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A trip up to Sutherland saw me stopping off on the A9 to walk up Meall Chuaich on the way. It wasn't going to be an exciting day, but the weather suggested the views would be worthwhile - and they didn't disappoint. A car up my exhaust pipe meant I went sailing past the layby, to be safe, and had to turn back but I was booted up by about 9.45am and set off.
Grouse were everywhere, but between their sorry calls, I could also hear curlew in the boggy moorland to my right above the aqueduct.
003 Aqueduct and Meall Chuaich ahead 
004 Not falling in And song thrush...
...and serenaded by that little lot, I was soon at the business end of the hydro.
008 Approaching the power station 
008a Power station 
009 Hydro pipeline You know you're on a popular track when you see signposts! Though so far I was the only walker, soon to be joined by another solo-walking woman who'd started booting up as I'd set off.
011 Crystal clear signage Past a stonechat and the loch came into view. I was looking forward to seeing it from above as I rose, but for now I was still on the flat.
013 Stonechat 
014 Loch Chuaich - sheep - path to Ralia A couple of little ATVs had driven past me as I walked, but they clearly have their own tracks. For walkers, it's another signpost.
018 More crystal clear signage And at last, the ascent began. It was, as expected, a dull old plod up the heathery slope as predicted, but soon the view opened up...
018c Up the walkers path looking back to Sgairneach Mhor
022 Bealach Dubh with Ben Alder left and Geal Charn right ...and it was worth a glug of morning coffee on the Stac.
022d Loch Ericht from Stac Meall Chuaich I was hoping Creag Meaghaidh would shift its cloud and reveal itself in all its glory - especially since I'd walked it in a total pea-souper a few months before - but for now, the wildlife was stealing the show. First a mountain hare, who would follow me around for a bit it turned out, and then a bubbling pond full of active frog-making
023 Mountain hare with NW backdrop 
024 Its that time again Nice place to live...
025 Frog with Coire Chuaich backdrop
026 Froggy faces It is that time of year when frogs are mating and birds like the curlew are nesting, so I'm always suprised to see muirburn. But it was going on on two sides of the hill today. The other lady walker had arrived while I was stopping to take in the wildlife and views, and asked what the fires were - she'd wondered if they were accidental, and related a fire by Loch Lomond the day before.
029 Drumochter to Creag Meaghaidh pano On she went ahead, and as I headed up I saw the hare again, so veered off route a bit for a closer look. They can give you a right mean stare when they want to!
030 Territorial mountain hare Only kidding - that was a zoom
031 Mountain hare with Drumochter backdrop Up towards the top, the views were great. Meall Chuaich really isn't hemmed in by high tops, so on a reasonably clear day like this, it's a cracking easy Munro for vistas out to old friends.
034 Meall nan Tarmachan to Beinn Nan Eachan 
034a Tarmachan Ridge over Carn na Caim 
Ben Vrackie
036 Farragon Hill east of Schiehallion 
037 Stob Binnein and Ben More two central tops And I hadn't even got to the summit cairn. There it was, and that meant a chat and farewell to my fellow walker, and second breakfast, with Ben Alder and Geal Charn stealing the view, and a whole load more besides
038 Summit cairn ahoy
040 Ben Alder from summit 
041 Geal Charn Beinn a Chlachair left - Creag Meagaidh right by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
042 Schiehallion with Glen Lyon hills behind 
043 Carn na Caim corrie with Beinn Udlamain behind in snow 
045 Ben Lawers 
046 Prow of Geal Charns Sgor Iutharn with The Fara in front
047 Newtonmore and Kingussie 
048 Where have I zoomed to 
049 Through the Bealach Dubh to Corrour Time to get going, and I took myself away from the route to get above Loch Chuaich so I could see it connecting to Loch Ericht.
052 Loch Chuaich to Loch Ericht via aqueduct It had been a beautiful morning, and I'd thoroughly enjoyed the views - obviously, by the number of photos! So now it was the heathery descent, and the long walk back , meeting folk coming up and sheep following me out.
058 People arriving in sunshine 
065 Sheep approach on my walk out