A week in the Uig Hills - Part 1

[petelynn]

After a few years regularly reading walk reports on Walkhighlands I've decided it's time a had a go.

As my partner Jim was off on a kayak expedition from Miabhaig in west Lewis I had the best part of a week to walk the hills in this area. It was midday by the time he was on the boat with the kayaks but the weather was good and the forecast poor so I needed to get a hill under my belt while I could. I had Richard Barret's 'Walking on Harris and Lewis' with me so set off to drive to the end of the road and do Grimobhal.

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I parked the car and set off along the coast. A bit impatient to get climbing I headed for the obvious west ridge and managed to get on to it half way along a line of cairns running up from the coast. The views north, south and west were rapidly expanding.

Eilean Mhealasta

South to Scarp and Huisnis

North to Mangustadh

It was a very straightforward walk up grass or nice grippy slabs to the summit. There was a bit of cloud flirting with the tops but from the summit the view across to the watery interior of Lewis and the Harris hills was huge.

Grimobhal summit

Harris hills - lunch stop

After a quick lunch it was down to Loch Braighe Grimobhal and up the other side to equally unpronounceable Naideabhal a Muigh. All the names here are basically Norse and I generally found it impossible to remember the pronunciation even after having been told it several times. I thought Gaelic was bad enough!

Although there was a lot of up and down and in and out getting over rocky humps and round lochans the going was actually not difficult and quite entertaining. I've heard these hills compared to the Rhinogs in Wales but they thankfully lack the holes hidden under heather begging you to fall in.

Lochan on Grimobhal - Mealaisbhal in distance

Route just descended from Grimobhal

The route up Naideabhal a Muigh

There are no paths or people on these hills so there is a real sense of wildness and freedom to follow whatever route you fancy. The downside is that there are no direct routes to follow and I was forever finding myself at the top of a small drop and having to do a sideways shift to get down. I'm a pretty slow walker now but progress here was very slow.

NW from Laibheal a Dias

Laibheal a Tuath

The highest point on the walk, Laibheal a Tuath is only 506 metres but it still felt like a real hill and the views were better still, the cloud having cleared the tops of all the hills by now. Out to the west St Kilda was easily visible through binoculars but tricky to photograph. This was the only day of the week when it was visible - but it is over 50 miles away.

Cairn on Laibheal a Tuath Mealaisbhal and Cracabhal beyond

Harris hills now clear

View out to St Kilda

St Kilda zoomed

Across Gleann Reonasgail, Teinneasabhal and Tahabhal looked very inviting and I hoped to do these later in the week. But what with the weather and old legs this didn't happen.

N to Cracabhal, Teinneasabhal and Tahabhal beyond Gleann Reonasgail

A steady descent down the west ridge of Laibheal a Tuath and back to the road and car and that was my first taste of these hills. Already they were up there with some of my favourite walking areas.

Back to Grimobhal from the descent

Mealaisbhal from W Ridge of Laibheal a Tuath

The Flannan Isles from last (very neat) cairn on ridge

[ancancha]

Not many of us will get out to do this walk, nice to see what it all looks like