Creag nan Damh and Sgurr an Lochain

[bootsandpaddles]

Poor weather had cut short my attempt on the South Glen Shiel a while ago and I still had these two hills to do to complete the set. I parked near the site of the Battle of Glenshiel and walked back to where a path was shown on the map, starting at the west end of the bridge. It is not immediately obvious and you have to go under the barrier at the side of the road to get on to it. But it leads round a small wood (of which more later!) and beside the burn, climbing up to meet a deer fence. This is crossed by a stile which looks as though it was designed specifically for the purpose of deterring walkers, being at rather an alarming angle on a steep slope. The somewhat sketchy path leads up to another deer fence and although it would be possible to climb over at this point the path seemed to go alongside the fence. I followed it thinking that it might lead to another stile – a mistake. I then had to climb over the deer fence and then regain the height I had lost. However, the way was quite straightforward from that point and the path, though a little boggy, led to a rather spectacular waterfall. Crossing under the waterfall I then made my way up the northeast ridge of Creag nan Damh to its summit. Then on along the ridge to Sgurr Beag where I followed the path that contours round the lower slopes and leads back onto the bealach between Sgurr Beag and Sgurr an Lochain. I dumped my rucksack here as I intended come back that way and toiled up the steep slopes to the summit of Sgurr an Lochain. Back down, collect the rucksack and climb to the top of Sgurr Beag and along its northeast ridge for about 1km before heading north and then northwest to cross the burn and pick up the path back to the bridge. You might be wondering why there are no photos of this walk: I put my camera down on a rock somewhere along the ridge while I put on my fleece and walked off and left it there. I realised when I was nearly back at the burn and retraced my steps up the steep, boggy slopes but I couldn’t find it. So back down again, across the burn and then up to the path I had followed earlier. I thought at this point it might be easier to go back to the road through the wood. There is a path to start with but I soon lost it and ended up having to negotiate very steep wooded terraces before eventually having to get under another fence and pick up the path to the road.

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[soulminer]

Hope someone finds your camera, then reads this, so you can have it back.