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We had originally intended to camp on Sunday night while walking from Sheildaig (Gairloch) to Torridon but a number of factors - recent experience with ticks, transport problems at each end and a deteriorating weather forecast caused us to opt for a shorter walk instead. We had intended to explore Meall Lochan a'Chleirich above the 'Red Stable' on the Loch Maree to Gairloch road for some time so we decided to combine this with a couple of other small rocky hills in the area.
Having got through the roadworks by Loch Bad an Sgalaig we parked at the 'Red Stables' that is the usual setting off point for Beinn an Eoin and Baosbhein and set off down the road towards loch Maree. After a few hundred metres we found a gate in the deer fence into the extensively re-afforested area that the Flowerdale Estate has been creating at the base of these hills. It looked like this gate was made for rock climbers and there is another gate further down at the cattle grid. Although it makes the going different to the open hill, the forestry no way makes the hill inaccessible to walkers. In places the trees have grown well and give an almost Pyrenean feel to the hill. We turned right up a grassy gully.
Looking back down to the cattle grid
From the south Meall Lochan a'Chleirich looks intimidating and there are a number of well used rock climbing crags. But, as in most of these small rocky hills, there are relatively easy routes up winding between them. In good clear conditions it's just a matter of picking your way round any obstacles. We could see a small valley running east on the OS map and headed for that.
Back to the 'Red Stable' and the larger Loch Bad na Sgalaig
Route up between the crags
Kept left of this which looked huge but is in reality only about 30M high
Easy way up this gentle gully
We're always keen to spot wildlife of all kinds but there were very few birds today and despite lots of evidence of deer tracks, no deer. There were quite a few frogs and the usual selection of flowers - primroses, milkwort, lousewort and plenty of orchids.
Saw our first orchids of the year today
This hill is made of Lewisian Gneiss with numerous erratic boulders of Torridonian sandstone. The final hill of the walk was of Amphibolite (just 1900 million years old compared to the 2.4 - 3.0 billion years for the Gneiss). The colours and forms of the various rocks is one of the joys of walking in Wester Ross. At the top of the grassy valley the view opened up to the North.
Looking north over Loch Maree to Beinn Airigh Charr
There was now just a fairly gentle slope up to the top. Although the first slope up wasn't the last as is always the case. But on hills of this modest size a false summit is just a 5 minute setback, not half an hour.
Final easy slope to summit
The views were still just to the north, east and west as our hill was in the way of the view to the south.
Out to Trotternish peninsula on Skye
Loch Maree, Lewisian gneiss with erratic boulder
So the Torridons only came into view at the summit.
View to Torridons revealed. Baosbhein shows full length from this angle
To Slioch, Beinn Eighe and nice profile of Beinn a'Chearcaill in front
Summit cairn Meall Lochan a'Chleirich and Torridons
It's always trickier getting down a hill than it is getting up and so we headed east where the map showed less crags. We mainly descended on grass and heather avoiding small crags until we reached more forestry. We noticed a couple of nice looking lochans the other side of a small valley and headed off to have a look.
Slioch and an attractive couple of lochans
Having read that nesting divers dislike having people within 400 metres of their nest we always scan these small lochans before approaching and keep clear if we see divers. No sign of any birds so we went down. Of course we'd got to about 100 metres from the first lochan when up pops a red throated diver so we beat a hasty retreat down towards Lochan a'Chleirich.
Lochan a'Cheirlich, Baosbhein and our next hill Meall na Meine on left
Just above the Lochan there were some old rock constructions, probably sheilings and sheep pens but maybe somewhere used by the Chleirich himself?
Interesting rock construction by Lochan a'Chleirich
Red sand beach on Lochan a'Chleirich
We skirted round the lochan where there was a striking red sand beach and hordes of what looked like miniature dragonflies, weaved our way through a boggy area and started the climb up the next hill Meall na Meine. This is higher than Meall Lochan a'Chleirich but doesn't qualify as a 'sub 2000ft hill' because the drop fon Beinn an Eoin is not enough.
Looking back to Lochan a'Chleirich and the Meall from climb of Meall na Meine
Summit cairn Meall na Meine and Torridons
We had a bite of lunch on the summit and then descended more or less directly to the track which runs from the 'Red Stable' (I put the quotes in because it is now painted green) to Loch na h'Oidhche between Baosbhein and Beinn an Eoin. There was more forestry here but the trees haven't done well.
Descending to track through less successful forestry
Some fungi by a deer track
On the track, final hill on the left ahead
The Flowerdale Estate have waymarked several routes from the 'Red Stable' and our final hill was one of these, well marked with blue signs on posts. So having a (albeit sketchy) path and waymarks was an unusual experience. It was quite useful too as this hill has some crags, particularly on the north end where we were to descend.
Post and path up towards Meall a Ghlas-Leothaid
Much to our surprise we found a colourful view marker on the summit indicating some of the main hills visible. This hill, unlike the previous 2 is Amphibolite, a metamorphosed basalt from about 1.9bn years old. The hills Sithean Mor and An Groban above Gairloch are of the same formation
Unexpected view marker, Baosbhein, Liathach, Beinn an Eoin and Beinn Eighe
Typical Amphibolite with paler intrusions
The final drop down to the track was through forestry and presented an interesting ' hunt the post ' challenge as the posts had clearly not been maintained as well as those out on the hill.
Start of final drop down to 'Red Stable'
For a shortish walk up some small hills we took our time but it is mainly pathless and often rough going and plenty of things to stop and look at. And we went home sunburned but without any ticks at all and it rained all Monday afternoon.