by KeithS » Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:47 pm
Date walked: 04/06/1985
Time taken: 5 days
Distance: 80 km
9 people think this report is great. Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
“Do you fancy a walk?” I asked Jane tentatively.
We had been going out for about two years and had done quite a lot of strolling about the Peak District and surrounding area, usually followed by a cream tea. Jane had not however done any serious long distance walking.
The previous year I had completed a coast to coast walk across Scotland and had been enthusing about it ever since, so we had planned a two week holiday in the North West Highlands, based around the Wester Ross area.
I was pleasantly surprised when she replied “Er yes, if you want, where?”
“Oh, just round a loch” I said, avoiding the subject.
“Is it far?” she asked suspiciously.
“Erm, well, er, a bit, I hedged, do you want a cup of tea” I answered, quickly changing the subject.
So, that was how it was arranged. Without really realizing it Jane had agreed to my little plan. The loch I had in mind was Loch Maree, truly one of the most beautiful lochs in Scotland. I aimed for us to set off from Poolewe and take an anti-clockwise route round the loch, although for much of the time, at some distance from it. We would pass to the north of the Torridon Hills and take a break at Kinlochewe before returning under Slioch and leaving Loch Maree for Fionn Loch and then back to Poolewe.
The walk would be a little over fifty miles and I hoped for us to do it in five days, three to Kinlochlewe, where we would use a Bed and Breakfast so Jane could wash her hair, and then two days to return to Poolewe.
We started our holiday relaxing around Gairloch and then Poolewe, having a final hotel meal to set us up for the next few days, little realising the effect it would have.
Next morning we stocked up our provisions at the local shop and prepared to set off. Unfortunately, something Jane had eaten the evening before had disagreed with her, and she had been throwing up instead of eating breakfast. She did however insist that we should still start the walk. What a heroine!
By 10.00am she had a little more colour in her cheeks and with a “don't mind me, I'll be okay” we left the hotel and, took the bridge over the River Ewe. This must surely be one of the shortest rivers in the country, being only the two miles from the nearby loch to the sea at Loch Ewe where we passed over it. The road starts close to the river and we could see the fishermen standing in the river casting their lines. We soon left them as the road wound its way up the hill towards the point where we left it to take the good path toward Slattadale. It is at this point that there was the first sight of Loch Maree. This is a beautiful viewpoint from where you can see the full length of the loch, with majestic Slioch rising above it's northern shores, and the many islands dotted about the central area of the loch.
Leaving the road the path headed up the valley, alongside a line of pylons which shared our route, but did not detract from the beauty of the place. We took a short break by a small loch from where we could look back to the sea over Loch Ewe. Jane felt considerably better, although still a little weak so we took the rest of the climb slowly until we gained the col. It was a real treat as we cleared the top and the loch lay below us. The loch's islands appeared to be floating on the water in front of us, none rising more than a few metres above the water. They are places of incredible beauty and are of special natural and historical interest. One of the islands has its own loch which itself contains a small island of its own. Another, Isle Maree, contains a small burial ground and is steeped in local history.
It was a long walk down to the loch side and through the woods to Slattadale where there is a picnic site. I had hoped for us to camp around here to keep the first day short, especially as Jane had been unwell. On the way there the rain started to fall. I suggested taking refuge in the toilets but, understandable, Jane was not too keen on the idea to stay there for long, certainly not eat there, and definitely not sleep there, so we decided to press on.
We crossed the main road and found ourselves in an area of freshly felled trees and took the path up to the Victoria Falls which were spectacular as we watched the water drop over the lip to the pools below. I couldn't find the path above the falls so we started walking alongside the river but ended up hopping up the slippery stones and spending as much time in the river itself and finally giving up and just wading through the water. We found a path higher up the hill which I realised checking the map we could have taken and avoided our river walk. I expected a telling off for making Jane take a soaking but it turned out she had really enjoyed the last section and looking back on it she had led the way as we had splashed along. We continued above the woods until we came to Loch Garbhaig which had a lovely sandy beach near its outlet. There was nowhere dry enough however to pitch a tent so we followed the river across the rough ground until we hit the good stalkers track which had come up from Loch Bad an Sgalaig.
I was aware that there is a boat house near the start of Loch na h-Oidhche and had hoped we could use it to shelter for the night as we had gone further than planned for the day. Needless to say when we did get to it we discovered it was totally unsuitable, and also locked, so had to press on down the track. I saw on the map another building at the other end of the loch which was marked Poca Buidhe, so I guessed it might be of some stature. The rain persisted as we splashed along the track. I prayed we could use the building as shelter as otherwise we were in for a very miserable night.
