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Dawn light drifting through the bothy window roused me from the best kip I’d enjoyed for a while. The wind had dropped overnight and the last stars were just fading – in short the weather looked promising to say the least
Motivation enough to have me crawl out of my cosy bag and start galumphing around. A brew, tidy the place, stow my kit and off.
It had been a surprise to have Bob Scott’s to myself on a Friday night but now I could fully enjoy the peace of an early morning at the Derry Lodge.
- Bob Scotts bothy. Thank you to the FOBS
A few cheery greetings along the lines of ‘cracking morning’ were shared with the campers near the Lodge as I passed then it was over the Derry burn and along the path through the pine woods.
Out of the main woods, across the footbridge and round the first corner in upper Glen Derry my first objective, Stob Coire Etchachan, appeared with the Barns of Beinn Mheadhoin behind. I’ve walked past it often enough, the bold mountain face rising above the entrance to Coire Etchachan, always meaning to head up it one day. Today was the day
Heading towards the top of the Lairig an Laoigh the view into Coire Etchachan opened out, as did the view back down the Derry.
The slopes up onto Stob Coire Etchachan from the top of the Lairig an Laoigh felt steeper than they looked and the vegetation was deep in places. Not a place to rush the ascent, too many ‘Pooh traps’ for that. ‘Watch where you are putting your feet’ as the wise man said.
- The slopes of Stob Coire Etchachan from the Lairig an Laoigh
Views of Ptarmigan, Deer and a Noisy Yellow Thing enlivened the ascent.
- Only Joking - these 'Noisy Yellow Things' are a reassuring sight. Fortunately this one just seemed to be on a training mission.
The top was a fine place to sunbathe and enjoy the views across Coire Etchachan then it was off over a typical bit of gravelly plateau heading for Beinn Mheadhoin itself.
- Derry Cairngorm
- Loch Etchachan and Beinn Macdui
The summit is on top of one of the barns. Approaching from the South it looks impregnable but, on the East side, there is a relatively easy way up - though MC might disagree with that description
- The Summit
- The way up
- Starting the descent.
The name Beinn Mheadhoin translates as ‘Middle Hill’ but Peter Drummond in his ‘Scottish Hill Names’ suggests that the connotation ‘at the centre, or at the Heart’ might be a fairer translation given its position. The view from the summit certainly supports this idea.
Next it was back over the 1163m top and then North West down easy slopes to Stacan Dubha – a really fine viewpoint for the head of Loch A’an.
- The 1163m top from the summit with Macdui behind.
- The head of Loch A'an from Stacan Dubha
- Be honest, who needs the Carribean!
A kilometre to the South and I'd arrived at the high point on the path between Loch A’an and Loch Etchachan. From there it was a lazy potter back down Coire Etchachan and the Derry. Not a day to rush things.
- On the way back to Loch Etchachan
- A last view of the hills from Glen Derry
In the late afternoon light the trees of the Derry seemed luminous.
Anyone know of a better way to end a day on The Hill