Mull - Stone Circles, Eagles, Adders and Great Hills

[weaselmaster]

This weekend I had planned a trip to Arran - we'd climb an interesting horseshoe on Bheinn Bharrain then have a close and personal moment with the Witches' Step. Until, that is, the problems with the Arran Ferry that resulted in most of the sailings being cancelled - on Arran Mountain Festival weekend too When it was clear that there were still going to be problems getting over on the Friday when I looked at the schedule on Wednesday night it was apparent that a plan B was required. Getting over to a west coast island still tickled my fancy, so I decided to try Mull - the forecast didn't look bad. Scouting around I found info on wild camping spots and fancied one down at Loch Buie, which would allow us to tackle Ben Buie and its partner Creach Beinn - we could then take our pick of one of the other Grahams on the Sunday.

I've been underwhelmed with Mull on my previous 2 visits - one a flying trip to do Ben More by way of Beinn Fhada and A'Chioch - the climbing was fun but the scenery left me untouched. The second tiem was a bad weather day doing Dun Gaoithe and Sgurr Dearg in quite horrible weather, again as a there-and-back the same day. So I maybe needed a longer time on the island to immerse myself in its charms. Allison thought that anyway. We got the 16.00 boat over and drove down the narrow undulating ribbon of road to Lochbuie. I was liking this better already. We drove past the Old Post office and to the end of the road, where a mudtrack leads to a grassy area, well provisioned with the yellow gorse that gives the area its name. We selected a spot almost encircled by gorse bushes - some difficulty getting pegs into the stony ground, but up and secured. I made the tea which we enjoyed sitting in the sunshine looking south down Lochbuie and towards Jura.

DSC00307 by Al, on Flickr

Ben Buie
DSC00312 by Al, on Flickr

Buie & Creach Bheinn
DSC00313 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00315 by Al, on Flickr

In the evening we walked along the road a bit to the Stone Circle - although there's a sign on the gate, there's no obvious path. We found an outlier then walked through a field of cows (with bull in attendance much to Allison's anxiety) then discovered the ring of 9 stones, with two further outliers. Wandering back I bought some eggs (delicious, by the way) from the gate of one of the houses. Settled down for a pleasant night after sitting with a glass of Scapa as the sun sank.

DSC00320 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00323 by Al, on Flickr

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Loch Buie
DSC00327 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00327 by Al, on Flickr

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With full sun streaming in the tent door, it wasn't possible to sleep much after dawn. We were up by 7.30, breakfasted and off - on foot - to do the pair of hills that sit on the doorstep. Ben Buie is the stunner - an imposing crown of gabbro and scree surmounts a steep grassy cone. i had noticed the other 3 walk reports do these hills from the north - this would seem a much more attractive aspect to ascend. Anyway, we walked up to the phone box then turned towards the hillside - following animal tracks initially then just our noses up the flank of the hill. The grass ubderfoot was dry and short. Looking south, we could see the Paps of Jura indistinctly in the haze - it was a beautiful morning. Loch Uisg glittered in the sunlight. As we got to around 450m the scree started, interspersed with runs of gabbro - it was nice to get that grippy feeling under the bootsoles again! The final 100m can be made as interesting as you wish depending on route selection and we had some fun before popping out at the summit where there's a large cairn and a splendid view to Ben More. (This turned out to be Allison's 50th Graham, though we didn't know that at the time).

