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Corbetts: Beinn nan Caorach, Beinn na h-Eaglaise.
Grahams: Beinn Clachach.
Date: 14/07/2024.
Distance: 17km.
Ascent: 1280m.
Time taken: 8 hours, 50 minutes.
Weather: Hot, still and sunny, gradually clouding over.
We started the day in Glenelg before driving round to Arnisdale - not really the timely start we were aiming for but why rush things when everything is this great? Having done a lower (although far from flat) walk yesterday we were looking for a bit of elevation today.
Morning at Glenelg Parking at the village hall in Corran, there appeared to be the dregs of a party from the night before. There were also quite a few people - were they all going up the same hills as us? No, they were heading east along the shores of Loch Hourn on the 'Herring Path'. We set off along Glen Arnisdale, having a little more success in finding the path than I had previously. The title of this report is slighly tongue in cheek as once over the river, a large amount of the walk was either straight up or straight down!
Beinn Sgritheall from Corran Picking up the good path up into Coire Chorsalain we started the first bit of up - the going was very sweaty in the sunshine with little breeze to keep us cool. Above the waterfall the gradient levelled off and we stopped for lunch at the head of the pass. While we could just stick to the two Corbetts, there was also the chance to add on a quick out-and-back of Beinn Clachach from here, which we decided to go for.
Looking back down Glen Arnisdale 
Beinn nan Caorach 
Eas na Cuingid It's a steep little hill but a nice one, the top being rocky with a couple of pools on it. Perfect for a summit swim! The western summit stood in the way of the best views out to sea but what we could see was great.
Beinn nan Caorach from Beinn Clachach 
Beinn Sgritheall and Beinn nan Caorach 
West across Sleat and Rum 
Beinn Clachach summit swim After that it was straight back down to the col again, David wandering off to top up on water. Another steep ascent got us onto the east ridge of Beinn nan Caorach - we were glad by this point that the sun had disappeared behind some cloud for a bit.
Across to Sgurr a Mhaoraich and Sgurr nan Eugallt 
Beinn Alligin from Beinn Clachach 
Beinn Clachach from the E ridge of Beinn nan Caorach The ridge soon gets steep again and although we didn't notice it, we really shifted up here. One person who did notice the pace was David who accused Jackie of being like 'a sadistic fitness instructor' before landing in a heap by the cairn
.
Beinn nan Caorach from the E ridge 
Ladhar Bheinn from Beinn nan Caorach 
Sadistic fitness instructor on Beinn nan Caorach 
North to Torridon 
Beinn na h-Eaglaise and Beinn Sgritheall 
Five Sisters and the Saddle While there was little breeze we didn't get attacked by midges or clegs too badly so we enjoyed a decent break here while David recovered. Moving onwards towards Beinn na h-Eaglaise there was actually some flatter ground as we crossed Druim nam Bo, the back side of Beinn Sgritheall becoming more interesting and intricate as we got closer to it. Beinn na h-Eaglaise is another steep pull - we moved away from the ridgeline slightly halfway up to avoid the worst of it. Somehow we managed this at a more acceptable pace, having another stop on the summit.
East to Sgurr a Mhaoraich and Sgurr Mor 
Black Cuillin peeking out behind Beinn Sgritheall 
NE ridge of Beinn na h-Eaglaise 
Beinn Sgritheall 
Rosdail from Beinn na h-Eaglaise 
Crazy fenceposts on the NE ridge 
Approaching the summit of Beinn na h-Eaglaise You can tell just how good a viewpoint Beinn Sgritheall is - Beinn na h-Eaglaise is pretty good itself but Sgritheall blocks out most of the Black Cuillin.
Rum and Sleat 
Mouth of Loch Hourn 
Zoom to Rum 
Beinn na Caillich and Eigg Then it was time to choose the least bad way down. I had been both up and down the S ridge to Arnisdale on separate occasions and remembered it to be steep with the lower half covered in bracken. While I didn't think we'd avoid the bracken completely we decided to try the Beinn Bhuidhe ridge this time - I had been looking at it on the way up and it looked as good as anything else. We would also land back at the higher bridge over the River Arnisdale which had a good deep pool for a final swim.
Luinne Bheinn and Ladhar Bheinn There were even traces of a path higher up although these largely disappeared once over Beinn Bhuidhe. Still, the ground was largely good and the turf short - no let-up on the gradient though!
Beinn nan Caorach from Beinn Bhuidhe 
Sleat with Canna behind 
Beinn Sgritheall and the end of the Black Cuillin 
Black Cuillin mostly in view now 
Glen Arnisdale We continued down with great views across to Druim Fada and out to sea. Dodging the bracken was straightforward until the final 150m - at this point we followed a deer track through waist high bracken as the ground steadily got worse. The last 50m was a torture of tussocks and brambles with a wall to climb over - Jackie was not impressed! Finally we were back on easy, level ground, our knees complaining. Once at the river the pain was largely forgotten.
Steep Descent 
Another swim in the River Arnisdale We walked back out on the other side of the river for some variation, finally arriving back at Corran well after 7pm - this seemed to be becoming a standard Sunday evening thing! I couldn't think of any convenient chippies on the way home that had any chance of being open so we dug out our emergency curry and rice and cooked our dinner in Corran - a lovely way to end the weekend. The drive out in the last light (sunny again) was spectacular.
Ladhar Bheinn from Corran 
Bla Bheinn from the Arnisdale road 
Eigg from the Arnisdale road