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Forecast was for a grey, cloudy day, with higher hills covered in cloud. Didn't fancy an early start anyway, so decided it was time I got round to doing Creag Loch nan Dearcag, the only munro, corbett, graham or sub-2k within 30 miles of Inverness I hadn't done yet I think.
Rather than heading through forestry tracks and up from Strathconon, I opted for the walk down Gleann Marcasaidh from Luichart power station and the dam, same approach as when I'd done Sgurr Marcasaidh 2 years ago:
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=97631Didn't really have any particular route planned, so just headed along the track and shortly after the place I'd headed up to the right for Sgurr Maracasaidh there was a gate in the deer fence on the left. Seemed as good a place as any to leave the track and start heading towards Creag Loch nan Dearcag. There was another deer fence to cross not long after, no gate or stile in sight so had to clamber over that one at a point where the fence felt nice and stable. Further down there was the Allt a'Ghlinne to cross, but it was much easier than I expected, not very wide at all and plenty of places with stepping stones if you don't fancy trying to leap across! (I opted for the stepping stones option).
- Left the track at this gate as it was the easiest place to cross the first deer fence. Creag Loch nan Dearcag is the hill above the middle of the gate.
- Second deer fence to negotiate, no gate this time. Still heading pretty much directly towards Creag Loch nan Dearcag ahead
I aimed roughly for the corner of the forestry area to start heading up the hill then. The terrain was much better than I expected, a mixture of grass and heather, probably boggy in parts in wetter weather than I did it, but I found myself having nice grassy rakes or areas of low heather to head up in roughly the desired direction, making progress quite easy. When setting off I'd thought, looking at the map, I'd head round the west side of Loch nan Dearcag and up on to the summit from the west side, but the way I headed up brought me out to the east of the lochan. From here, it looked like the route up onto the summit ridge between the eastern top Carn a'Mhearlaich and the main summit of Creag Loch nan Dearcag was quite straightforward, and so it proved.
- Heading up to the summit ridge, Loch nan Dearcag was off to my right as I went up (on the left in this shot)
A few stones marked the summit, and the views of the higher hills all in cloud made me glad I'd chosen this wee hill today. Windy at the summit compared to the sheltered route up so I just stayed there for 5 minutes before heading back down vaguely the same way.
- Creag Loch nan Dearcag summit, looking over to Sgurr Marcasaidh
- View back to the eastern top of Carn a'Mhearlaich, the eastern end of Sgurr Marcasaidh on the left of the picture and Gleann Marcasaidh lying between
- Dark clouds over the Strathconon hills
I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this hill, I seemed to avoid any high bracken or negotiating forestry by taking this route (..though as an aside, no use for dog walkers due to the second deer fence having to be climbed)