Sunny morning
DSC00333 by Al, on Flickr

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Start of the route
DSC00330 by Al, on Flickr

Ben Buie
DSC00336 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00337 by Al, on Flickr

Jura in the distance
DSC00338 by Al, on Flickr

Loch Uisg
DSC00342 by Al, on Flickr

Nearing the top
DSC00343 by Al, on Flickr

Summit cairn/Ben More
DSC00344 by Al, on Flickr

Ben More
DSC00345 by Al, on Flickr

Cnap nan Gobhar/Beinn Talaidh
DSC00346 by Al, on Flickr

South to Jura
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#50
DSC00348 by Al, on Flickr

The top section stretches for about 500m over another two peaks to Cnap nan Gobhar. We paused for lunch in a shetlered spot, hiding from the wind which was shrill and chill despite the sunny day. I'd neglected to pack crisps and we were light on snacks too - both of us felt in need of more sustenance than we'd brought with us. Pressing on we rounded the crags and began descending towards the southern end of Loch Airde Glais where we would begin our steep ascent up Creach Bheinn. There's a long drop down - elevation at the loch head was 130m, with a re-ascent to 698. And very steep looking too. We picked a likely looking route up a grassy rake and set off. Twice we saw young adders, brownish in the sunlight - managed to get a picture of the second before he snaked off into the grass in search of some of the small frogs we'd seen. Then an eagle soared overhead, rising - aptly - from Creag na h-Iolaire - too fast for my camera. Golden eagles, not sea eagles in these parts, suggests the Graham book. What a fine day.

Some scrambling up Cnap nan Gobhar
DSC00350 by Al, on Flickr

View to Creach Bheinn
DSC00354 by Al, on Flickr

View back to Buie
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Adder
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Buie
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Talaidh
DSC00364 by Al, on Flickr


We passed some small lochans as we neared the summit rise of Creach Bheinn - I managed to submerge my foot in one whilst trying for a good shot. At least it was a day for quick drying! The views to Ben More and to Beinn Talaidh (the tallest Graham) were lovely, as were those back over to Ben Buie. The summit of Creach Bheinn is marked by a cairn and cylindrical trig point (a Vanessa Pillar I believe, or Venesta ) and we spent a wee while there gazing around - up Loch Linnhe, across to Ben Cruachan - oh what a day For descent route we decided to go down over Creach Bheinn Bheag, giving a satisfying ending to the route. This brought us out onto the road a few minutes walk from the phone box we'd started from.

Top section of Creach
DSC00365 by Al, on Flickr

Buie
DSC00367 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00373 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00375 by Al, on Flickr

View over to Cruachan
DSC00376 by Al, on Flickr

Buie
DSC00382 by Al, on Flickr

Laggan Sands
DSC00384 by Al, on Flickr

Loch Buie
DSC00385 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00387 by Al, on Flickr

Inside the Old Post Office
DSC00388 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00389 by Al, on Flickr

In the evening we walked along to Moy Castle (unfortunately shut with a padlock) and the Laggan Sands. A lovely end to the day - we were both a little reddened by the sun, so sleeping was hard to come by. Another fine morning greeted us but unfortunately by the time we'd packed the tent away and set off the clouds had started to cover the sun and the remainder of the day was overcast with a cold wind.

Moy Castle
DSC00391 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00392 by Al, on Flickr

Buie from Laggan Sands
DSC00394 by Al, on Flickr

Allison was feeling the results of yesterday's exertions a little and i thought it might be better to do Beinn Talaidh - a short walk from the south - rather than the pair of Corra Bheinn and Cruach Choreadail. We drove to the obvious bend in the A849 and parked at the beginning of a forestry track to the right. The route takes us up Maol nam Fiadh then along the ridge to the summit of Beinn Talaidh before dropping down steeply to Beinn Bheag and returning through the forest plantation to the start. I half eyed up Beinn Bhearnach, an outcrop of Sgurr Dearg, as a possible second course if we finished early - but the lowest point between Beinn Talaidh and Sgurr Dearg is 80m above sea level - that's 50m lower than the starting point for the walk

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Talaidh
DSC00395 by Al, on Flickr


We walked up the track a little then took a faint track to the left that brought us out of the trees at a stile and to the bottom of Maol nam Fiadh. Steeply up on short dry grass for 300m then onto the back of the grassy ridge that would lead to the summit of Talaidh. The panorams looking SW was gorgeous - I hadn't realised just how mountainous Mull is. We could see yesterday's hills (much less impressive from this northernly vista) then ribbed fingers heading up to the mighty Ben More, with the pointy A'Chioch poking skywards. Finally at the summit in 1 hour 45 we looked in some consternation at the steep scree leading down to Bheinn Bheag - how would Allison's back cope with this?

