Two very different Loch Ness Subs

[rob munbett]

It was a beautiful still, chilly day, so it was a short drive down from Inverness to have a morning walk on these two hills. I decided on Creag nan Clag first because it looked to be the most interesting, Tom Bailgeann being just a trudge up a track. I turned off the B 862 down a minor road to park at NH602291, under the imposing crags of the hill.

The NE facing crags from the road

From the car it was, at first, a stroll up through low heather and bracken but this soon steepened and my rising traverse was on short cropped, mossy, very slippery grass on which I had a few slips and slides.

Looking back down to the car from the slippery slopes

Coming around to the left edge of the crags, I found a very interesting route up on to the plateau following a line under a rocky over-hang. Freezing meltwater was pouring down here and I had to tuck in tight to the face to avoid a soaking.

The way up under the over-hang (summit left)

After a brief sit to admire the view, it was over a fence and into the first snow of the day and after a few easily kicked steps it was up on to the summit plateau. There was a small cairn over to the right but, clearly, this was not the top which was down through a shallow dip and up again to a rocky knoll with no cairn.

View towards summit

On the summit looking over to Tom Bailgeann

Since my time was limited and I wanted to get up the other hill, I decided on nothing fancy and just headed back down the same route, with one unintentional bum slide on the aforementioned grassy slope.

The route of descent

Back in the car, I drove round to park up for the next hill. Since it was extremely difficult to leave the car at the start to the track up the hill, I decided to park on the B862 at NH597307 from where it was a short stroll back along the road to the start of the ascent. A farmer I passed seemed to approve of my decision. There is a track up this hill all the way to the top but it was so eroded and peaty in places, it was better, at times, to take to the snowy hillside and walk there.

On the way up looking over to Creag nan Clag

Soon, I was approaching the very cluttered trig area with mast and cabins etc. There were a couple of cairns off to the right so I decided to visit them to see if the view down Loch Ness was better and it was, marginally.

Approaching the trig and mast, cairns over to the right

View from the cairn down Loch Ness

It was a very easy return to the car. All in all, a very pleasant morning.

[AdamMcBean]

Some nice photos. Have done bailgeann a few times now and its a nice walk
Was meaning to do the hill opposite but never really saw a route up. Will follow your track now i think.

You should do Stac gorm next - its awesome

[rob munbett]

I had a walk up Stac Gorm last autumn when I was visiting Inverness. You're right - it is a wee cracker!