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Wanted to do a walk today, but try something different to the usual. Have been up all the hills immediately adjacent to Loch Lochy, and thought it might be interesting to combine them in a long walk from south to north. Decided the best way to approach this was to park at Kilfinnan, and then ride the bike down the Great Glen Way to Clunes, where I would attempt to start up the sides of Meall Choire Lochain. Didn't have a real idea of how to get above the forest, so just looked on the map and satellite photos to see where the forest looks least thick. There is a new cattle (deer?) grid that has been built on the road there, just about opposite the parking area. I went up there, starting on the western side of the Allt a Mhanain, before soon realising that it was better going on the eastern side, and so crossed the burn, and made my way up through small pines, and brambles. Was steep, but not too bad. Got to a forestry road, which in retrospect I probably should have just walked up, but that would have added about a mile on. Would have resulted in less scratches though! Then just skirted around the east of some mature forest, before getting to Creag Liath, walking over it to Meall Coire Lochain. Really nice hill that - rather featureless from that southern approach, but when you get near the summit you see the drops down into the Choire Lochain below.
Nice little ridge walk across to Meall na Teanga and then followed the standard route down off that, and up the stalkers path to Sron a' Choire Ghairbh. I have been up that a few times, but never made my way across to Meall a Choire Ghlais before. Not sure why not, as it is a lovely walk - not a narrow ridge, but still very nice views down into Choire Glas to the east, and across to Glengarry and the Loch Quoich hills to the west. Dropped off that slightly further north than may have been necessary, trying to avoid the cliffs marked on the map on its north eastern face. Looking at it from the bottom it probably would have been possible to make my way down there, but it is always hard knowing what lies below you at the top of a steep drop. Was considering skirting around Ben Tee to save a bit of time, as it was getting on a bit, but had never been up that side of it, so thought I'd give it a go. Pretty steep, but no cliffs or difficulties, just draggin myself up. Then descended the usual way back to Kilfinnan where the car was waiting - got there at 6pm as it was just about getting dark - glad at that point I hadn't parked at Laggan Locks and left myself another mile. (The 30km in the distance of the walk includes 10km of cycling, so the walk was actually only 20km).
As an aside, I was wondering up there whther there is any discussion about the nicest hills that are not on any major list. Meall Coire Lochain was really nice, and the ridge across from Meall na Teanga good too. I imagine that not many people would go up it, as it is not really on any list. 20ft below munro height (and would only be a top anyway). I looked it up and it seems to abe a SIMM, and a corbett top. Which I must admit did not know was a thing. Was up Beinn Sgurrach near Whitebridge a few days back and thought the same thing - really nice little hill, but doesn't seem to be on any list, as is a subsiduary hill of Carn na Saobhaidhe, which is about 10km away as the crow flies.
Meall Coire Lochain Summit, with Meall na Teanga on the right.
Loch Lochy and Ben Nevis
Looking down to Coire Lochain and Loch Lochy
Back up the little ridge to Meall Coire Lochain
The Stalkers path up Sron a' Choire Ghairbh
Back towards Sron a' Choire Ghairbh summit
West out Glengarry
Ben Tee looking a bit daunting
Ben Tee summit looking north to Loch Ness
Back west over the hills, late afternoon
Worse for wear stile and gate in the Fading light. Ben Tee and Meall a' Choire Glais in the background.
