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The south side of Loch Ness is rich with history and legend but not a place where you find many people on the hills. Dun Dearduil near Inverfarigaig is only 235 metres high and not on any hill list for this reason it may be of little interest. This hill has few visitors and on this circular walk the route finding can be really difficult especially in summer due to the undergrowth and old felled trees but there is a fairly easy way through.
Dun Dearduil is in the centre of the picture and wouldn't look out of place in a more tropical setting.
From the forestry car park I followed the road a short distance past the house then crossed into the woods where a faint path zig zags down to the burn.
If in spate the burn can be crossed using a fallen tree which has been there for several years.
Once across the burn another faint path takes you out of the gloom to beneath the crags.
I then crossed diagonally beneath the crags uphill where the views of the Loch start to open up.
Loch Ness
Its near here where Jimmy Page was filmed climbing crags in a Led Zeppelin film. Jimmy Page at the time owned nearby Boleskine House which was once owned by Aleister Crowley an alleged Satanist and mountaineer
At the end of this cliff face its uphill onto a ridge keeping right initially to avoid felled trees.
On the ridge looking across the loch to the Meall
Once clear of the tree debris and bracken I walked along the left side near the edge of the cliffs with views towards Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle
From here it was a short stroll to the top.
Where quite often a flag sits on the cairn.
At the top great panorama across to the Corbett on the Monadhliath unfortunately soon to be spoiled by more wind turbines
If you ever come up here its easiest to go back down the way you came but it is possible to take a good route down the other side avoiding felled tree debris and picking your way down into the River Farigaig gorge which can only be crossed in low water levels.
From the river I climbed diagonally out of the gorge which takes you out at a cattle grid on a minor road which is part of the South Loch Ness Trail.
Then followed the corkscrew road downhill
A hairpin bend in the corkscrew
And another
And another
There are six hairpin bends in total which take you down to the main road (if you can call it that
) and back to the start.
A few years ago I climbed nearby Dun Garbh which is the higher top nearby. From there you can see another house which (I think) was built and lived in by Michael Lee the drummer who played with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.
I took this photo when the house was empty for a long time but it has since been sold and cant be visited now.