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Morven just a Graham!

Morven just a Graham!


Postby BlackPanther » Fri May 26, 2017 9:54 pm

Route description: Morven and Maiden Pap

Fionas included on this walk: Morven

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Maiden Pap, Smean

Date walked: 21/05/2017

Time taken: 7 hours

Distance: 18 km

Ascent: 978m

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It was going to be a weekend of showery, unstable weather. Originally, Sunday looked good anywhere north of Inverness, so we looked at the possibility of climbing Beinn a Chlaidheimh, the demoted Munro of Fisherfield. Unfortunately, the morning forecast showed a band of cloud and rain moving in from the south and the only area avoiding the washout was said to be the far north. I'm used to last minute changes though :lol: and we had a few alternatives prepared. One of them was a walk we both yearned to do, "the Caithness weirdos" as I call them (in contrast to Assynt weirdos :wink: ). We hoped they are so far north, that the bad front wouldn't affect us. And we were right!

The full Caithness weirdos traverse covers 2 Grahams and 2 Sub'2 Marylins. Because we couldn't rely on weather holding, we decided to follow WH route and climb only one Graham, Morven. Then, conditions-depending, we could add one or both Subs, leaving Scaraben for another day. TBH, I'm glad we split the walk in two. The area is so beautiful that I will be happy to return here for a full traverse of all tops of Scaraben :D
Our route covered Morven, Smean and Maiden Pap. The three hills provide so much fun and games, that we didn't even realize how much time we spent on each summit (especially on Smean tors). But this walk should be savoured. Morven & friends are more than just lower hills!

Track_MORVEN CAITHNESS 21-05-17.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


We started from the end of public road in Braemore (an ample car park by the booth) and crossed the river on the bridge. Weather was splendid for the time being, beautiful blue sky though a tad windy:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 002.JPG

Berriedale water - what a lovely name for a river!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 004.JPG

Even from the very beginning of the walk, we could see Maiden Pap, the most prominent of the weirdos... Hey, I really wanted to scramble up to the top of this wee rocky hill!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 007.JPG

So when we left all the buildings behind I started to analyze the visible side of Maiden Pap, thinking, which would be the best way to get to the summit?
Maiden Pap and Morven just peeking out from behind:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 010.JPG

We walked past a couple of forest plantations, the track was still good and easy underfoot, but I remembered from WH description that we should expect boggy ground later on. So far, I was preoccupied with Maiden Pap... Believe me or not, there is a way up without scrambling!
The norther face of the virgin hill...
2017-05-21 morven caithness 019.JPG

Kevin had a look at the map and he decided, we would go to Morven first, just in case weather broke earlier than expected. At the moment, just a few fluffy clouds floated above us, but the edge of the front was coming from the south and we wanted to bag the Graham as soon as possible.
It was fine by me - Morven (right in picture below) looked just as interesting. To the right, another Sub'2, Smean, which we hoped to traverse on the way back:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 021.JPG

Kevin spotted a large bird hovering over a forest plantation - probably a buzzard:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 023.JPG

The obvious line of ascent to Morven is from the col between the Graham and Smean, but judging from the map, it's just as steep from any side:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 027.JPG

The good track ends by the old farm building in Corrichoich, but a fainter VT track can be followed almost all the way to the col. It was a pleasant walk along the humming river, not too boggy which was a surprise, as this walk has a WH bog factor 4 out of 5. It had probably something to do with the recent dry weather - even the worst bog has dried out!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 039.JPG

The closer we were to Morven, the better it looked. Steep, yes, but it shouldn't be too difficult...
2017-05-21 morven caithness 046.JPG

View back to Maiden Pap and the blue Caithness sky:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 059.JPG

On the col, we located a well worn path - obviously this is a popular hill! We now faced over 300m of steep ascent, the lower half of this on the path, overgrown with heather in places.
Views behind us getting interesting:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 055.JPG

Higher up, the path disappeared in the rubble of stones. Climbing now turned into some kind of of a rock-dance routine :lol: Many rocks are loose and wobbly, so at this stage care should be taken. I wasn't sure if I was enjoying or hating the whole experience :lol: :lol:
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 063 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Despite the stony ground, there is no real scrambling needed, only one very easy section just below the eastern top:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 070.JPG

On the eastern top, we stopped for a photo session. The true summit was now in sight, only some 50m of additional ascent:
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 084 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
The remaining Caithness weirdos from the eastern top:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 071.JPG

The summit ridge was windy but nothing could stop me from reaching the highest point! Walking amongst the weirdos provided additional fun :lol: :lol:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 088.JPG

