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After the soft, green lushness of the Black Isle, where we spent 4 lovely days with the family over Xmas, Torridon’s gothic grandeur seemed almost unreal. Making that left turn at Kinlochewe and entering Glen Torridon, I always feel I’m entering another world and one that makes my heart soar.
Liathach from Glen Torridon. by
Anne C, on Flickr
We were staying in a cottage in Wester Alligin for a few days and though the icy conditions ruled out the bigger stuff, there are so many brilliant low and mid level walks in Torridon, we were spoiled for choice. But of all the superb options, it was the grand walk to Coire Mhic Fhearchair (Son of Farquar’s Corrie) that appealed the most. It had been three years since we'd last walked in, on a wind-whipped day of vicious snow showers, with the mountains wrapped in scudding low cloud and distant views largely hidden in the clag. Today's forecast at least promised little wind and drier conditions. A nice early start too would give us plenty of time at the loch itself given daylight hours are so short in late December.
Bad start next morning when somehow, we both slept in!
We never bother with an alarm because we're usually awake pretty early but Sod's Law, it was 8.45am before we woke up. Bizarre! ) That led to a bit of a grumpy start with me already stressed that we would be playing catch up with daylight from the off and with little time to do more than turn around once we reached the loch itself. No sandwiches made up the night before either
Chris as ever was very laid back and reckoned we would be fine...RELAX, he said (his favourite word and one I rarely use
)
As we drove along Loch Torridon, we had the thrill of seeing an otter swimming quickly away from the shore, probably spooked by our car pulling to a halt when I spied it scurrying over rocks.
An otter glides away from shore by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
'You might not have seen
that if we'd scooted along here earlier...' Chris said pointedly.
So at 11am, 90 mins later than planned, we finally set off from the glen car park opposite the Ling Hut, under cloudy skies but with the tops clearing.
Liathach as we set out by
Anne C, on Flickr
Beinn Eighe clearing too...
Beinn Eighe having cleared by
Anne C, on Flickr
There was a majestic stag in the car park which has clearly got a good thing going where, if he's fed titbits - he'll allow his photo to be taken up close.
I was quite alarmed at just how close he came as I got the camera out - a big beastie! That said, there are warning signs not to feed him because deer can get aggressive if they start to expect food and none is forthcoming. But what a handsome chap...
DSC_0393.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
The path starts off flat then rises into Coire Dubh Mor, the well named Great Dark Corrie between the giants of Liathach and Beinn Eighe. A bit of ice dodging at times but it was fine.The view into and up the icy terraces and gullies of Liathach was quite a sight – intimidating and unforgiving.
A few small burns to cross but they were shallow; the mountains were holding all of their water instead of shedding it into the rivers below. The countless waterfalls that plunge down Liathach’s terraces after rain , were frozen solid, garlanding the mountain with ice.There would be a sudden loud crack, then a sound like glass shattering as a frozen waterfall lost its battle against the slowly rising temperatures.
It was around 4C with no wind and pretty soon, with the initial effort of the first bit of the climb, it was time to take my big duvet jacket off - hot work! (I always wear far too much at the start of a walk, hating the initial feeling of being cold.I haven’t managed the Be Bold, Go Cold approach to a walk yet
After about 75 mins, the path forked and we took a right, climbing below the base of Beinn Eighe, the route becoming slightly rockier and more icy.
The Triple Buttresses walk, Torridon by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Now we could see Beinn Dearg, Baosbheinn and Beinn an Eoin – the great inselberg mountains that rear out of the wild, empty moorland, dotted with countless lochans and hauntingly beautiful. Many looked frozen solid and I wondered whether the loch we were headed for would also be solid ice, rather than turquoise-y and crystal clear.
To the north west, lay the sea and North Skye.
Towards North Skye by
Anne C, on Flickr
Clusters of pink boulders left behind by the last Ice Age, edged the path. The whole place was just majestic.
Pink Torridon rocks by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
We still had an hour to go, but the slight impatience I felt about reaching the loch soon evaporated as we turned a corner and saw the great mountain ranges above Loch Maree. The sun, so low in the sky, had found a breach in the clouds and now cast Slioch in a spectacular fiery orange light. It was absolutely stunning and a major highlight of the walk in.
Slioch appears beyond the higher ground by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Slioch in the afternoon light by
Anne C, on Flickr
The sun had found a gap through the Torridon giants...
