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I like this walk, it may become a favourite in the summer for warm evenings with long sunsets. Had initally planned to climb the Corbett at the head of Beauly Firth today - Bealach Na Bhuach Ard - but climbing partner wasn’t up for the potentially challenging day and so after much dalying and other unplanned chores it was post midday before I departed the croft and headed for a much shorter and simpler route undertaking the hills I look over on everyday.
I was soon to learn why this might become a favourite. Within 30mins I was at Lynebeg at the base of the hill and 30mins later following the track to the cairn I had the summit and a wonderful view to inhale.
From the top of Carn na h-Easgainn I headed down to check out the Bothy I had seen pictures of, including Inverness’s highest long drop - which the snow had frozen shut. I had tea in the bothy although it was so mild I spent most of the time on the terrace picking out mountains from the north and Ben Wyvis down through Glen Affric into Fort Augustus. Amazing light and air for viewing sharply distant tops.
The excellent track that was put in allowed me to go down and up to a second top and with moments I was heading again to another cairn. That wonderful feeling as you draw nearer to a pile of stones and with each step the mountain gets smaller and the horizon gets vaster. You just can’t beat that momment. Especially when your feet are so well accommodated on a track there are no hazards to befall you.
The track continued down to the next bealach before abruptly stopping and allowing me to head to a distant cairn that was calling over frozen peat hags and crispy firm ground. It is much easier to navigate these hags when they bear your weight up so much more readily, although the ice and snow merely presents different problems.
Eventually I made the cairn and took out my lunch and the rest of my tea and enjoyed again the wide view before retracing my steps to the road and then heading out again over the hags to the descending gap that the map said would lead me down to the Wade’s Track and from there back to Lynebeg.
As I left the hill and the hags and descending into the every deepening cut by the burn I was wandering quite spellbound in a glen replete with ancient birch trees and resplendent in juniper trees - aye taller than bushes and almost taller than me and riddled with deer tracks. I followed them to the edge of a forrestry fence and gate and then crossed over to follow the burn to the every increasing noise of the A9.
Another gate to cross beside a startled deer that did not see, smell or hear me until i was almost upon her and then across a wee path through a field and into an alley betwixt to lines of sitka that beheld the blackest, most complete blackest forest I have ever walked through which mercilfully was brief before emerging by what I assumed to be Wade’s road with a fencepost marker tied with white plastic that seemed to head of in the right direction - a corageous decision but it was the correct one since it lead through the forest and then across a Heather field - with vague directional markings but a clear track all the way to Lymebeg.
Many thanks to
Malky c
on these pages for showing me this route and also for his “extra time” route which encouraged me to venture from top to top and held down over the hills towards the A9 and pick up a soggy frosty General Wade’s road back to Lynebeg through the wilds and plantations around this area.
Cracking little route and I owe its discovery to Walk Highlands.
