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We have walked the Loch Coulin circuit many times and normally I wouldn't bother with another TR on the same route, but we were lucky to snap some perfect autumn panoramas this time, so I simply can't resist showing off
We had a busy weekend and no time for proper hillwalking but somehow we managed to find a few hours on a sunny Saturday morning to enjoy a short visit to Torridon. It's always a great place to come to in autumn - especially Beinn Eighe, the White Starfish, looks amazing in contrast with fifty shades of yellow, orange and purple. The Loch Coulin round allows to appreciate the beauty of the Torridon Giants without climbing them and offers a chance to see some interesting wildlife, too
Parking at the start of the walk can be an issue on a weekend day, especially if weather smiles. We took the last free spot. It is also possible to climb Sgurr Dubh and Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine from this side, which we hope to do some time in the future. Today we concentrated on low level. The route goes around Loch Coulin and Loch Clair with little drop/reascent and only one short boggy section of the path:
I had my small camera with me, which takes good panoramic photos, so from the very start I was in pano-mode
Beinn Eighe panoramic:
Crossing A'Ghairbhe:
Sgurr Dubh dominates the view for the first half of the walk. The other summit to the left is not Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine as one might think, but a lower top, Meall an Leathaid Mhoir:
Zoom to Sgurr Dubh with red and brown colours of autumn in the foreground. Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine can be seen peeking out from behind its brother:
Black Panther busy panoraming with Beinn Eighe in the background:
Even from the start, before we reached the first loch, it was already a superb vantage point to the giants - including Liathach:
Loch Clair and the mountains beyond:
The Grey one looking suspiciously green
As we continued on the tarmac road along the loch, Kevin spied a few great spots to snap photos with mountains reflected in the quiet water:
Sgurr Dubh mirrored in Loch Clair:
Beinn Eighe reflection:
We usually do this circuit clockwise as the best views are on the "walk-out", Liathach and Beinn Eighe look best admired from the eastern side of both lochs. After turning off the track to a path along Loch Coulin, the ground became a bit wet underfoot (it had rained the night before) but the views made up for any bog on the path...
Across Loch Clair to the giants:
Meall an Leathaid Mhoir and Sgurr Dubh mirrored in Loch Coulin:
It's getting a bit boggy...
View south along Loch Coulin with more reflections:
The famous gate to nowhere - the fence long gone...
One more reflection, from a different angle:
A wider panorama from the opposite end of Loch Coulin, Meall an Leathaid Mhoir taking the center stage:
As we passed the end of the loch, the path dried out. We met some people walking the circuit in opposite direction, all smiling faces and photo snapping
It was a day for lurking!
Kevin lurking around, a small herd of coos watching him:
The sky was clouding up but it was mostly high cloud so it didn't spoil the views at all:
The coo panorama:
We reached the bridge over River Coulin where we usually take a short picnic break. Views are still superb from this spot:
Beinn Eighe and Liathach from the bridge:
We continued on the track past a metal gate, where to my content I spotted three highland beasties, eager to pose for pictures. Kevin laughed at me, having a "moo photo session"
but I find highland cows kinda cute. I was never threatened by them, they are so docile despite ferocious looks. These three looked like they wanted a scratch behind the ear
but I didn't go as far as petting them. Just some poses:
"Moo photo session" - Panther at work
Can you see me?
Having left the beasts behind, resting in the sun and doing what cows usually do (digesting grass most likely
), we continued our explorations around Loch Coulin. We were back on a dry track now:
No water reflections on this side of the loch, but Beinn Eighe still visible - and looking majestic:
There were lots of dragonflies and damselflies about, but getting one to sit down for long enough to take a decent photo was near impossible
Eventually, we almost stepped on one, sitting on the track and sunbathing
It never moved a muscle when we bent over to take pictures:
I think it's a common hawker (Aeshna juncea). It has blue eyes so it's a male (females have brown eyes - I remember that much from my entomology research).
Full frontal view:
Not far from the hawker, Kevin spotted Mister Toad on his afternoon stroll:
The return walk goes through some nice, quiet woodland, before reaching Coulin Lodge and the bridge. I really enjoyed this low level walk - it's worth to be less ambitious sometimes
So in the end, a great day if without any peaks ticked off. We experienced fifty shades of fall and admired Torridon in the most interesting time of the year. Autumn really is the right moment to brush dust off your cameras and go lurking
On the following weekend we continued our autumn lurking, explored some very interesting sub'2 Marylins. Report to come soon.
