Sunshine and Salad at Abriachan

[MusicalHiker]

I'd been wanting to explore this walk for a while, and I waited for a good day. After all this rain recently, I thought it would be a good idea to stick to something with a path, too - everything's so wet and I thought Little Wyvis might be a bit too boggy!

Up early, and drove the 20 minutes to Abriachan (oh I'm soooo happy we've moved off the Northern Isles and now all of this wonderful Highland landscape is on the doorstep!)

This was also a good one for Trevor, who doesn't really like being dragged up mountains, but likes walking with me. I carried our backpack with lunch in it. We stopped at the plentiful benches along the way, and enjoyed the bird hide too. There is so much to do here for children - I'd have loved it when I was little! However, on a Thursday morning we had the place to ourselves. The benches and sculptures are getting a bit tired now, but would have been impressive when they were new.

We stopped for (early) lunch in the little sheiling, which would be great shelter in bad weather. Tuna, red pepper and sweetcorn salad with wholemeal pasta.... delicious. It was fine to get out of the sun for a bit - but it was back to rain (and thunder) the next day.....

I took some photos; there were lots of butterflies including some that I'd never seen up in Orkney. Here is a selection of pictures, which should give you a good idea of what to expect - there's one steep section up to the summit of the hill but apart from that it's pretty easy going!

Very picturesque composting loo!

Bird art

More bird art

Views from the bird hide

Dragonfly pool

Orange tip butterfly

More butterflies!

Just before the steep bit

Trees bursting into life

Rustic bench.... was probably very impressive a few years ago!

Pole based sculptures.... near the top

Approaching the top of Carn na Leitire

Summit cairn

Cairn, complete with a Musical Hiker!

Path going back downhill

Stopped here for lunch, with views of Loch Ness and the sea.

Views from the sheiling

Track back to the car park