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Approaching from the south from my wild camping spot in Strathmore, a remarkably well-preserved Broch, a stone round-house built over two thousand years ago.
From the start of the climb, the Munro peaks over a steep hillside of brown heather and dazzling yellow gorse flowers. With such a sky colour, it’s hard to believe this is the most northerly Munro.
Three hours later, with steady, straightforward ascent well marked by cairns, the trig point is reached, with a welcome shelter to get out of the chilling breeze. The view over the “North Coast Riviera” is slightly obscured by fine-weather haze, but the views of the surrounding wilderness are amazing.
Lichens and mosses dominate the arctic-alpine landscape at this altitude and latitude, this beautiful moss putting up the first tentative shoots of spring, having weathered months of hard frosts and gales. Anyone know the species?
Back down the hill, deep pools below waterfalls entice some walkers in for a refreshing swim. Do they not realise this is practically the last freshwater in Britain before you get to the Arctic Circle? Not for lightweight me.
Around the foot of the mountain, spring was really getting going in the birch woodlands. Reflecting on a memorable day, one of the many great joys of climbing Munros is meeting interesting people from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences. On this walk I met, among others, two English cyclists doing their second tour of the British coast, taking a break from the saddle and two walkers from Dundee, who in conversation later decided that we could tackle a few peaks together. But sometimes a Munro leaves me with a sense of regret, along with the good memories; at Ben Hope for me it was messing up the arrangements for meeting later in Durness the loch-swimming S from Wales, so that we were sitting in different pubs. Please message me S, so that I can explain my idiocy and apologise!
Heading north to Durness, this amazing mountain presents its finest profile.
