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Sgùrr Marcasaidh with Kids along a gradually rising path

Sgùrr Marcasaidh with Kids along a gradually rising path


Postby WalkingWithKids » Mon Mar 28, 2022 6:17 pm

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Sgùrr Marcasaidh

Date walked: 19/03/2022

Time taken: 7.5 hours

Distance: 11.1 km

Ascent: 590m

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Sgùrr Marcasaidh circuit from Conon Falls House (Luichart Dam) with Kids (8, 11, 17 yo)

Stats:
Total distance - 11.1 km
Total time - 7h28m
Walking time - 3h41m
Altitude gain - 520 m
Terrain:
2 km - Road
2.1 km - Farm track
7 km - roughly half and half deer paths and pathless (a mix of grass and short heather, boggy in some places)

Sgùrr Marcasaidh has been on my hiking list for a long time, and finally we did it! 8)
It is an extensive hill, crisscrossed with deer paths, so the second part of our way up was along them. The first part was along the road and a good farm track.
The deer paths were easily walkable (Thanks deer! :wink: ) and we managed to find a fine path uphill, but the descent from Sgùrr Marcasaidh East Top was quite tricky, especially for the kids. It was very, very steep in some places :crazy: and I had to think about each step twice, so that the kids could manage it.


20220319-Sgurr-Marcasaidh-circuit-from-Conon-Falls-House.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


Sgùrr Marcasaidh.png


Parking spot at Conon Falls House close Luichart Dam:
IMG_20220319_120311489-700.jpg


The sign front of the house:
IMG_20220319_120417824-700.jpg


Luichart Dam and Sgùrr Marcasaidh East Top in the middle:
IMG_7711.JPG

IMG_7717-700.JPG


Loch Luichart and the Sub2000 - Càrn Faire nan Con on the right:
IMG_20220319_122845202_HDR-700.jpg


There is no track marked on the OS map beyond the dam but the track continues beyond it:
IMG_20220319_123305231_HDR-700.jpg


Almost all reports describe the start of the way up behind this gate, alongside the fence up (the red arrow). I think that is an unnecessarily hard way up therefore we continued along the track towards Glenmarksie:
IMG_20220319_124250979_HDR-700.jpg


Glenmarksie:
IMG_20220319_125629238_HDR-700.jpg


Love! :)
IMG_7730-700.JPG


We continued on the track behind Glenmarksie to the gate on the grassy branch track on the right side:
IMG_20220319_132203722_HDR-700.jpg


The grassy track ends after 100m beyond the gate.
From the end of the grassy track we walked the deer path which take us onto the ridge close to the transmitter (the red arrow - transmitter):
IMG_20220319_132944280_HDR-line.jpg


There are several deer paths to take, does not matter which you follow, you just need to get yourself close to the transmitter (the red arrow). The red line - our way up:
IMG_7732-line.JPG


The deer track crossed a few boggy places (all of them easily avoidable), was indistinct in some places, otherwise was excellent:
IMG_20220319_133727547_HDR.jpg

IMG_20220319_135903398_HDR.jpg


View back:
IMG_7740.JPG


Close to the transmitter:
IMG_20220319_151225770-700.jpg

IMG_20220319_152016314-line.jpg

IMG_20220319_152956790_HDR-700.jpg


From the transmitter we walked more or less pathless.
Trigpoint in sight:
IMG_20220319_153158781-arrow.jpg


Finally! :)
IMG_20220319_154955287-700.jpg


Conni on the top, View towards W:
IMG_20220319_160025619_HDR-hills.jpg


The Munros - Fionn Bheinn and Slioch zoomed:
IMG_7767-Slioch.JPG


The Munro - Liathach zoomed:
IMG_7768-Liathach.JPG


Towards NE - The Munro - Ben Wyvis in the middle:
IMG_7748-orez.JPG


Way down.
From the summit we walked along the ridge to the East Top. There was no deer path in our direction but the walk through the mix of grass and short heather was not difficult. We easily crossed several peat hags.
IMG_20220319_163051310_HDR.jpg


On the ridge:
IMG_7774-700.JPG

IMG_20220319_165555011-700.jpg


Deer! :wave:
IMG_7783-orez.JPG

IMG_7784-orez.JPG


Sgùrr Marcasaidh East Top:
IMG_7787-700.JPG


Loch Luichart and the Sub2000 Càrn Faire nan Con (the red arrow):
IMG_7791-700.JPG


From the East Top we walked straight down to the fence. But it was not so easy. The descent was very, very steep:
IMG_7799-line.JPG

IMG_20220319_175313907-line.jpg

Steep, steep, steep... :crazy: :
IMG_7802.JPG


In the lower part of the descent we found a deer path which helped us to walk down:
IMG_20220319_181843974_HDR.jpg


Almost down:
IMG_7815.JPG


We continued alongside the fence back to the farm track. It was very steep in some places as well :crazy:
There was one low fence to climb:
IMG_20220319_185403737.jpg


Finally on the farm track at the gate I mentioned earlier: 8)
IMG_7821.JPG


We returned back to the car along the track across the dam.
Last edited by WalkingWithKids on Wed Mar 30, 2022 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
WalkingWithKids
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Posts: 182
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Re: Sgùrr Marcasaidh with Kids along a gradually rising path

Postby jmarkb » Tue Mar 29, 2022 9:03 am

Good effort from the kids! - I thought it was quite tough going for a wee hill.
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jmarkb
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Re: Sgùrr Marcasaidh with Kids along a gradually rising path

Postby WalkingWithKids » Wed Mar 30, 2022 4:40 pm

jmarkb wrote:Good effort from the kids! - I thought it was quite tough going for a wee hill.


It was not easy, but this has been our 99th scottish hill in the last two years, so the kids are already well trained :lol:
WalkingWithKids
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 182
Munros:19   Corbetts:33
Fionas:41   
Sub 2000:101   
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Re: Sgùrr Marcasaidh with Kids along a gradually rising path

Postby WalkingWithKids » Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:44 pm

I found two older photos of Sgùrr Marcasaidh from the east side taken in March 2020 from the Sub2000 Càrn Faire nan Con.

Luichart Dam, Loch Luichart and Sgùrr Marcasaidh East Top:
P3218482.JPG


Loch Luichart and Sgùrr Marcasaidh:
P3218483.JPG
WalkingWithKids
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 182
Munros:19   Corbetts:33
Fionas:41   
Sub 2000:101   
Joined: Sep 26, 2020
Location: Moray

Re: Sgùrr Marcasaidh with Kids along a gradually rising path

Postby dronaig » Fri Sep 30, 2022 3:54 pm

thumbnail_IMG_8533.jpg
View from summit area
You have reported a very good route that I followed on September 26th. Thanks. - however I did not return along the whole ridge as per your description re steep descent. I came off maybe 1/3 along so joined the track where I left it (the grassy area)
It's a nice hill - and very good of the deer to provide the path network :clap:
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dronaig
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