As we neared the end of the loch there was no sight of any building and I was beginning to worry. I was so relieved when we turned a corner and stumbled upon the bothy, in a little dip. It looked to be in very good condition. We tried the door and it was locked. There was a sign on the door informing walkers that this was a private bothy and hill walkers could find shelter in the boat house at the other end of the loch! My heart sank and I began weighing up our options, all of which involved being cold, wet, miserable and Jane vowing never to come for a walk with me again. Jane then emerged from round the corner of the building with an enormous grin on her face and a piece of string in her hand. She had found a side door which was just secured with the aforementioned piece of string.
So, we had shelter for the night, and what luxury it was, and what a relief it was too. The ground outside would have been far too wet to make a comfortable camp. The bothy even had a sink with a tap with running water from a stream which had been dammed up outside. We set up our stove and prepared a hot meal. After a long wet walk in the wilds almost anything hot tastes good. Sadly the meal consisted of noodles which come in a pot (I won't name the brand) and even in the worst conditions these could not be made to taste good. Lesson learned, take different food in future. However, we had walked seventeen miles and were tired and much of our stuff was wet, and Jane, although much better than that morning, was still not one hundred per cent. We were, however, well ahead of schedule so I decided that the next day we would take a rest and stay at the bothy for a second night so we could enjoy the scenery and the solitude.
The following morning the sun was out and it was clear it was going to be a hot day. We had a restful morning and then, without packs, walked back down to the boathouse at the other end of the loch. It was still locked and looked no more welcoming than the previous day, no comparison to our accommodation. We crossed the river and walked back up the opposite side of the loch. There was some wood by the lochside so we decided to collect enough for a fire that night. By the time we got back to the bothy I was laden down. It was quite a struggle, and provided Jane with some amusement, recrossing the river with my arms full, trying to remain upright and dry. There was a flat area near the front of the bothy which had clearly been used before so I laid the wood for a fire that evening. Just one hot day, with a light breeze had dried the wood out sufficiently to use . How different from the day before! It was so good to have a relaxing day, with no pressure to return to civilisation, just to be able to sit and take pleasure from being in such beautiful surroundings. I was so pleased that Jane was able to enjoy the area in the same way that I do.
I prepared and lit the fire while Jane rustled up a good hot meal which we enjoyed sitting at the front of the bothy in front of the flames. We were at the back of the Torridon mountains and could looking up towards the magnificent corries which are hardly seen to their full effect when the mountains are climbed from the usual routes from the south. What a privilege to be where we were, hard earned but so worthwhile. We had not seen anyone since leaving the main road after Slattadale. The air was still and the silence added to the grandeur of our surroundings, the only noise being the babble of the water in the nearby river, and the wood crackling in the fire. We sat outside until the sun set over the tops of the hills and the colours faded from the landscape when finally we made our way inside the bothy to enjoy a good nights sleep.
I woke next morning to Jane's voice. “It's snowing”, she informed me.
“Don't be daft,” I replied, “it can't be, it's the middle of June!”
Sure enough she was right, it was. Although not settling at our level the flakes were definitely coming down. We watched as a dark cloud buried the bare upper slopes of Beinn Alligin above us and, shortly after, when it cleared, the summit was coated in a layer of white.
It was with a certain feeling of regret that we packed up our things after breakfast and headed off. The bothy had been a good place to be and had felt very homely. We had a good clear up and left the place even tidier than we had found it.
The path soon petered out, as promised on the map, at a small lochan. The next section of route was to be over quite rough terrain and I had anticipated, from studying the map that it would be hard going. In actuality, although keeping in a straight line was almost impossible, things were not too difficult. There were many streams and small lochans to negotiate but good progress was made. The main problem turned to be watching where we were going. As we worked out way eastwards we were met with amazing views of the stupendous corries which are features of the north side of the Torridons, each one more magnificent than the last. We passed Corie Mhic Fhearchair and the triple buttress of Beinn Eighe and were awestruck. There were also wonderful views the other way, down Strath Lungard back to Loch Maree, to remind us of the purpose of the walk, but it was to our right, and upwards, that our eyes were constantly drawn to these places of unbelievable beauty. We had to keep stopping to admire the scenery or we would have been tripping up all day. Superlatives can hardly do justice to the area. I have since walked in many of the most beautiful areas of Scotland but this day would take some beating.
We continued east and eventually picked up a path which led us out of our valley and into the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. This became a well made path and eventually brought us down the ever steepening slopes to the Visitor Centre where we enjoyed the good exhibition about the area and its wildlife. There was a relief map of the area and we were able to trace our route so far, and what lay ahead. I could at least reassure Jane that we were over half way, in both distance and time, although there was still some very remote territory to negotiate.
On the drive up to Poolewe we had stopped in Kinlochewe (surely it should be called Kinlochmaree) and found a Bed and Breakfast and left some provisions with Mrs McDonald, who ran it. We therefore had clean clothes and food for the walk back down the opposite side of the loch. After a good scrub down, which we both appreciated it was off to the hotel for a well deserved meal.
