
With a meeting in Inverness on the Friday and with summer making an appearance to


Glen Affric, thought by many to be amongst the most beautiful Glens in Scotland, was to be my destination


Just a word about the campsite. Superb


£7 per person a night, well maintained, cracking woodland setting and the full breakfast at the Bog Cotton Café


Anyhoo, let’s get back to walking

Arriving late Friday afternoon and it was wall to wall sun and the promise of more to come over the weekend. I had toyed with the idea of a quick walk up a local Corbett (Sgurr na Diollaid), but decided on a few beers instead



The next good call was made early doors on Saturday morning. Clear skies had been replaced with clag and although it was almost certain to clear I’d heard rumours of the risk of isolated thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Had the forecast been perfect I’d have gone for a long day, doing the middle three Glen Affric Munros of Mam Sodhail, Carn Eige and Beinn Fhionnlaidh. If I still had any feet left I’d then add on Tom a’Choinnich and Toll Creagach. The thunderstorm threat was enough to revise plans and just do the less testing easterly two of Tom a’Choinnich and Toll Creagach.
Initially, with the clag persisting (my Met office app suggested I should be bathed in full sun at this point, whereas my eyes confirmed I wasn’t) I was a bit downhearted as I started off along the stalkers path from Chisholme Bridge. A great path, although I imagine it could be a considerable bog-fest in wetter conditions. The one up-side to this stage of the walk was a super waterfall flowing off the Abhainn Gleann nam Fiadh. Took the short detour and stopped there for a few moments

Then it was back into the clag to enjoy the expanding views of Tom a’Choinnich and Sgorr na Lapaich

Oh well, maybe not

Eventually the sun looked like it might finally win through, but initially the clag was winning the day. Then, as I was almost at the junction where my path would head off to the right up* beside the Allt Toll Easa and on to the Bealach Toll Easa it was as if someone had flicked a switch. Within what seemed like a matter of minutes the clag around me simply dissolved and the views that had so far been lacking were there in all their glory

About this time I met a chap who was doing the same two hills – he’d missed the turn off in the clag


This was when I first realised how the early morning clag had done me a huge favour. From below the ridge had somehow managed to look both relatively straightforward and appreciably steep at the same time. And both suggestions turned out to be true. It is steep(ish), but never overly so. And it is straightforward, with a great path easing the way all the way up


Great views all round, with the non-Munro-Sgorr-na-Lapaich, Mam Sodhail and others opening up nicely




After the initial climb most of the height is gained. It’s then an easy, gentle stroll to the summit. I chose to stick with the path that hugs the cliff edge, with views across to Toll Creagach. Although probably considered to be the least interesting of the hills in the area I still didn’t think it was a bad view all the same.
Munro #2 of the day had to be ignored though, when compared to the delights to me left


Oh yeah, then there was the north Mullardoch Munros as well as Strathfarrar


And I had this all to myself




Eventually I was joined on the summit by another chap who had taken the same route as me. After a brief chat I left him at the summit to enjoy the same solitude as I had.
The descent off Tom a’Choinnich was excellent fun


Near the bottom of the drop I met the chap I’d been walking with earlier and persuaded him to descend via the Creag na h-Inghinn ridge

Ok, so not the most exciting hill, but it surely can’t be argued that the views are still superb. Nice view back to Tom a’Choinnich, as well as down Loch Mullardoch

Further afield the Ben was in view, as well as the hills of the Grey Corries, Easains and others.
Then looking west and there was a hazy view to the Cuillins

But the prize for me, albeit hazy, was the beast that is An Teallach



Rather than simply drop straight off the hill and pick up the stalkers path from the route in I decided to mix things up a little. From the summit the view toward Mullardoch dam and Loch Sealbhanach were pretty special so, after a quick review of the map, I decided to head down the north east ridge a short distance to get a better look.
I then swung back round and dropped down a gentle slope in the general direction of point 789.
At the saddle between that and Toll Creagach I took a line close to the Allt Coire an t-Sneachda basically straight toward Beinn a’Mheadhoin. This would then drop me near a landrover track that connected back with the main stalkers path back to the car. Some nice landowner had erected a deer fence around the lower reaches of the Allt, which necessitated a slight detour before picking up the landrover track. Once back on the stalkers path it was an easy walk back to the car for the short journey back to the campsite, this time with the views (now behind me) of Tom a’Choinich I had missed earlier in the day.
So, that was my first venture into Glen Affric. A simply stunning place to visit



