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Sub 2k Marilyns: Creachan Mòr, Beinn Chreagach.
Date: 17/10/2024.
Distance: 18km.
Ascent: 650m.
Time taken: 7 hours.
Weather: Calm, mostly overcast, a couple of showers later on.
When we were on Mull in 2021 I thought about visiting the Carsaig Arches but Jackie would not have been capable at the time. Although she now had a funny injury that was keeping her off the hills, we didn't think this walk would be too much of a problem this time. After a lazy day around Tobermory due to the weather, we had stopped overnight near Kinloch. This meant were able to be down at Carsaig and on our way by 9:30am. It's quite an impressive outlook from the boathouse at the end of the road.
Carsaig Bay from the boathouse 
Scarba and Jura The path was well defined to begin (although not entirely dry underfoot) before depositing us on the beach at the back of Carsaig Bay. From here the walk was largely along the beach or following narrow trails immediately behind it to avoid the poorest ground.
Starting off 
Looking towards Malcolms Point 
Carsaig House 
Back across Carsaig Bay There were lots of slippery boulders to negotiate and often it was a case of choosing which was the lesser evil - collapsing traversing paths on the slope behind or picking your way through the rocks. Not a fast walk at all for one that is basically flat! There were great views out to Scarba and the north end of Jura.
Out to the Garvellachs and Jura 
Crags above 
Slabby foreshore Eventually we reached Nuns Cave which is a halfway point of sorts - there is some ancient graffiti on the walls in here - allegedly by nuns who had been driven out of Iona.
Nuns Cave 
In the Nuns Cave 
Ancient graffiti in the Nuns Cave The crags above were impressive. Aside from the Nuns Pass just beyond the cave, I hadn't yet spotted any breaches in their defences - a route upwards would be the key to my plan for returning from here. Further along the going became a little easier for a spell, and there as a herd of goats scattered on the beach.
One of the many waterfalls above 
Getting there... 
Goats on the beach 
More waterfalls Finally we passed the ruin at Malcolm's Point and rounded the corner to see the arches. An impressive spot with some interesting vertical basalt columns on display, although as the entire walk had been impressive this didn't really feel like any more of a destination than the rest of the route had been. I suppose the thing that really marked it as a destination was that it was not particularly easy to follow the coast any further. We didn't bother with the slithery traverse to see the second arch, but were able to stand on an outcrop over the water and spot it from there.
The first arch 
Second arch just visible without an awkward traverse After a stop for lunch it was time to turn around. We were caught by a light shower as we did this - something that had not been on the cards for today! Fortunately, just before passing the ruin I had finally spotted a possible way up through the crags. Jackie was more than happy to carry on back the way we had come but I could see my access point to a couple of Marilyns and a spectacular clifftop walk, so we separated and I climbed up steep grassy slopes. At least the vegetation underfoot was easy going because the gradient wasn't!
Looking up at the crags after a shower 
Halfway up the crags About 2/3 of the way up there were some outcrops to negotiate. A couple of brief hands-on moves on some crumbly rock took me to a traversing deer track which led me between outcrops and onto a nice grassy shelf to the top of the crags. Phew - while it had looked doable from below, you can never really tell until you get there.
Almost there Unfortunately after the shower the weather had moved in a bit, and once on top of the crags I was also in the cloud. It was a short walk across grassy moorland to the summit of Creachan Mor but what should have been spectacular was just another cairn in the mist.
Summit of Creachan Mor There are probably a couple of ways from here to Beinn Creagach but with the weather having crapped out, the only way that had my interest was to head back to the edge of the crags. A short traverse diagonally down a steep slope followed by a boggy crossing of a plateau brought me back to the edge, at which point I was able to see intermittently again.
Back to the edge again 
Across Carsaig Bay to Lochbuie The walk along to the Nuns Pass was pretty spectacular with the mist rolling back then coming in again. At the top of the pass I could spot a dot moving along the beach, which was Jackie (I phoned her to check).
Looking down 
Traversing along the top of the crags 
Malcolms Point 
Changing light 
Down one of the gullies 
Beinn Chreagach After the Nuns Pass it would have been possible to follow the crags all the way back to Carsaig, but this would not have taken me over my second hill, so after following the edge a short way further, I moved inland and crossed heathery ground. Unfortunately another shower came on at this point so it didn't look like I'd be seeing much from this hill either. By the time I reached the summit area I was drenched, and I had a bit of fun locating the highest point (which was not actually in the same place as the spot height on my map).
Last look at the coast Handily there were a line of fence posts across the hill so once I found the top there was little effort required in navigating back to the road. I eventually squelched down past some waterfalls to a shed on the hillside, from where there was a short bit of track back to the Carsaig road.
Phonebox at the end of the road Although I still had some more distance to cover it was all on tarmac now. The road down to Carsaig is built into impressively steep slopes and some of them were actually collapsing onto the road. The next heavy rain (forecast for tomorrow) would almost certainly bring a small landslip down. I arrived back at the road-end only 20 minutes after Jackie.
Carsaig Bay 
Carsaig Bay This would definitely be the most interesting way to climb this pair of hills, although on a day like today I would have been better off avoiding the high points altogether and sticking to the edge of the cliffs the whole way.
Last ferry from FishnishWe drove back over to Fishnish in time for the last ferry over to the mainland, but in the end decided to stay another night. The forecast for Friday was appalling but we were enjoing ourselves too much to leave Mull just yet.
