Arkle in the sun

[EmmaKTunskeen]

Frantically catching up with this year before it gets to the winter solstice!

Grabbed a day while up in the north of Scotland at the end of May to walk Arkle. It's been three years since my claggy windy walk up Foinaven and I'd been meaning to go and look at the ridge I couldn't get on back then (June '18). By pure luck, this was a beautiful clear day, so I was in for a treat.

It started foggy though, and that meant a fogbow en route.

001c Fogbow by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

But by the time I got to Loch Stack, it was clear. And there was Arkle in all its quartzy quartziness.

003 Arkle above Loch Stack by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Greenshank and merganser were about, and also a little flycatcher flycatching.

007 Greenshank by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

010 Four merganser by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

012 Flycatcher mid-sally by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

A few stags with spring growth were around too, grazing, with their spring antler growth.

017 Spring stag growth by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

It was a roasting hot day, and one where I was glad I'd remembered the suncream. I stopped at the bridge just before the plantation to put it on, and as I approached the plantation I remembered Black Panther's report about keds in this bit. I don't know whay that's stayed with me for three years, but it has! Anyway, I'm delighted to say there were none awaiting me.

022 Boulders by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Once through the tiny patch of trees, it was all about that quartz! So young compared to where I'd been a few weeks before at Ben More Coigach.

025 Close-up on Cambrian quartzite 545-495 Ma by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

026 Quartzite blockiness by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Yet, as you walk above the burn to get round the back, all is green and heathery.

026a Burn cleft ahead by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

I've been enjoying the lousewort in Ayrshire and Galloway for the past few weeks, and it was good to find a bit here too.

028a Lousewort by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

It was also good to find a mini-waterfall along the path, for a bit of cool, clean refreshment.

And then it was a matter of striking up the grass and strewn rock. I veered towards the right a bit so i could get a view of Foinaven as early as possible. On the way, the Assynt hills hove into view, led by Quinag.

034 Assynt all on view by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

It was a kind of mirror-image of my view from Ben More Coigach on 2nd May when - for once! - the light had been even better because of less haze. (It's normally pretty thick cloud at least in one direction when I'm up there. So with these two weekends in great sunshine, I was feeling pretty spoilt.)

035 Quinag by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

036 Suilven with Cul Mor on shoulder by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

037 Canisp with Cul Mor behind by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

038 BMC between Canisp and Suilven by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

040 Beinn Leoid to Ben More Assynt and Conival by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

042 Quinag to Ben Stack pano by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Closer to me at the other end of the loch was the bigly named Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill - which I did think would be a pleasant walk for another time, though I've paid it absolutely no attention ever before!

041 Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

A bit more of this, after all that Assynt ogling...

043b Terrain up to Meall Aonghais by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

...and there was Foinaven, just beginning to appear and holding all its promise of beautiful and dramatic shapeliness as I ascended.

043c Foinaven starts to appear by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

I mean really. Watch this...

045 Foinaven for coffee stop by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

047 Foinaven tops by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

047a Breakfast spot off path - beautiful by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

It's not just the ridge that's beautiful up here at the bealach:

048c An Garbh-choire cleft and Lochan na Faoileige - beautiful by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

But it definitely does keep stealing the eye, and then it dances with Arkle itself:

048g Arkle ridge and fold and Foinaven by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

I was also enjoying Arkle's fold, which took me back to a similar view in Glen Oykle when walking up towards the Ben More Assynt south tops.

048i Arkle fold by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

And of course, the other hills and viewa around and about, and the view out to Orkney which was visible today:

050 Ben Hope and Loyal over Meall Horn by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

051 An t-Sail Mhor to Ben Hope and Meall Horn pano by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

052 Orkney by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

055 Ben Stack - Quinag and Point of Stoer by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Once on the ridge, the views were as stunning and appealing as you'd hope to see anywhere in Scotland:

059g Dramatic Arkle bowl - Hope in the wings by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

059h Assynt and Loch Stack from the ridge by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

059k Assynt Munros and Loch Stack by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

061 Assynt and Ben Stack to Point of Stoer by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

064 Waves of Foinaven and Hope by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

And there was the scrambly bit of the ridge ahead to enjoy. These were the kinds of conditions I'd really been hoping for on Foinaven in 2018! Ah well - more than happy to be on them now on Arkle!

067a Srambly ridge - beautiful by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

067b Dramatic Arkle bowl and Hope central by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

067c Quartz slabs chunks scree and Foinaven by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

067d ridge view by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

067e Assynt over Loch and Ben Stack with ridge by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

It was particularly nice that the quartz slabs were dry. I'd have enjoyed them a lot less if they were slippery, especially being so out of wet, scrambly practice as lockdowns has made so many of us!

067g Arkle ridge scree drop by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

067i Knock and lochan from ridge scramble by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

067j Looking back at ridge blob by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

The weird limestone pavement-type bit was a joy.

067l Limestone pavement effect by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

067m Looking back at pavement and Loch Stack by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

And really, until descending again the same way, that was the best of Arkle. The grassy wander to the top and the summit itself were fine for a stop and a picnic.

067n Ridge over - grass towards top by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

073 Approaching Arkle summit cairn by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

073c Foinaven from summit by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

But really, the thing to do up here was to savour the descent on a day like this, just as much as I'd savoured the ascent. So camera away, pretty much, that's what I did.

[Thataway]

What a fabulous report.
I am so jealous.
Moral: get off your ass and get out there!
Thanks Emma.

[Coop]

Arkle truly is fantastic- thanks for reminding me of the thd great day I had on it.
Great report

[Anne C]

Great photos Emma! What a magical day

[Pastychomper]

Great report and photography, thanks!

[Alteknacker]

This was sheer joy to read/stare at the pics.

What fantastic weather you had to experience this stunning area in. I'm hoping to spend a short week in Assynt a bit later this year - boy do I hope I have similar weather luck!