The summit of Morven is the highest point for many, many miles, therefore views must be excellent - ant they were. In every direction, the horizon line can be seen, with all the familiar shapes of Assynt and Sutherland mountains dotted around. The summit itself is very small and airy, with vertical cliffs on two sides:
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 115 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
By the cairn with wee Lucy - my 76th Graham (Lucy's 42th):
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 101 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
We sat on the summit for a long time, sinking in the fantastic panoramas of the far north of Scotland :D Another trip that proved beyond doubt: bigger does not always mean better. This modest Graham offers views superior to those from many Munros!
To the west, Small Mount and a whole crowd of weirdos on the horizon...
2017-05-21 morven caithness 096.JPG

Some of them zoomed: Beinn Griam Mor, Ben Loyal and Ben Hope:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 103.JPG

The undisturbed view to the north...
2017-05-21 morven caithness 107.JPG

Zoomed to Orkney... The Old Man of Hoy just visible on the edge of the cliffs:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 123.JPG

Eastern panorama, the weirdo parade:
ImageDSCF8550 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Kevin the Morven free man :lol: :lol:
ImageDSCF8538 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
To the south, Beinn Dhorain and the hills above Brora:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 132.JPG

I don't know if it happens to many walkers, but sometimes, when up on the hills, one particular song gets stuck in my mind and plays all over and over again, like on a broken disc player... Today, it was a song by Robbie Williams (himself an oddity :lol: ) singing:
"Where the future rests in the bistro
where the music is for weirdos,
We like it different we like it strange
in our own way we haven't changed"
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
Today, it was not just music that had a weirdo theme :lol:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 136.JPG

Having spent an awful length of time on the summit of Morven (by now we agreed it was Morven just a Graham), we began the careful descent back to the col. Weather was holding well, the wind strengthened a bit but no sign of the heavy cloud bringing rain, so we were happy to return over Smean and Maiden Pap rather than retrace steps back to Corrichoich. We don't really care much about Sub'2000 Marylins, but these two looked like fun :D
Soon we discovered that the two subs are actually just as interesting than the Graham or even more, especially Smean, probably the underrated hill in this group. It is topped with a set of superb tors and views are good, too!
On the way up Smean, with Morven behind me:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 151.JPG

View south from Smean, some fluffy cloud gathering but no big, scary front just yet!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 153.JPG

The tors of Smean:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 161.JPG

Maiden Pap made me salivate like a Pavlov's dog :lol:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 157.JPG

I run towards the tors, ready for explorations. What is it about weird-shaped rock formations that makes me meow?
2017-05-21 morven caithness 168.JPG

The eagle-shaped rock:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 171.JPG

Meowing time!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 174.JPG

This formation is unusual. the rock is very grippy so it's easy to scramble to the top of most of these little weirdos...
2017-05-21 morven caithness 175.JPG

...and narrow, claustrophobic corridors between them provide a good hiding place. Pick-a-boo!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 178.JPG

I managed to haul myself up the highest of the tors, to say I climbed the hill properly!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 184.JPG

Morven from the tors:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 189.JPG

View south towards the smaller tors below:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 193.JPG

Scaraben and more tors:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 194.JPG

Maiden Pap and even more tors!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 195.JPG

Squeezing through a gap in the rocks. This time I was careful not to split my trousers!
2017-05-21 morven caithness 205.JPG

Running for more tor explorations!
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 210 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Posing with Maiden Pap in the background:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 213.JPG

Kevin bagging another rock :lol:
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 231 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
I don't know how much time we spent on the summit of Smean, most likely more than on Morven, but the world of tors was fascinating and weather was holding well for us :D
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 222 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Eventually, we descended east from Smean to cross the high col between the two Subs. This was a bit boggy and dotted with peat hags. In wet weather this stage would be a nightmare to cross...
Looking back at Smean from the col:
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 239 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
From the distance, the rocks of Maiden Pap look formidable, but as we came closer, we saw a couple of routes up to the summit. Kevin said, that this hill reminded him of a certain Spielberg movie, one involving mash potatoes :lol: :lol:
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 247 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
As for me, that bl***y Robbie was singing again in my head...
"In the universe we are magenta
you can join us if you enter,
Because you're different and you are strange
in your own way you're just the same...!"
I hate that song!!!!!
Reaching the summit turned out easier than one might think when looking at the hill from the distance. We picked a line up the southern slope, where we located a faint path. Steep and heathery, but no real scrambling involved. Soon we were on the summit and relishing the views :D
Image2017-05-21 morven caithness 267 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Summit panoramas from Maiden Pap:
ImageDSCF8556 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Scaraben - I'm coming back soon to walk the whole ridge!
ImageDSCF8555 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
It is possible to descend the way we came up, but we managed to find a route down the northern face of the hill. High heather made it easier to get a good grip on the steep ground, as we picked our way down:
2017-05-21 morven caithness 282.JPG

A quick jaunt across a wet meadow saw us back on the Corrichoich track and walking to the car with big smiles on our faces :D We left behind the pointy shape of Maiden Pap, but carried with us all the great memories of the fun and games the three hills provided. And Robbie was still singing in my head...
:? :? "I want it different I like it strange in my own way I haven't changed" :? :?
2017-05-21 morven caithness 286.JPG

To sum up, the Caithness weirdos are a must-do's for all hillwalkers, not just Graham and Sub baggers! The whole route took somewhere around 7 hours, but I think half of that time was spent lurking around. Am I becoming a Sub collector? Probably not, but I really enjoyed the lower hills of Caithness.
Last edited by BlackPanther on Fri Oct 18, 2019 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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BlackPanther
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Re: Morven just a Graham!

