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BMC is an old favourite, but somehow neither of us had ever climbed the southeast helter-skelter top of Speicein Coinnich before. So today was the day.
There's no question these days that we'll walk up to Fhidhleir first. Today it especially made sense as the views were clear, and because it would take us to the east end of the range. As we arrived at Culnacraig, we found the flanks robed in purple and looking glorious. A couple of vans were parked up already, and seemed to have kippers inside (people kipping that is, not fish).
001 BMC in heathery garb
002 Not waking the neighboursThe sea was like a mirror and there was blue in that sky
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003 An Teallach and Beinn Ghobhlach 
004 An Teallach and Fisherfields 
005 Cairn after the easy stomp Up on Fhidhleir the views were wonderful, clear all the way out to the Reay forest.
006 Summer morning Fhidhleir view 
007 East to BMCs Beinn Tarsuinn 
008 Over Fhidhleirs north tops Stac Polleidh was catching the sun, showing off its crinkly top to the best effect.
009 Stac Polleidh We stopped for a bit of breakfast up here, including my homemade 'banana thing' - a kind of oaty, nutty piece I make for the hills. A couple of ravens were croaking above us, eyeing up a potential snack, so I crumbled some 'thing' and left it on a rock for them, before we set off for SC. It didn't take them long to swoop in.
010 Ravens after banana thing Heading over this way took us further northeast than I've walked before, I suppose because I've always been too eager to get to the ridge. So it was great to enjoy new views from this otherwise familiar hill.
011 Cul Beag behind Fhidhleir 
012 The sweep (where long ago I decided I wanted my ashes scattered - proverbially anyway).
013 Not the long man of Wilmington 
014 Lochan Tuath We both just love this handsome, quiet corner of the north, so we were like excited kids as we walked round the rim above the Lochan Tuath crags. Also, it was fabulous to see some tors like the rude ones on Sgurr Tuath, and humbling to discover I'd not known they were here in spite of several repeat visits to the hill.
015 Tuath-y tor over Lochan Tuath 
018 SP peeping through the pass
019 Beinn an Eoin and Lochan Tuath 
020 Creeping juniper and Stac Polleidh Nor were we expecting a devil's bowling green, a la Craignaw.
021 BMC bowling green Funnily enough, though we've seen white-tailed and golden eagles, ptarmigan and mor up here, I've never seen deer before, but here was one watching us as we rose up the BMC flank and peered down on the range's own Bein Tarsuinn.
022 The lookout 
024 Closer up on Beinn Tarsuinn And it presumably warned the others. "Eyes up, gang. PEOPLE!"
025 Deer on BMC east tops 
027 Stop and check 
029 Spotty babiesWe checked our steps a bit while the deer got their wee ones somewhere they considered safe from whatever threat we seemed to pose.
030 BMC and Fhidhleir sweeps 
031 Looking over to summit and Garbh Coireachan ridge (with the Star Wars laser-thing my phone does when facing into the sun).
032 Over the moonscape to An Teallach and Beinn Dearg 
033 Beinn an Eoin shrinking 
034 Beinn Tarsuinn with Cul Beag on left 
035 BMC east and Fhidhleir tops - Loch Bad a Ghaill behind 
036 Happy I think it was up here, maybe at the 678m spot, that I thought we'd reached our Spidean Coinnich destination, but it seemed a bit soon and I was hoping for more. Then looking to the right, I saw this
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037 Speicein Coinnich looking fun It looked much more separate that it does when looking along from the ridge or on the map (to me anyway!), but I was thrilled that there was that bit more to go and it was so pleasingly pointy. The little path up it is a fun little spiral, and with Euan's blessing I was quickly up there, enjoying the views with their new angles and finding a bird pellet, probably the ravens'.
038 View to BMA from Speicein Coinnich 
039 View east 
040 Finding a pellet but no focus 
041 E on newly visited BMC top 
042 View east again 
043 That view from up here 
044 Curious Fhidhleir and Loch Tuath view 
046 Isle Martin and Loch Broom view I pocketed the pellet and off we went to the ridge, normally the cherry on top of this walk for us. But today was weird. First of all, so far so normal. Descending the helter-skelter again, views down to Loch Broom, over the broad top, a glance back to SC, a stroll along the sandy track on Garbh Choireachan.
047 The Garbh Choireachan S flank
048 Down Loch Broom 
050 Between the tops 
051 Pointy SC from BMCs broad top 
052 Loch Broom view again 
053 People on Fhidhleir for scale 
054 BMCs broad ridge 
055 SC at end of broad ridge 
056 A variety of BMC tops 
057 Ullapool ferry 
058 Garbh Choireachean with people for scale (you can just make out a red top at the bottom left of the crags)
We came past the anvil, and normally I find myself on top of the crags, but this time, following my nose as usual, it took me another way, on a grassy path round the side that I didn't recognise.
061 Anvil tor in situ We walked on round via the grassy path, really not enjoying it at all and seeing no way up on to the crags. And in fact, just before a steep gully up to the ridge top again and the 738m viewpoint (I realise now), we were disliking it so much we turned back. Back at the anvil tor, I still couldn't see how we've gone up there before - and I mean at least three times. I think on my own, I'd probably have scrambled up, and presumably that's what we've done before, but Euan was tiring and preferred to try again another day.
062 Anvil tors view of ridge W and sea 
063 Not recalling the grassy path 
064 Still flummoxed Somehow, we must have got on to the lower of those two grassy paths, and it just all felt so wrong. But looking back at the crag blocking the path above those side routes, I really don't remember scrambling up there before. We'll have to go back and investigate. It had been a gorgeous day, but we did come off the hill a bit disappointed, and feeling foolish - and of all hills, this was our ol' mate.
Anyway, heigh-ho. The views were still great, and I had a pellet to dissect... First, back down with the neighbouring hills for company, and a flock of golden plovers (of which I managed to photograph just the one).
065 An Teallach and the Fisherfields 
066 BMA taking its turn in the sun 
067 Assynt hills across broad ridge 
068 Suilven in the sun
069 One golden plover of active flock 
070 The sweep round Back down to the sea and the car.
072 Enjoying the light on the water 
073 Summer Isles 
074 Being followed by sheep And then a look inside that pellet.
003 Pellet and tweezers 
004 Lots of down 
006 Bones and maybe claws 
008 Beak sheats 
009 Probable young red grouseMy notes remind me that another couple of treats from that day were a plethora of hedgehogs in the early morning to the east, and watching a hen harrier by the A837 on the way back. He cheered our perplexed mood!
