DSCF2492 by Al, on FlickrFriday was to be for Healabhal Bheag & Mhor, otherwise known as Macleod's Tables. I'd spotted them last year when walking the Trotternish Ridge and was keen to make closer acquaintance. The morning was hazy, with a white sky but quite warm. We drove up towards Dunvegan, taking a turn off to Orobost and parking at the large parking area on the estate. We walked along the coast, passing a flock of Soay sheep and into some woods, which are partially felled. Good views to the Cuillin Ridge in the distance, though ,arred today by haze. Our first target was another Marilyn, Beinn Bhac-ghlais which was easy enough to incorporate into the round. However, the close-encounters like shape of Beinn na Boineid caught the eye and we decided to head up over that first of all - a steep heathery ascent to a basalt crown. From the summit we could see Bhac-ghlais and Healabhal Bheag beyond.
Tables from the road to Dunvegan
DSCF2493 by Al, on Flickr
DSCF2494 by Al, on Flickr
DSCF2495 by Al, on FlickrSoay sheep
DSCF2499 by Al, on FlickrMisty Cuillin ridge in the distance
DSCF2502 by Al, on FlickrBeinn na Boinied
DSCF2504 by Al, on Flickr
DSCF2505 by Al, on FlickrBhac-ghlais & Healabhal Bheag
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DSCF2512 by Al, on FlickrA simple drop down then up heathery slopes brought us to the top of Bhac-ghlais. The prow of Healabhal Bheag loomed towards us from here, not looking much like a table from this angle. Downwards and upwards we wended our way and arrived at the trig point. This was my 700th Marilyn. From here it looks quite far to Healabhal Mhor. However we picked up a path that avoided the scree and crags and made for Beinn na h-Uamha then ascended gentle grassy slopes to the flat top of Mhor. We descended to the north-east, initially taking a line on Osdale farm before dropping to the Osdale River where a herd of cows took an unhealthy interest in our presence - we quickly crossed the river and made for the lower slopes of Beinn Bhuidhe, passing the remains of a hill fort and joining the road for a mile or so back to the car. On the way we passed Skye Eco Bells Glamping - "an off-grid luxury camping experience". Fair enough.
Bhac-ghlais
DSCF2516 by Al, on FlickrHealabhal Bheag
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DSCF2523 by Al, on FlickrMhor from Bheag
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DSCF2527 by Al, on FlickrMarilyn 700
DSCF2528 by Al, on FlickrHealabhal Mhor
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P1150690 by Al, on FlickrHill-fort
DSCF2538 by Al, on FlickrEco Bells
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P1150693 by Al, on FlickrWe returned to the car with plenty of time left - I fancied a fourth Marilyn up at the top of Duirinish - Biod an Athair. It only looked a couple of km each way from the road end at Galtrigill. It was a wee bit further than I anticipated to drive there - 10 miles, past the Three Chimneys (wonder what their vegan option is
) to the road end. Parking is a little bit tricky - we left the car at the start of a farm track. We found a farm track that led us through a field of disinterested cows then petered out on the north-eastern flank of Ben Skriaig. From here we crossed the Galtrigill Burn and headed for the summit of Athair. Not much of a hill to look at (from the east anyhow) but once at the top the vista was excellent (although again the haze limited the view). The Little Minch was mirror calm and the isolated hills of North Uist revealed themselves. I noted a perfect little flat spot for a wild camp right at the trig point - that would be a beauty for a fine sunset. The ground falls away steeply to stacks and rocky beaches below. We dropped back down much the same way as we'd ascended, although I managed to find more bogs and barbed wire fences than on the way up Back along a quiet road to Sligachan which looked rather empty for a Friday evening in mid-May. Biod an Athair
P1150694 by Al, on Flickr
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P1150699 by Al, on FlickrNorth Uist in backdrop
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P1150705 by Al, on FlickrRoute back to Galtrigill
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P1150707 by Al, on FlickrSligachan campsite
DSCF2540 by Al, on FlickrSaturday was meant to be a day of showers. I decided we'd walk down Glen Sligachan from the campsite and tackle Ruadh Stac, which sits tucked in to the south of Marsco. Cloud was down over the Cuillin Munros, although the Red Cuillin were clear. Again it seemed really quiet - we had left a bit late on account of having our sleep broken by a noisy party in nearby tents who nattered in loud voices til well after 2am - but even so it seemed a bit eerie. Walking past the bulk of Marsco, a hill which has so many guises depending on the angle you view it from, we got our first sight of Ruadh Stac - diminuitive, grassy at the base and reddish stone higher up. Normally a bit of a bog trot to get over after the Allt nam Fraoch Choire but pretty dry today, thankfully. Once onto the rocks there's some fissured quartzite (I think) which provides better footing than the adjacent scree. Up ahead I could see Beinn Hain and beyond that Sgurr na Stri. There's a flattish section then the neck of the hill rises up again. When you almost reach the summit the huge black wall of Clach Glas rises out of nowhere - a superb sight. The top of Bla Bheinn remained under clag for the duration of our visit but Clach Glas and Garbh Beinn were often cloud free. We spend some time on top - I was hankering after continuing on to Sgurr na Stri, but Allison was reluctant to climb that particular summit when clag was down over the Cuillin Ridge and I think she was right - however she's now got herself a summit camp up there when conditions are favourable.