Upon our return to the Bed and Breakfast we rescued our dirty clothes from the cat which obviously liked the smell and was using them as a bed, and then settled down for the night to recharge our energy reserves for the days ahead.
The next day saw us heading down the main road away from the loch. Sadly the bridge over the Kinlochewe River was upstream so initially we were travelling away from our final destination. Not for long however, and soon we were over the river and facing towards Poolewe, a real moral boost. It was quite some distance across flat ground as the path took a fairly tortuous route along the river coming through the trees until we finally reached the shore of the Loch Maree for the first time since Slattadale, and actually the only time in the whole walk when we were close enough to put our feet in the water. The rest of the day took us along the north shore, or nearby, passing in front of the spectacular waterfall which can be seen from the main road on the opposite shore and then under the steep slopes of the majestic Slioch which is so synonymous with Loch Maree and gives it much of it's character.
At lunchtime there was a shower but we found shelter under some overhanging rocks
to eat our sandwiches, as the water ran off the rocks around us.
The path kept coming and going and for much of the way made its way through woodland where it was difficult to find our way. “No, we are not lost,” I explained to Jane, “I know exactly where we are, I'm just not sure on which way to go”. We did however eventually make it to the small hamlet of Letterewe. Access to here is very difficult and the only practical approach is by boat across the loch. There were more cows about than people so we carefully made our way through the fairly ramshackle buildings until, at the far end we came to a house which appeared to be inhabited. We knocked on the door which was answered by a man who was quite friendly but did ask us not to camp in the immediate area of the houses but told us we would be all right to camp a little further up the path as long as we were out of sight.
We obediently continued up the steep path until we found a flat area where there were low ruins of buildings which were only a few feet high and would offer no shelter. For the one and only time on the walk we therefore had to use the tent which I had been carrying the whole time. At least we did make use of it this once. This was Jane's first experience of wild camping and was a beautiful location for this occasion. The one drawback was the midges which, until this point, had not presented us with a problem. For some reason they only seemed to pick on me. Jane was obviously too sweet smelling for them as opposed to me, who was sweat smelling and tasty. Fortunately a light breeze picked up and this blew the little blighters away.
The next day, our last of the walk, took us away from Loch Maree for the last time. Where the path split we avoided the path to the right which eventually leads to Carnmore but instead took the path which led initially north-west, and then north, through Strathan Buidhe towards Fionn Loch, which is now one of my favourite lochs. On the way up through the pass, on the remarkably well made path we were stopped in our tracks by a bleating sound. We looked up and saw half a dozen goats balancing on the rocks near to the path. They were eyeing us cautiously, I'm sure they didn't see many humans coming this way. As we cleared the beallach the view ahead opened out to the loch and the whole area ahead had a real feel of remoteness. The path took us down to join the main path which leads from Poolewe to Carnmore.
This path, which has since been greatly improved, was very boggy, especially as we neared the woods approaching Kernsary, and the going was tricky as we picked our way through the mud. Jane, being considerably lighter than I am, made much better progress as she had the knack of walking straight over the muddiest sections, as I seemed to sink in. We eventually arrived at the trees. The path was not as obvious as it is now and we ended up making our way down the river before picking a track up and thankfully arriving at Kernsary itself.
We decided to take the path along by Loch Kernsary, which, although not as good as the main vehicle track, was considerably shorter. As we passed the end of the loch there was a brief rise and then the houses at Poolewe came into view and civilisation was rejoined.
With great relief we returned to the road and walked the short distance back to the hotel having completed our walk round Loch Maree.
Post script
A couple of days later was Jane's birthday and I had plans. I told her that I wanted us to have a picnic on the island in Loch Ewe. I made local enquiries and found that there was no ferry onto the island but if we went to Altbea we may be able to find a way of getting there. Armed with a lunch hamper we therefore drove to the nearby village and asked at the Post Office. We were directed to a man on the pier who we were told might be able to assist. He kindly told us we could borrow his rowing boat which was on the shore, and full of water. Jane was reluctant and thought it was more trouble than it was worth. I persisted and between us we tipped the boat over to empty the water out. The man lent us some oars and we pushed the boat out and set out across the loch. It took about half an hour to reach the island and we pulled the boat well up onto the shore so we wouldn't be stranded as the tide rose. Part of the island has a few houses which looked uninhabited. We set off walking and made our way to the north side of the island where I found a remote spot which overlooked the Torridan Hills where we had been a few days earlier.
I laid out a blanket and set up our picnic in the glorious sunshine. Having enjoyed our food and wine I plucked up my courage.
“Do you know what this island is called” I asked Jane.
“Yes,” she replied, “ Isle of Ewe”
“Isle of Ewe too, will you marry me”
Fortunately the reply was “Yes” and later this year we celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary!
