EASTER Ross

[aaquater]

1) Beinn Tharsuinn
17.4 km
686 m ascent
3h45

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It's obvious that Easter Ross is where Easter should be spent, right? The weather forecast seemed to agree, at least, and as I had a lot of trouble figuring out where the boundaries of the area lay, I went for a hill that was most definitely within it as the area name was inscribed over it on the map. This walk also had a very generously sized parking area, which was another plus. So I set off on the track, the hill in my view from the start.

It'll take a lot of time for Beinn Tharsuinn to be eaten away from existence... The track continued around the quarry before depositing me into the heathery hillside, as the official walk description said. The ascent was... well, a mesh of heather and bog at the start, so I couldn't place my feet at random, but it got better later on. The col between Torr Leathann and Beinn Tharsuinn, though, was a peaty mess forcing me to search for a crossing place I could trust. And that was only the beginning.

What a lovely view. The Graham itself was fine, but the N ridge was one peat hag on top of another, so the ascent is an understatement, as numerous 2 m up - 2 m down jumps were experienced, as crossing a peaty area demands. Meanwhile, looks to the far-northern Bens (Armine, Klibreck, Loyal, Hope) were opening up, some of them still with a snow cover while it had melted off of others.

Regardless, it was a relief to reach the wind farm track - and then the path down Meall a' Bhreacain. A path which continued almost all the way down and was pleasantly stable; the official walk description made me dread this bit, but it was really okay - even when not compared to the Beinn Tharsuinn - Sithean a' Choin Bhain ridge. After a more dubious, but short and still manageable part right next to Strathrory River (which, though, looked sure to be an overgrown jungle in late summer), I hit the track again and returned to the car - which I'd leave again after a few minutes' drive.

2) Cnoc Ceislein
10.6 km
474 m ascent
2h15

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The Fyrish Monument path is supplied by a good path that made for fast walking - and, as promised, it offered very nice views S to the firths there. After the monument, though, I continued on the path downwards and turned left onto a track. On the next junction, I then headed right and back up - after I returned a few metres; the track junction noted on the map to be right by Allt Cam actually is a little bit E of it. Emerging out of the forest, I saw my next target on the left, while Beinn Tharsuinn was noticeable further back. Meaning I must've seen Cnoc Fyrish and Cnoc Ceislein from there, I just couldn't pinpoint which ones they were.

The track led me close, but the last bit still had to be heathery and pathless. I thought I knew which one was the main summit, but as I was ascending, I spied something like a trig on the top on my left, so I veered that way a little. As I kept rising up, though, it became obvious that the top I was looking at was lower than the one I was on - and that what I saw was actually a tree. Not the first time a hill treeggered me like that. I made it to the actual trig, though, and could enjoy the views. Ben Wyvis was prominent, especially with its still substantial snow cover.

Hopping down to the track by a slightly different route, I then tried to take a direct route back to the car park along the tracks displayed on the map. It needs to be said, though, that the 'shortcut track' down Cnoc na Gaoithe is a path at best, and I still think I eventually lost it. But I was counting on the fact the track I would join would be obvious - and it was, though calling it a 'track' was still a bit generous. Eventually, though, it did turn into a proper path that then crossed the path I took up earlier, so I turned left and headed for the car. And home (with a quick stop for dinner in Inverness), where I would then really feel the impact of the walk for a few days. Yeah, 6 hours is a really borderline time, I was rushing through it quite a lot after sleeping in, but this 'keeping up with the time' still resulted in two blue ticks. :D