Lochalsh Dirty 30 Challenge Route From Shiel Bridge Campsite

[walk aboot]

For this year’s work fundraiser some eejit (wait a minute that was me ) thought it would be a good idea to do the Lochalsh Dirty 30 Challenge. Not all of us could make the official event, so we decided to do the route on our own a couple of weeks after. The Lochalsh Dirty 30 (so called because it is muddy in places) is a 30-miles circular walk through some fantastic scenery in the Highlands.


There is a description and map of the route here on Walk Highlands (with a link to the official event included) .


On Saturday six of us headed up to Shiel Bridge campsite, pitched our tents, had a barbeque, and then popped into the Kintail Lodge Hotel for a couple of drinks and a listen to the acoustic band .


On Sunday morning we decided to start the walk straight from the campsite, which is on the route. (The official start point is the village hall in Glenelg, 13 miles away).

Glen Walk 1

Glen Walk 2

The first part of our walk (Shiel Bridge to Balvraid via Moyle – 8 miles) was through terrific scenery; roaming through glens mostly, with some forest tracks and country roads. I was so confident we were going to spy an eagle somewhere in this 30-miles landscape that I put a wager on with Bendy (yup, the very same who was with me on a recent jaunt to the Lairig Ghru – he’s one of my work mates).

River View

Forest Track

We reached the highest point in the walk, Loch Coire nan Crogachan (one of the good things about starting this route from the campsite – get the hike upwards out of the way early), and I was cursing myself a little for carrying my walking boots in my rucksack and adding extra weight. (I was wearing my walking trainers but took the boots along just incase).

Loch Coire nan Crogachan

We also passed the Suardalan bothy (well worth a look in and a scribble in the visitors’ book).

Suardalan Bothy

The next part of our walk (Balvraid to Glenelg – 5 miles) takes you past the amazing Glenelg brochs. Top tip: expect to waste a lot of time here, for ooh-ing and aah-ing and photos-taking.

Dun Troddan Broch

Dun Telve Broch

Wee Nibbler

Glenelg is not the half-way point, but it sure does feel like it when you spy a sign for a pub that is open and welcome for business on a Sunday .

A pub, ya dancer!

Oi team, wait for me, mine's a half pint of shandy please!

As five of us sat admiring the view in the beer garden, our work mate Joe, who is an Englishman, sat with others in the bar to watch the match. We heard the cheers and laughter as Germany scored, and then again, cheers and laughter. Joe joined us in the beer garden, defeated .

Glenelg Inn Beer Garden View

Found a tree swing at Glenelg Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Loch Alsh View 1

Loch Alsh View 2

Loch Alsh Roadside Onwards and Upwards

Part of the next stage of the walk (Glenelg to Totaig – 10 miles) is the Lochalsh Dirty 30 in all of its glory: it involves crossing a river (okay granted, we did cross at the widest point, but it was hot and we fancied a dip); and then a muddy trek through a forest . (If you do the walk from the official start point, then you’ll reach this bit early on and probably be wearing muddy wet boots for the rest of the day – the fun of doing the actual Challenge I suppose ).

River crossing

Uh oh, if you go down to the woods tonight

At the other side of the river, I had the coolest and jammiest moment ever...


Whilst the others were busy emptying the water out of their boots, or putting them back on over their soaked through socks, I pulled a fresh pair of socks AND boots out of my rucksack and put them on .



‘We haven’t seen an eagle yet, Janet.’ Bendy moaned for the umpteenth time.
‘Look, there’s a sea E-gull!’
Huh, he didn’t fall for my mock sightings either .


We did eventually see a sea eagle flying over Loch Duich (and I won the bet ).

Naw it isnae a sea E gull, it's a sea eagle!

Loch Duich 1

The final stretch of our walk (Totaig to Shiel Bridge – 7 miles) was ouch (midge/cleg bites and blisters) but the views were still fantastic . (By this time we had been walking for miles and miles alongside, or with views of, loch after loch).

Loch Duich 2

Dornie and Eliean Donan (where Loch Duich meets Loch Long)

The walk took us 15 hours in all (9am to midnight), although we are plodders, and it usually takes about 12 hours. I would definitely recommend this walk, just for the views alone . You can do it over two days, and start anywhere on the route.

