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Despite this report's title, I am contrarily going to try and advocate for climbing Cnoc Reamhar by any route
except Tayvallich! Having seen the trouble TomTMW and malky_c have gone through to document the top of this bugger, I had hoped to provide a straightforward route to the top, but alas, I don't think such a thing exists.
Our family has owned a caravan here for as long as I can remember - I have climbed Dun a' Chogaidh countless times. It's my version of Dumyat or Arthur's Seat or Meikle Bin I suppose. Only in recent years after discovering sub 2ks and what have you, have I been interested in climbing Cnoc Reamhar. Knowing the area relatively well, I was ashamed to have never heard of it beforehand. Taking 3 days in Tayvy after visiting Islay gave me a shot of bagging it - the weather was excellent and it hadn't rained (on Islay anyway) for at least 2 days.
I opted for the 'scenic' route starting half way to Carsaig (which is confusingly also called Carsaig). I walked up to the unnamed loch, which we have fished very successfully many times. It wouldn't surprise me if this loch dries up in a few years - it gets reedier and reedier each time I visit. Nevertheless, the path up to it always seems to be bustling with flora and fauna.
Our old lad Spike doing his best to keep up along the path:
Dark Green Frit?:
My plan was to follow the track to the left of the loch (present on the OS map), but only just after my mum (and the dog) had walked as far as they saw fit, did I realise that the path here, if there ever was one, is near-as-makes-no-difference non-existent. Any path there ever was is now at best an extremely boggy, disused deer track. Having plucked up the courage and naivety to attempt this walk in trainers, I had no real option but to accept my fate and get my feet wet.
I plundered on through the dense birchwood, constantly trying to find a way around fallen trees and occasionally finding sightings of a dried up burn which I could use as a path. I had rolled my trousers up so as to not get them wet, and I suffered instead from scrapes and cuts and stings. After about 20/30 minutes, I came across a dry stone dyke running parallel to me. I followed it slightly up the embankment to the right and kept following the main burn along, first on its left side, then right. I came across an ancient water hydrant and a small, artificial weir further up. Not long after, while on the right hand side of the burn, evidence of the forestry workings were made clear by a huge dead rhododendron blocking my path. I decided it was probably best to go further right at this point and escape onto the heather, where there were finally some faint tracks (likely from workers). I had finally made it into the wider part of Gleann Sabhail, where I could try and figure out a way to the top.
Looking along the forested ridge - Cnoc Biorach to An Garadh and the hidden top of Cnoc Reamhar:
![3 - Gleann Sabhail.jpg]()
I trudged along the glen floor, feet still as wet as ever. I crossed the burn to follow forestry vehicle tracks and find a suitable point to ascend. I decided on the small bealach between Cnoc Biorach and An Garadh (where the windblown trees on the picture above are). I cut through a relatively obvious fire break and began the ascent. It wasn't long before I realised just how difficult this was going to be. I put the camera in the bag and snaked a route upwards. It was not too bad until I came to a couple of rocky outcrops which I had to navigate up. One of them I had to turn back as it was just a bit too dangerous, the other I managed to pull my way up after 5 minutes or so, using birch saplings as handholds. This would have easily been worthy of ropes had there been no fine Knapdale vegetation to support me. I made it to the top of the face just below the windblown trees and followed it round to the right into a small flat area (on the map: at the curvy tail end of the forestry). From here it was a simple 5-minute scramble to the summit of An Garadh, where the views south are actually better than at Cnoc Reamhar.
An Garadh summit cairn:
Scarba and Mull beyond. Barnhill on Jura (where Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four) is just off to the left:
View S from An Garadh. I could just manage to make out Gigha:
The best view of Cnoc Reamhar, with its distinguishable plateau:
From here, I could pick out my way ahead and also my best route down. I passed though the families of oddly inquisitive sheep and was at the top around 20 minutes later. The going was much easier here (or maybe it was just relief from the past terrain!)
Approaching the Vanessa trig:
And now for the views!
View south:
Caol Scotnish, the Faery Isles and Loch Sween:
Over to the next Knapdale marilyn, Cruach Lusach:
Dunadd Fort at the Moine Mhor and (I think) the Trossachs:
Ben Cruachan et al. (those big mountains I never get to climb - I think they're called Munros):
Up to god knows where:
The Paps, from which I seem to have seen from every angle except below now:
![13 - Paps of Jura.jpg]()
I sat on the trig, ate my lunch and basked in the sunshine, having climbed a hill I had wanted to climb for years. I knew the way down I was to take: follow the contours back for a while, then down to the fence and then to the muddy farmer's track that leads to Gallachoille. I can tell you now that this is quite literally the only sane way to get up (and down) this hill! I edged my way down to Gallachoille, still surprised at the lack of Adders about. Having been on Islay for 3 weeks and seeing none, I was determined to find one here. All was going well until I jumped down a small hag and turned the grass below me into mud, which then sent me well and truly onto my behind. I managed to cover my left leg, half of my right leg, entire left side, a bit of my back, a bit of my front, both hands, left arm and a good portion of my camera in wet mud. I cursed around in circles for a bit, put my cardigan in the bread bag I had brought for lunch and walked down for 5 minutes up to the nearest Gallachoille building, which looks a lot like a holiday home.
From here it's plain sailing back to the road, on a very well-maintained path I might add - I could have used that at the start. After that it's a 40 minute walk back into Tayvallich.
Best seat in the glen:
I hope anyone reading this now feels aware of just how inaccessible this hill seems to be! The Gallachoille path is definitely the easiest way up, but even that has a good 25/30 minute farmland crawl to the top after the last house. I can see why it's deemed worthy of a Vanessa trig now. A bucket list hill, well and truly earned!
