Meall Glac Tigh-fail on the way to Ullapool

[gld73]

I was on my way to visit relatives who were on holiday in Ullapool, but it would be a shame to drive along the A835 and pass all those hills without stopping to do one on the way. Not really time to repeat any of the bigger hills, but that didn't matter, it was a good opportunity to do the marilyn Meall Glac Tigh- fail for the first time. There are some slight variations of routes for this hill, but mine was this (roughly):

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Parked near the bus shelter and continued on foot up the road to a sign which directed walkers to the Coffin Road route down some wooden steps and through a sheep field to detour around the Croftown houses. The path then headed up hill behind the houses. Rather than take a fainter path off to the left as some other walk reports mention, I just continued on the main path and then left it higher up, just before Meall Dubh. The ground was pretty wet after recent rain on most days, but my feet stayed dry in hiking boots without too many detours around bogs. Surrounding mountains like An Teallach, the Fannichs and Beinn Dearg group were changing from clear to cloud covered when heavy showers hit, but at least the cloud stayed above the summit of Meall Glac Tigh- fail when the heavy shower hit me as I approached the summit; meant navigating my way wasn't a problem.

Heading up the coffin trail, this was the view over to the way I'd be coming back down, the track visible coming down the slope on the left

After leaving the path, it was rough, wet but straightforward ground to head towards Meall Glac Tigh-fail , within sight of it here

There was a cairn at the summit area, but the high point of the ground looked to be a line of rock a few metres away. I didn't hang around waiting for better views as there was no shelter from the shower, so continued on roughly SE with the intention of coming across the estate track I'd seen across the way from my initial ascent up the Coffin road. I ended up crossing the burn a bit early, when it was so small I could step across, next to the old stone remains of some buildings. This meant I was heading down the east side of the burn earlier than I needed to be, sticking to the west until the track crossed it would have been better; as it was, I ended up on steep ground looking down on the good track when it appeared, and had to make my way down to it carefully, holding on to the thick heather.

Cairn marking the summit area

I thought this rocky area a few metres away looked a bit higher (Fannichs in the background, raindrop on the lens!)

Wet and windy when taking this, but doesn't look it! Nicer weather looking back to the cairn and to the north

I headed roughly SE towards the top of the corrie to try and pick up the track I'd seen earlier, Loch Broom coming back into sight now

Once on the track, it was an easy walk all the way back down to the minor road at Auchlunachan, past Croftown and back to the car for the short drive to Ullapool.

I made it onto the track after a bit of unnecessary phaffing through steep heather, and from there it was an easy downhill walk all the way back to the car