After a 2.5 month break, I'm back! Now that the days are getting longer there are enough hours of daylight for me to get a decent walk in without spending half the time in the dark. I had difficulty deciding where to go but as I knew the Grahams were pretty much snow-free I decided to stay close to home and go up Beinn a'Chlachain yet again. I try not to repeat a route I've already done and this was no exception - but it did make for a long walk for one wee hill.
I started off nice and early and it was a gorgeous day. I walked up the long shoulder to the minor top (with a big cairn) and had a first snack.

Across the Inner Sound to Skye.

Aaaaargh! I'm glad I didn't come across this in the mist.


Cairn at the minor 402m top.

This route is a great one if you want to avoid steepness, so made for a great walk for the unfit me! It was a long, slow haul from sea level up to 626m.
Lots of lovely frozen lochans all the way up.

Frozen bubbles.

More lochans with Raasay and Skye forming the backdrop.

Liathach and Beinn Eighe from the summit.

The Achnashellach/Coulags Munros and An Ruadh-stac from the summit.

Trig pint at the summit.

I headed north-west and after one wee gully it was a very gentle descent on and off deer paths all the way to the road just north of Salacher.
Descending to the north-west. Rona and North Skye in the distance. It was a wee bit too hazy to get good views of the Outer Isles and the Shiants - I could just make them out on the horizon.

A line of little lochans, one of which is destined for a hydro scheme.

I then had a long trek back along the road to the start. Just 100m before I reached my car, I was offered a lift

View over to Skye from near Sand. Beinn a Cro is the pyramid-shaped hill, Bla Bheinn in the centre and Garbh Bheinn to its right.

Fantastic walk and a good start to the hiking year.