Poca Buidhe and Loch na h-Oidhche
GAIRLOCH AND POOLEWE
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1. Park in the small car park beside the green barn a few hundred metres east of Loch Bad an Sgalaig. The walk begins on the track opposite, with a large wooden sign proclaiming 'Loch Bad an Sgalaig pinewood'. Leaflets for local trails can be picked up from the wooden shelter. The track crosses the bridge across the outflow of the reedy Am Feur-loch and ascends gently at first; there is a distant view of the northern buttresses of Baosbheinn.
2. The track passes through a gate in the deer fence and enters the Bad na Sgalag native pinewood. Over a million native trees have been planted by the estate over an area of several square miles; at the present time the trees are small and need protection from overgrazing by deer, but in time it is hoped the forest will regenerate enough to allow removal of the fence. The track gains height slowly, with views over to Lochan a Chleirich on the left and the mountain fortress of Slioch in the distance. Continue on the track, ignoring the blue waymarker posts leading off right, to climb over a low pass. A yellow waymarked route goes off here to the right, and further on a black waymarked route also goes off right – ignore these and keep on the main track.
3. The track gives views of the isolated peak of Beinn an Eoin before reaching a giant boulder known as the 'Grouse stone'. This rock was where shooting parties used to leave their bag of birds; a ghillie from Gairloch would then come up to the rock each day to collect them. Just beyond the stone the track goes though a gate in the deer fence and the pinewood project area is left behind – empty moorland stretches ahead. The track climbs round to the right of the hillock of Meall Lochan na Geala before descending slightly and crossing the Abhainn Loch na h-Oidhche using stepping-stones. This is usually easy but the crossing can be dangerous if the stream is in spate. Beyond the track climbs gently once more before a first glimpse of Loch na h-Oidche is seen ahead, ringed by great mountains. Beinn an Eoin is on the left, and Beinn Dearg closes the view at the head of the loch, whilst our objective of Baosbheinn is on the right.
4. Beyond the track climbs gently once more before a first glimpse of Loch na h-Oidche is seen ahead, ringed by great mountains. Beinn an Eoin is on the left, and Beinn Dearg closes the view at the head of the loch, whilst multi-summited Baosbheinn is on the right. Continue along the track which follows the eastern shore of the loch, giving great views of Baosbheinn across a couple of sandy beaches.
5. At the far end of the loch the track rises slightly and then ends at Poca Buidhe, a private estate both for shooting and fishing parties (kept locked). There is a path beyond which leads to several small fishing lochs, but the main attraction is the great views of the mountains all around. Beinn Eighe can be seen ahead, with Beinn Dearg now closer at hand in the centre as well as the peaks of Beinn an Eoin and Baosbheinn on each side of the loch. The return is by the same route; a longer alternative is to take the yellow waymarked route off left once back in the pinewood – details here.
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