[magicdin]

good stuff Janet and well done to your team - the photo of the rainbow is terrific
how was the weather ? - I passed through glen shiel on sunday evening (just after 7.pm)
weather was ok at west end but stoating it down towards Bunloyne
(maybe the old "Cluanie Curtain" was in your favour)
I remembered you were on your walk and wondered just how you were all getting on.


ps what did you win on your bet with Bendy - an extra shandy ? - some compeed ?

[walk aboot]

Hi magicdin, the weather was terrific for most of the walk - I think we had about 3 brief showers in all, the first 2 we were glad of to cool down a wee bit, and by the 3rd (at night) we were so tired we didn't feel a thing (except our on fire feet!!!). You should have popped along to say hello (we were easy enough to catch up with, walking at snails pace ).

The scenery was fantastic - I was chuffed to bits being in that area over a couple of days (only ever passed through on the bus or in a car before). Definitely heading back that way soon!

Oh I always have wagers on with Bendy, he owes me another fiver (might let him off though because the sea eagle and rainbow photos are his good work, not mine).

[magicdin]

yep - it is a terrific area - not just a munro baggers paradise
the Kintail Lodge Hotel does great food

[LeithySuburbs]

Really enjoyed that report and the photos . I've not really ventured into this area yet but this has definitely inspired me. Its good to know there is so much good low level walking there for those days when the Cluanie Curtain descends.

[mountain coward]

Some superb photos there WA - love the river one near the beginning but there's also some fantastic ones later too... on the Loch Duich 1 shot, what on earth is that thing that all the logs are on?

[malky_c]

Lovely. Have heard of the dirty 30 before, but didn't actually know where it went. The Loch Alsh bit is nice - I remember doing that bit as a family walk years ago.

Slight clash of work and leisure for me here though. I was looking at a couple of your photos and thinking "yes, it will be possible to run a water main alongside that road"

[walk aboot]

@ malky_c's work-head.

Between the 6 of us MC we've got hundreds of photos - I'll email you a few more .

Thanks LeithySuburbs, yup there are plenty of good walks to be had there .

[monty]

Yep, nice report walkaboot,
Excellent pictures too. Nice rainbow

[walk aboot]

Thanks Monty

Here's the link to the Walk Highlands route description:

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/kintail/dirty-30.shtml

Can anyone tell me how to copy the WH map routes into trip reports? I tried yesterday but couldn't do it.

[kevsbald]

Good effort, J.

[kinley]

Excellent!

Great rainbow pic and a nice one of the Sea Eagle - jealous

[walk aboot]

Thanks Kev and Kinley

[Paul Webster]

Loved the sea-eagle pic too - it looked easy to identify for a change

You want to put a map in a trip report? You can either draw your route on a map (click on the 'draw route' text when writing a report), or you can upload a gpx file that contains a route (in the same way as you upload photos). You can link your report to any walk on Walkhighlands too by using the option to choose a walk - this makes your report link to our route description near the top, and also adds a link to your report from the route description - I've already done this for your post

Baffled by the river crossing though.... our description seems to say there is a bridge (Helen walked the horrible boggy woodland bit from Ardintoul to Totaig )

[walk aboot]

Thanks Paul

Oh the river, well...

That was the only bit of the walk where we lost the path (just before entering the muddy forest), the route according to the OS map had been spot on 'cept for that glitch. It was supposed to be next to a wee house but we couldn't see it anywhere, even nosed around the occupants garden. It was confusing too because the orange markers were still on the route from the official challenge a couple of weeks before, and we found them again in the same unlikely field filled with rotten felled logs that we decided to walk through. There would have been a narrow stream/bridge further up to cross, but we crossed the widest bit where it meets the loch because we couldn't be bothered walking an additional 10 minutes for this purpose alone, and it was fun to get wetter than expected in the hot weather, team spirits high and all .

One of the Dirty 30 Orange Route Markers

If Helen's done the boggy woodland bit then that's the exact bit we're talking about. Did she cross a bridge just before it? We'd like to know because we're still a bit baffled by it.