Meall Gorm and An Coileachan - from Loch Fannich

[Caleb Wright]

After a few days of rain and high winds we finally had a break and chance for me to complete my first two Fannich munros! I had read a lot about the northern approach to the most easterly Fannichs and the return didn't sound too pleasant. I also love a long walk in and could see that walking the track to Loch Fannich would be a very long walk in indeed!

Very early in the morning we parked up in a layby on the A832 just past the power station at Grudie. Crossing the road we then headed off up a tarmac track marked Fannich Estate. Not long into this walk we startled and were startled by a deer who we came face to face with as we turned a corner of the track. The track gradually gains some height eventually exiting the woodland bringing increasingly remote and wonderful views. We stayed on the track over a bridge passing some cottages and as we approached the dam we took the track marked Fannich Estates again. The day was still quite gloomy with some ominous clouds and I did wonder if we were really on for the break in the weather that was promised. The view ahead of Garb Choire Mor and Faire nam Fiadh was fantastic.

The track now proceeded to the north of Loch Fannich. Just short of Fannich Lodge we took a right finally striking uphill. Normally our initial uphill is very slow but we moved faster than usual chased by our only encounter with midges of the day. The track skirted a woodland and shortly after crossing a bridge and a bend we took a not so obvious right onto an intermittently good stalkers path, it steepened as it climbed onto Cadh' a' Bhaillidh. Whilst the top of our first target appeared in clag, the view down Loch Fannich suggested some lovely peaks. After a flattish section the path zig zagged uphill again through solifluction terraces.

The road to Loch Fannich

The impressive Faire nam Fiadh

Lovely Loch Fannich

The way up

Ascending Cadh' a ' Bhaillidh

The slopes of Meall Gorm

Going dark!

At around 700 m a cairn marks a much less obvious path heading right. We took this continuing uphill not too far from the edge of the coire. At this point we entered the clag. I'm not entirely sure how but we found a very ruined hut as we gained the ridge and with it a good path. We turned left along this path and proceeded to the obvious summit cairn of Meall Gorm. The weather deteriorated quickly and we didn't spend much time at the very windy and now wet summit. We turned back and followed the path the way we had come taking a brief bit of respite from the cold wet wind at the ruined hut.

We continued on the main path and encountered our only other person of the day. After this as we reached a top at 922 m the rain stopped and the clag began to shift. The wind remained fairly strong but bearable. From this point a path came and went as we descended to Bealach Ban. From the bealach we followed an initially obvious path that got lost in boulders. The clag had now completely gone and the summit cairn by some crags was obvious. The views were fantastic, we could see out to the Monar munros, Torridon, the Beinn Dearg group, Straffarar munros and Ben Wyvis. The best view undoubtedly was looking west up Loch Fannich.

For the decent we decided to take the slightly south western ridge and sticking to the driest ground aimed for Coir' an Eich. It was a bit of making it up as we went along but we managed to stay clear of bog until we were not far back from the track. Re-joining the track we retraced our steps back to the main road. It was a long walk back helped by the views back towards the cliffs of Faire nam Fiadh. As we approached the car the rain started up again.

Ruins in the rain

On a wet and windy Meall Gorm

Clearing up

Approaching the summit

On An Coileachan happy in the sun

The very far east of the Fannichs

Towards the Beinn Dearg group

Loch Fannich from the top

Sgurr Mor free of clag

Possibly the middle Fannichs

Looking back to Faire nam Fiadh