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Strathconon weekend wander

Strathconon weekend wander


Postby malky_c » Thu Aug 16, 2018 2:04 pm

Corbetts included on this walk: Bac an Eich, Meallan nan Uan, Sgùrr a' Mhuilinn

Date walked: 12/08/2018

Time taken: 11.5 hours

Distance: 39 km

Ascent: 2450m

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Corbetts: Sgurr a Mhuilinn, Meallan nan Uan, Bac an Eich.
Date: 11 and 12/08/2018.
Distance: 13km + 6km + 20km.
Ascent: 1220m + 340m + 780m.
Time: 5 hours + 1 hour, 15 minutes + 5 hours, 10 minutes.
Weather: Still, grey and clear on Saturday, breezy and claggier with eventual rain on Sunday.

We had been trying to come up with some routes around Kingussie and Glen Feshie for this weekend, but without bikes, we just couldn't settle on something which suited us. Instead, I suggested Strathconon which ended up working out way better. Jackie was driving again, and we headed off late on Saturday morning, parked up and ready to walk at Strathanmore shortly before midday. Today's route would mostly be one I have been around a number of times before, but we would also include the summits of Sgurr a' Choire-rainich and Sgurr a' Ghlas Leathaid, which overlook the Achnasheen road up Strathbran. These have been in my sights for ages but keep getting left out as Strathconon is often somewhere I come when I only have a small window to go walking in.


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Carn na Coinnich

We opted to go anti-clockwise. A lack of breeze meant that even though it was overcast, it was warm and clammy, and there were lots of bitey things out including flies and midges. Even reaching the summit of Sgurr a' Mhuilinn barely helped with getting rid of these.

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Heading up Sgurr a' Mhuilinn

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NE to Ben Wyvis. Sample torture in foreground

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Fannaichs

Driven insane by bugs, we carried on easily to Sgurr a' Choire-rainich, which we agreed would make a brilliant spot for a summit camp. There was a little more breeze here, so we had a break and admired the Torridon and Fisherfield hills, which were close by.

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Approaching Sgurr a' Choire-rainich

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Loch a' Chroisg and Torridon

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NE from Sgurr a' Choire-rainich

Sgurr a' Ghlas Leathaid presented a similar vista, before we traversed back around the flank of Sgurr a' Mhuilinn to Meallan nan Uan. While this doesn't have such wide-ranging views, it is probably my favourite summit in the range. Still I was glad to have finally visited the outlying tops, as they definitely add something worthwhile to the usual walk :) .

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Northern Monar hills

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Meallan nan Uan

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Torridon

Then down and along to Creag Ruadh before descending pathlessly back to the car (I'm convinced there is a bit of a path somewhere on this hillside, but I haven't found it yet!)

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Strathconon from Meallan nan Uan

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Sgurr a' Mhuillin from Meallan nan Uan

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Meallan nan Uan from Creag Ruadh

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Strathfarrar hills from Creag Ruadh

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East down Strathconon

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Bac an Eich

That had been a nice easy day (which we had both wanted), but we weren't quite done. It was time to load up the heavy bags and wander over to a convenient abode....somewhere.

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A fire, somewhere

The next morning, the wind was up a little more and the cloud was down. The plan was to cross over into Glen Orrin and take a long low level wander westwards before looping back over Bac an Eich. This was a good use of a day which wasn't overly inspiring on the summits.

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Approaching Creag a' Ghlastail

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Creag a' Ghlastail

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East down Glen Orrin

Having passed Creag a' Ghlastail, Am Fiar-loch and the eastern end of Loch na Caoidhe, it was time to climb upwards to Torran Ceann Liath. The paths were good in the area, which would allow for a pleasant low-level circuit.

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Am Fiar-loch

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Loch na Caoidhe

At the top of the pass, we opted to dump our bags and do a quick out-and-back to Bac an Eich as the weather wasn't looking that exciting. There is a stalkers path up the southern flank of the hill - un-marked on the 1:50k map and only hinted at on the 1:25k map - in fact it takes you quite nicely up to around 670m (although it becomes a bit indistinct in a couple of places). Nothing to see at the top, so we didn't hang around.

ImageBac an Eich summit

Back at the bags, it was an easy tramp down Gleann Chorainn, where the cloud lifted a bit but the rain also came on lightly. The last obstruction to navigate is the cattle grid between Inverchoran and the road, which has gaps which drop right into the river below the bridge. Not great for dogs crossing, and Jackie seemed to find something unsettling about it too :lol:

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Gleann Chorainn

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Cattle grid of doom

We made the car before the rain became too heavy. Not a weekend that can really match up to Rum and Eigg a couple of weeks earlier, but a nice trip out nonetheless 8)
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malky_c
 
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Re: Strathconon weekend wander

Postby Jaxter » Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:07 pm

Another belter of a weekend 8)

That cattle grid was scary :shock:
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Jaxter
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Re: Strathconon weekend wander

Postby weedavie » Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:23 am

They're a fantastic wee round and they look so inviting from so many places. I was roadying at the horse event at Brodie last week and I was peering at them from above Forres. I grabbed the train to Strathcarron for the first time which was amazing but confirmed that they were the best things you can see in Strath Bran. Because the road is a dead end, you've got to go there deliberately so you're likely to get it to yourself. And like you, it's something I've squeezed in rather than setting it out as a target. Maol Cheann-dearg was fine on Thursday but on the way back I was looking up from the train and thinking "now that's a great walk."
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