Maol nam Fiadh
DSC00397 by Al, on Flickr

Talaidh
DSC00403 by Al, on Flickr

Pano to Ben More
DSC00406 by Al, on Flickr

Corra-Bheinn in front of More
DSC00407 by Al, on Flickr

Up the grassy shoulder
DSC00409 by Al, on Flickr

Dun Gaoithe/Sgurr Dearg
DSC00410 by Al, on Flickr

Talaidh summit
DSC00412 by Al, on Flickr

Beinn Bheag
DSC00416 by Al, on Flickr

It was a slow descent for her, some loose stuff to walk on. As she was descending, an eagle trailed above her head along the entire length of the mountain, then spiralled languidly towards the sea. We reached the safety of the grassy bealach and sought shelter behind some rocks for lunch- the wind was bitter. As we sat, a pair of eagles glided along the mountainside, gently banking round to almost tap one another as they flew, slowly gliding out northwards. We began the steep grassy descent off from Bheag and contoured round above the fence line until the going became boggier than ideal - a quick nip over the fence at this point allowed us to pick up the track through the woods and return to the car. Ended up gettting an earlier ferry home and enjoying the views of the hills coming back to Oban.

Steep scree
DSC00418 by Al, on Flickr

Eagle almost in shot!
DSC00419 by Al, on Flickr

Steep grassy descent from Bheag
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DSC00429 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00430 by Al, on Flickr

DSC00434 by Al, on Flickr

[Andymac75]

Enjoyed reading that.
As said in another report,I was on Beinn Talaidh on Friday morning.and was watched closely by the resident Eagle.

[Collaciotach]

Great weather and grand hills , aye Mull always underwhelms me too must return tis only a 45mins away

[ancancha]

Nicely written and photographed

[Sunset tripper]

Looks like you got some decent weather this time and good pictures. I've been to Mull many times I think you have been very unlucky to feel underwhelmed by the scenery. Mull has outstanding scenery but is not all about the hills though the view of the seascape from Ben More on a blue sky day is one of the best in Scotland. As is the view from the Corbett. There are outstanding beaches as well.
Beach at Fidden Farm

Mull is also the gateway to many other islands like Iona a fantastic place to visit, very serene. Also Staffa with Fingals cave another world class destination, if you have ever been to the Giants causeway in Ireland it is similar to that but far more dramatic.
Also visit Tobermory a great place to chill out at night with a few beers. The fish supper from the trailer on the pier is hard to beat.
If you ever go back to Mull try and spend some time to see the island. I sometimes manage to get there at short notice when I know the weather is going to be outstanding. I don't think you would be disappointed
All the best

[basscadet]

Really ticking off those islands atm Al We were in some of the same places a fortnight before, and while the days were vaguely sunny, we tired of waking up in 2 inches of water after a full on rain assault for 12 hours overnight

[rockhopper]

That did look rather enjoyable - great to see Mull in such good weather.
Like you before this, have only been there twice - one for the munro and one for a two night stay exploring this island along with Iona - hoping to get back some time - cheers

[Alteknacker]

Great report and excellent pics. I too have been underwhelmed by Mull in the past, mainly because I couldn't see most of it for rain and clag. But what a brilliant place when it isn't wet (to judge from your report).

Nice to see the adder - haven't seen one for some time now.

[malky_c]

Looks like you may have been converted to Mull . I think Beinn Buie could be one of the best hills on the island, although you definitely went up it from the better side than I did. Looks like there's plenty more to see on the island - I've been overly focuses on the hills so far and fancy going back with the bike sometime.

Im minorly concerned that you could still beat me to a Graham completion