Talmine and Achininver Beach circuit [Sutherland]

[HighlandSC]

Date - Mon 24/05/2010
Title - Talmine and Achininver Beach circuit
Route - Circuit from Talmine Pier along the coast to Achininver Beach and returning over the moor
Weather - Okay. A bit grey but not much rain. Patchy sun.
People - Me / Michelle
Time - 5 Hours
Distance - 11km
Ascent - 348m
Max Altitude - 110m

The first half of this circuit was great – this is the coastal section that offers great sea views and ample opportunity for an optional climb around on rock and finding things like crab shells and claws. The last half involved a bit road walking, albeit in a nice area, but as visibility was poor and we endured the odd shower we were denied good views across to Ben Loyal and co. On a poorer day I'd recommend considering shortening the circuit it to take the more direct route back from Achinahuagh to Talmine (unless you particularly want to walk on to Achininver Beach).

talmine route 24-05-2010 s.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Talmine Pier




Rabbit Islands


Exploring the coastline..












Several mutilated body parts were found on this walk...


This plant/flower (what is it?) was alone on the rocks - the only one we could see


Looking back - Ben Loyal reveals itself


We find the rest of the body...


Looking N up the coast. "Alan's View" - the grass topped mound in the centre


The path leads you up there










Inchworm?


Looking back over Alan's View to Ben Loyal










More body parts






The ruined houses at Portvasgo


The locals




We made our way past the local bandits and began the walk down the road S from Portvasgo




Achininver Beach




Further down the road near West Strathan you pass a sort of Landrover grave/scrap yard


Then the road ends - go through a gate next to the 'Talmine 2 miles' sign and take the footbridge over the burn. This takes you on to the narrow track shown on this pic going from left to right over the moor


They spotted us coming and dissapeared over the hill


After gaining a bit of height the track widens (also very boggy in patches - but easy to detour) and contours round the hill. On a nice day there'd be good views from here - not today




We arrived back in Talmine. Rather than take the road straight back to the pier we cut down a marked trail to Talmine Beach for a quick look




Arrving back at the pier


Stopped up the road later for some pics of Ben Loyal




The next day, before going back to Inveness, we went west to visit Sandwood Bay

[gaffr]

Hello HSC,
Nice images of the Northern outpost....you seem to be on a big tour of the North at the moment....there is so much more than the hill tops in this land of ours.......was in the area of Tongue last week-end and almost stayed at the camping near to your walk but was told in the village that it was very midge infested so we overnighted a bit closer to Loyal.
Your plant is Thrift, Armeria maritima, which seems to grow at sea level and on the summits....well it looks like the same plant....plenty of this in flower on the cliffs at the end of the Rubha Mor, this week-end, and the next dripping day on Beinn Ghobhlach.

[snodland]

Ben Loyal was the first hill I ever climbed up. To this day it remains my favourite. The early morning view, coming from Durness, going down Loch Eribol and looking across to its silhouette, sticking out from the otherwise lowish ground was fantastic. I must dig out a shot of it.
Your report reminded me just hpw good that area is, thanks.
The pics of scrambling up the cliff made me think as over this last weekend I was led on a walk a lot further south than Achinver.The walk leader managed to eschew the normal routes in favour of what his book dexcribed as "an interesting route",It entailed a sheer ascent and subsequent descent of a 350m sheer slor covered with awful ferny vegetation. I hated it. But I bet if all the veg was stripped of it and was just rock I would have been up it like a kid.That's what sea cliffs do for you - bring out the child.

[HighlandSC]

Thanks for the plant ID gaffr, googling it shows it to be the very one. Yep we did a 2 week tour...Ft Willam...Cairngorms...Skye...Sutherland...Uists... only 1 munro top done and that was unplanned. Plenty more than tops out there

Snodland, you're right about rock - great fun Ben Loyal is a cracker...sid and I were up it a few weeks earlier http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4647

[gaffr]

Apparently there is a slight variation on the thrift that grows on the high hills...instead of maritima it is planifolia....but if you are like me would find it difficult to spot where the difference is....we will leave that for the real botanists to point that out to us!