DSCF2541 by Al, on FlickrRuadh Stac
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P1150709 by Al, on FlickrTowards Sgurr na Stri
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DSCF2549 by Al, on FlickrMarsco
DSCF2550 by Al, on FlickrThe black wall
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DSCF2553 by Al, on FlickrMarsco
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P1150713 by Al, on FlickrWe descended back into Glen Sligachan and returned to the campsite. It was now after 4 and the weather looked to be deteriorating. I had hoped to get another hill in today - perhaps Ben Lee direct from the campsite, and tentatively considered that after tea, but the wind got up and the rain came down to scupper that particular plan. It rained quite heavily overnight.
P1150715 by Al, on FlickrSouth side of Gillean
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P1150717 by Al, on FlickrFor Sunday I decided we'd do Ben Lee and Ben Tianavaig - it seemed best to do Lee from Peigheinn a'Chorrain if we were driving round to Camas Tianavaig anyway, plus it was shorter from that direction. We got the tent down inbetween squally showers and drove round the tiny winding road to Peigheinn a'Chorrain. We parked at the junction of the two roads and set off over the hillside. Ben Lee is one of those hills with numerous false summits and Allison was not especially impressed by it, especially as we would get soaked on a regular basis from the heavy (but thankfully brief) showers. There are a couple of steep heathery sections then gently rising moorland to gain the summit cairn. The heather was festooned with caterpillars - I think Burnet Moth ones? Sometimes you could catch glimpses of ben Tianavaig sitting like a battleship up the road. Glamaig was everpresent with the higher Cuillin under cover. Eventually we made the summit then tracked back to the car. By this time it was 11.30 - we drove up to Camas Tianavaig and found the picnic tables where we had our lunch looking down the Sound of Raasay.
Looking back at the start
P1150718 by Al, on FlickrBen Lee
P1150720 by Al, on FlickrBeinn Tianavaig
P1150721 by Al, on FlickrTombolo
P1150722 by Al, on Flickr?Burnet Moth caterpillar
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P1150724 by Al, on FlickrGlamaig
P1150725 by Al, on FlickrSummit looking North
P1150728 by Al, on FlickrTrotternish/Raasay
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P1150731 by Al, on FlickrOne of the steeper heathery sections
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P1150733 by Al, on FlickrShedding wet waterproof trousers, we set off along the hill path to Tianavaig, which passes to the left of a house gate and leads easily up the mountain, along McQueens Rock, wich drops to the black rocky beach below. Dun Caan was clear across on Raasay. We continued up Tianavaig, with outcrops and storrs becoming ever more impressive - you'd certainly know this hill belonged to the Trotternish Ridge. We got to the trig point, got some good views north up the Trotternish Ridge then decided to descend the same way we'd gone up, given there was a long drive back home to be undertaken. Fortunately it had stayed dry for this hill, although the wind was cold and scoured at exposed skin. A fine weekend overall, showing that you don't need gabbro and scrambles to enjoy Skye.
On the way to Tianavaig
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DSCF2570 by Al, on FlickrSound of Raasay
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DSCF2579 by Al, on Flickrnearing the summit
DSCF2583 by Al, on FlickrDun Caan
DSCF2584 by Al, on FlickrHeavy cloud over the Cuillin
DSCF2585 by Al, on FlickrSummit Tianavaig
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DSCF2587 by Al, on FlickrThe Storr
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