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Sub 2k Marilyns: Roineabhal, Bleabhal.
Date: 08/06/2019.
Distance: 5 + 6.5km.
Ascent: 430 + 420m.
Time: 2 hours, 50 minutes + 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Weather: Warm and overcast, becoming sunnier.
The first full day of the meet, and we were up at a reasonable time, but not overly early. We had a vague plan to head down to the south end of Harris and nip up Roineabhal, followed by lunch in the Temple Café. Almost everyone else was headed for the highest hills. While we were briefly tempted, it looked a bit grey, and to be honest once I'm out on the Outer Hebrides, I tend to get lazy and I rather enjoy existing on island time. It can be quite difficult to work up the motivation to go up the big hills when the lower summits and beaches are just so great!
After a quick stop at the cairn above Manish for the view (and did Jackie go for yet another pee? Quite possibly
), we parked up just short of Rodel. This looked to be a straightforward way up Roineabhal.
Manish 
An Coileach from Manish 
East coast of South Harris It certainly was straightforward, and after dodging the odd peat hag in the first couple of minutes, it was just a case of following rocky slabs all the way to the first summit, the views in all directions improving as we got higher and higher. Even the overcast skies couldn't spoil the day
.
Eabhal and the Lees on North Uist 
Skye After passing the first summit, we got onto the rim of the northeastern corrie followed by the main summit. The rockiness of the ground hereabouts makes Roineabhal feel like a much higher summit from Assynt transplanted onto the island. Much like yesterday, we had a long break on the summit before deciding it was lunchtime and heading back the same way.
Summit of Roineabhal 
East coast of South Harris 
North corrie of Roineabhal 
Cloud building up over North Uist 
North Harris hills 
Leverburgh 
Greabhal and Ceapabhal 
Leverburgh, Ensay, Pabbay We messed up slightly close to the car and ended up downclimbing a heathery ledge through a small crag - normal service resumed
. Then round to the Temple Café in Northton for lunch, which is one of the best places for food in this part of the world (and also open on Sundays - bonus
).
Loch Roghadal and Skye 
Temple Cafe After a leisurely lunch, we wandered towards Ceapabhal to visit Jackie's secret beach from her previous trip in April. Not really that secret, but a nice secluded spot.
Northton beach, with North Uist behind 
Traigh na Cleabhaig 
North Harris hills from the Northton machair 
Ceapabhal 
Bernaray from Traigh na h-Uidhe 
Bernaray 
Traigh na h-Uidhe It was only mid-afternoon at this point, so we decided to go up another hill - Bleabhal. Theoretically the least interesting summit on South Harris, it proved nicely that there are no hills unworthy of attention in this part of the world! We parked up next to the golf course and wandered along the road north briefly, before passing a barn and heading into grazing land through a couple of gates.
North Harris hills from above Scarista 
Ceapabhal and Scarista beach 
Borve beach 
Taransay We aimed for the wind turbines above Scarista, crossing rather more fences than we wanted to. Above the final fence, the ground was a little soft but generally easy going, leading us to a subsidiary summit to the west of the high point. Another great vantage point for the beaches of South Harris as well as Taransay.
South Harris beaches from Blaebhal 
North Uist and Leverburgh 
Eabhal and North Uist 
Roineabhal 
Loch Langabhat 
Skye from Blaebhal This is by far the grassiest hill on South Harris, with the odd bit of reddish scree visible beneath the grass - quite a different character to most other things out here. We headed back by a slightly different (and damper) line before driving along the West coast of Harris admiring the beaches as we went. Then back to the comfort of Drinishader hostel - lazy indeed!