DSC_0425.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
Coire Mhic Fhearchair is guarded on this western side by a great lip of stone where waterfalls rush down onto a series of rock terraces but the path cleverly winds it way up a nice route to the loch itself on beautifully built stepping stones.
Final approach to the loch by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Looking back as the path climbed...
Looking back to Beinn Alligin and Beinn Dearg by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Last few steps before we reached the corrie bowl...
Last section below Beinn Eighe by
Anne C, on Flickr
Above the waterfalls by
Anne C, on Flickr
Suddenly, after 2hrs 15 of spectacular walking, there we were – in the corrie itself, the loch now in front of us - carefully traversing the big flat rock slabs of this stunning place. The Triple Buttresses of Beinn Eighe fall sheer into the cold waters and today, the shores were heavily ringed with ice but the water itself was not frozen.
The Triple Buttresses of Beinn Eighe, Torridon, Scottish Highlands by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Myself at the lochan by
Anne C, on Flickr
Chris at the lochan by
Anne C, on Flickr
A photographer already had a tripod set up to get a shot of the scene across a pool, waxing lyrical about where he was when I stopped to chat to him.
The flattish slabs needed careful negotiating as there was a lot of ice where we were now, given we were at over 600m.A reminder if any was needed that the mountains are a different place to the more benign conditions at Loch Torridon itself.
A winter picnic of cheese and coleslaw sandwiches tasted great, as outdoor food after a good walk always does, but we were very glad of the flask of hot water for tea; now that we'd stopped, it felt very chilly in the below freezing temperatures and the ice. The low winter sun didn’t reach the loch itself and the water looked dark and brooding - very fitting for winter.
This really is a place that is good for the soul.
At 1.50pm Chris suggested we head down to avoid getting caught out by darkness. We had head torches but that wouldn’t have been ideal in the icy conditions.
Heading down by
Anne C, on Flickr
I thought the views on the walk in had been fantastic but now, the angle of the sun really lit up the island mountains we'd passed earlier.
Beinn Dearg, living up to its name of the Red Mountain...
Beinn Dearg lives up to its name - the Red Mountain by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
An ancient land - Torridon, Scottish Highlands by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Beinn Dearg and Baosbheinn by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Sun on Beinn Dearg by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Baosbheinn; Beinn an Eoin, the Mountain of the Birds; Beinn a Chearchaill. Beinn Alligin, the Jewelled Mountain...all in their glory.
Liathach looked Alpine...
Heading back by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
DSC_0498.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
Liathach by
Anne C, on Flickr
It took us the same time on the return as the walk in, what with watching our feet with the ice but mainly because I couldn’t stop taking photos of the ever changing light! It was stunning.
Sun in the east by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Loch Torridon appearing through the gap in the glen...
Beinn Dearg , Alligin behind by
Anne C, on Flickr
A very difficult place to leave but the light was going quite quickly. The sky was softening into the pinks and lemons of sunset and away in the distance above Achnasheen we could see the familiar pyramid of Foinn Bheinn, completely covered in snow, though very distant in this photo...
DSC_0523.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
Looking south east we weren't sure what we were looking at...Moruisg? The Monar Forest area?
Untitled by
Anne C, on Flickr
Getting back to Glen Torridon before dark by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
Beinn Eighe lit up...
DSC_0522.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
Beinn Eighe in the final stages of light at 4.15pm...
Beinn Eighe in the dusk at 4.15pm by
scotlandmac, on Flickr
The last of the light in the glen...
DSC_0536.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
Liathach turning rose pink...
Liathach in late afternoon light by
Anne C, on Flickr
It was pitch dark in the glen by the time we arrived at the car park at 4.20pm, weary but thrilled that we’d had a such a fine day to savour one of the hidden glories of the Highlands.
'The best laid plans go aft agley' and we have plenty experience of that, but sometimes - sometimes! - the stars align. If we’d been an hour earlier, we wouldn’t have enjoyed quite the same glorious light on the descent from the loch. And as Chris reminded me, we might not have been so lucky as to have seen the wee otter!
The spectacle continued as we left the darkness of the glen and drove along the shores of Loch Torridon, bringing what had been a memorable day in this finest of places to a close.
Loch Torridon in last light by
Anne C, on Flickr