walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Arran 2: Tighvein and Stone Circles

Arran 2: Tighvein and Stone Circles


Postby Phil the Hill » Sun Sep 16, 2012 5:16 pm

Route description: Machrie Moor stone circles

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Tighvein

Date walked: 29/05/2012

Time taken: 2 hours

Distance: 7.4 km

Ascent: 466m

3 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).


Tighvein.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



After three days of glorious sunshine, I woke to find I couldn't see Goat Fell from our cottage. From most cottages this wouldn't be any change, but we were staying above Lamlash Bay, with views across to Holy Island (now shrouded in low cloud) and North to the summit of Goat Fell. Keith and I were still forbidden to bag the Arran Corbetts, whilst the others finished their geology trip, so we decided to bag Tighvein, as it was our local hill and it seemed to me to be suitably perverse to choose a low moorland hill as my second hill on Arran. The others were over at Blackwaterfoot, in the South West of the island, so we agreed to join them afterwards at the Machrie Moor stone circles.

Our route up Tighvein was a straightforward ascent from the forest car park at the foot of Monamore Glen, just round the corner from our cottage.

Image
071 Bridge by car park by prwild, on Flickr

We followed the signs to Urie Loch.

Image
072 Path junction by prwild, on Flickr

Emerging from the forest there was a short steep climb onto the high ground above Urie Loch.

Image
073 Urie Loch Panorama by prwild, on Flickr

Tighvein could be seen ahead (the cloud having lifted), and we circled round to the right of the loch to reach it.

Image
074 Urie Loch reedbed by prwild, on Flickr

After a quick bash through heather we were at the summit. The sun now came out.

Image
075 Tighvein summit by prwild, on Flickr

The cairn seemed higher than the trig point - though when we were at the cairn it looked the other way round.

Image
076 Phil on Tighvein summit by prwild, on Flickr

A red grouse strutted by.

Image
077 Red Grouse by prwild, on Flickr

We returned around the Eastern end of the loch.

Image
078 East end of Urie Loch by prwild, on Flickr

The weather was steadily improving, and Holy Island could be seen free of cloud from the descent.

Image
079 View to Holy Island by prwild, on Flickr

Image
080 Lamlash Bay by prwild, on Flickr

We saw some more wildlife as we re-entered the woods. The barn owl was too quick to photograph, but I managed to photograph a butterfly (a male Green Veined White, as later identified by Andy).

Image
081 Butterfly by prwild, on Flickr

Returning to the car, we drove over The Ross to Blackwaterfoot and met up with the others to see the Machrie Moor stone circles. There are 6 circles in all, plus some outliers on the way in, with glorious views back to the sea and across to the Arran Hills. No words are necessary...

Image
082 Stones and sea mist by prwild, on Flickr

Image
083 Fingals Cauldron by prwild, on Flickr

Image
084 Machrie Moor 4 by prwild, on Flickr

Image
085 Machrie Moor 1 by prwild, on Flickr

Image
086 Machrie Moor 11 by prwild, on Flickr

Image
087 Machrie Moor 3 by prwild, on Flickr

Image
088 Machrie Moor 2 by prwild, on Flickr

I experimented a bit with the settings on my new camera...

Image
089 Machrie Moor black & white by prwild, on Flickr

Image
090 Machrie Moor super vivid by prwild, on Flickr

...and tried some shots with the moon.

Image
091 Machrie Moor stone & moon by prwild, on Flickr

Image
092 Machrie Moor 2 stones & moon by prwild, on Flickr

We were fortunate that the weather had cleared and the sun come out, but this was a wonderful place, well worth a visit on a trip to Arran.
User avatar
Phil the Hill
Walker
 
Posts: 411
Munros:274   Corbetts:30
Fionas:12   Donalds:13
Sub 2000:38   Hewitts:136
Wainwrights:63   Islands:25
Joined: Sep 22, 2010
Location: Wallington, Surrey

Re: Arran 2: Tighvein and Stone Circles

Postby dooterbang » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:24 am

Great report.

Love the photos of the rocks.
User avatar
dooterbang
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1828
Munros:262   Corbetts:58
Fionas:18   Donalds:10
Sub 2000:10   Hewitts:18
Wainwrights:21   Islands:19
Joined: Oct 27, 2009
Location: Isle of Skye from Feb 2019 (Originally Glasgow)

3 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: cambflatlander, desmondo1, dougiebroon, m1rossi, malky_c and 74 guests