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Grahams: Carn na Coinnich.
Date: 19/11/2017.
Distance: 13 km.
Ascent: 645m.
Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes.
Weather: Cold, overcast, calm.
A fairly short walk for the day. Could've got up earlier, but that's what last week was for...
I was driving towards Strathconon in autumn colour and sunshine, but by the time I was ready to start walking just before midday, the cloud had moved in. It was rather chilly, but also quite still, so I left the trousers in the bag. I didn't have an overly imaginative route planned for the day - just the most obvious way up Carn na Coinnich (which I had used before, diverting off that time to go up some other bumps).
I headed up the track from Bridgend, cutting off the corner to meet the path following the Allt Bail an Uillt Shios. A few deer around, including a couple of stags scrapping.
Shortly before they started locking antlers I passed a guy coming down before reaching the high point of the path, where you need to cut across a few snow-filled peat hags to reach the summit ridge.
Near the top of the pass The trig point is very prominent, sitting on a plinth of rock. Despite cloud moving in over the hills to the north, there were some interesting high cloud effects above. A very monochrome feel.
Approaching the summit Carn na Coinnich Loch an Spardain and the Strathfarrar hills Orrin Reservoir Beauly Firth and Kessock Bridge Summit photo Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais I thought about heading towards Meall an Doire Fearna, but the walk over was across further hags, so I decided to drop into Allt Baile na Creige a bit early. The path down here is barely visible higher up, aside from the occasional stones for cross-drains that could be spotted.
Meallan nan Uan and Sgurr a' Mhuilinn Lower down, the path became more obvious, and there were some good waterfalls to look at.
Meall na Faochaig and Creag Ruadh Looking west up Strathconon Waterfall on Allt Baile na Creige Waterfall on Allt Baile na Creige Then I was down on a good track on the floor of the glen which led me back to Bridgend. A nice day out, although I always seem to end up in Strathconon when the sun isn't out - it probably deserves better.
Approaching Bridgend