Postby trekker53 » Sat May 27, 2017 2:39 pm

Good report there of our so called oddities in Caithness.
The beauty of these hills is that you'll probably not meet anybody. Such isolation and on fine days views as far as the eye can see.
Once you've done the Scarabens, why not try some of our coastal walking along the new John O' Groat trail from Inverness. Pick a section and discover some of our hidden castles, coves and beaches, and old forgotten harbours.
Caithness has a lot to offer.
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Re: Morven just a Graham!

Postby Mal Grey » Sat May 27, 2017 8:41 pm

Wow, that's an incredible landscape.

Your buzzard's wings are too thickset and large to be buzzardy, I reckon you got yourself an eagle there. The shape even looks sea eagly, though no white tail visible and not sure they get that far east.
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Re: Morven just a Graham!

Postby Sunset tripper » Mon May 29, 2017 12:24 am

BlackPanther wrote:I don't know if it happens to many walkers, but sometimes, when up on the hills, one particular song gets stuck in my mind and plays all over and over again, like on a broken disc player... Today, it was a song by Robbie Williams (himself an oddity :lol: ) singing:
"Where the future rests in the bistro
where the music is for weirdos,
We like it different we like it strange
in our own way we haven't changed"
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Nice hill and great report/pictures. I often get a song in my head when I'm out by myself and I normally start singing it which probably ruins the day for other hill goers within earshot :D
All the best. :D
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Re: Morven just a Graham!

Postby BlackPanther » Tue May 30, 2017 7:17 pm

trekker53 wrote:Once you've done the Scarabens, why not try some of our coastal walking along the new John O' Groat trail from Inverness. Pick a section and discover some of our hidden castles, coves and beaches, and old forgotten harbours.
Caithness has a lot to offer.


We walked the ridge of Scaraben last Saturday (TR pending). Not as much an "oddity" but we found a small piece of the crashed Whitley bomber on East Scaraben. It's interesting how often walking combines with history. We have walked parts of coast and visited many castles in Caithness, including those less known (Buchollie) and some very famous (Girnigoe), but there is always more to find :D not only in the category of weirdos :wink:

Mal Grey wrote:Your buzzard's wings are too thickset and large to be buzzardy, I reckon you got yourself an eagle there. The shape even looks sea eagly, though no white tail visible and not sure they get that far east.


I wondered about this raptor, too - Kevin thought it was an osprey, but it was hovering over a small forest plantation, which was more a buzzard behaviour. I leave it for ornithologists to decide :D

Sunset tripper wrote:Nice hill and great report/pictures. I often get a song in my head when I'm out by myself and I normally start singing it which probably ruins the day for other hill goers within earshot :D


I usually try not to sing aloud, if only for the sake of my husband's sanity. I have some hearing loss in my right ear so I'm usually very loud and I don't realize how badly it sounds :lol: Still, I haven't found out how to switch off an annoying tune in my brain. Last Sunday in Glenfinnian, it was, for no reason, Roxette singing "Everybody tells me to have a nice day". At least I did have a nice day :lol: :lol:
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Re: Morven just a Graham!

Postby Cairngorm creeper » Tue May 30, 2017 8:15 pm

We were looking at these weirdos when we were in Caithness last year and thought we must do them. ah so many hills, so little time,. Great photos and you made it all sound such fun :lol:
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Re: Morven just a Graham!

Postby dogplodder » Thu Jun 01, 2017 11:09 am

I'd never have thought of Caithness for hills but you've just challenged that preconception. :think:
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Re: Morven just a Graham!

Postby Huff_n_Puff » Fri Jun 02, 2017 9:31 pm

Thanks for the brilliant post advertising these much neglected hills. Caithness gems :D :D
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Re: Morven just a Graham!

Postby KatTai » Sat Jun 03, 2017 10:24 am

Mal Grey wrote:Wow, that's an incredible landscape.

Your buzzard's wings are too thickset and large to be buzzardy, I reckon you got yourself an eagle there. The shape even looks sea eagly, though no white tail visible and not sure they get that far east.


There are white tailed eagles to the east, there have been a couple around Glen Doll which isn't far as the eagle flies and they go up to the Loch of Strathberg. Though the tail, aside from not being white (though juveniles don't have white tails), looks too long and rounded for a white tailed eagle which usually have wedge-shaped tails,and the head doesn't seem big enough. The small, very pale head though is throwing me a bit though.
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