


The wee mannie:


Not so wee!


Nice views north, east and south from the summit, but the west was obscured by the rolling moorland of Beinn Lunndaidh - the highest summit in the immediate vicinity.

The coast again from Ben Bhraggie:




..and northwards along the coast:


There was a good path for the first bit, which soon turned away down the hill, leaving me with about a mile and a bit of hag hacking. Being lightweight, I switched between a fast walk and a sort of lolloping jog. The ground was much wetter than it looked from a distance.

The real summit (Beinn Lunndaidh) with Ben Klibreck and Ben Armine in the background:


Beinn Dhorain and Bheinn Mhealaich:


The summit definitely had better views west, but the weather was poorer out that way, so although I could make out some of the Coigach peaks, it was difficult to work out which was which. It was quite obvious why the eastern end of the hill was more popular!

West from the summit across Strathfleet. Coigach and Assynt in the background but not very clear:


Ben Horn :


Ben Hee and Ben Klibreck:


Heading back was a little quicker, as it was mostly downhill on a slightly different line. Before long I rejoined the good path, passing a few other folk.

Ben Horn and Dunrobin Glen:


Beinn Lunndaidh and Loch nan Caorach:


There is a sort of terrace path around the front of Ben Bhraggie that I probably should have taken, but instead I dropped back into the forest and followed a network of tracks back to Rhives.

Golspie Links from Rhives:


Quite a spring-like feel all morning - shame it only arrived 2 months too late!