Four summer days in the highlands

[Fractral]

I'd decided to take an extra day off over the August bank holiday weekend so that I could have four days hiking. A post asking for company on our facebook group was surprisingly poorly received until Phoebe responded. We agreed on dates and times; she'd come to Edinburgh Thursday evening, and we'd be back early Monday afternoon so she could return to work on Tuesday. Unless otherwise stated all photos in this TR were taken by Phoebe.
Thursday came, albeit late as an accident meant Phoebe was an hour late arriving into Waverley. We wasted no time escaping the city and shot up the M90 to Perth and then onwards to Ballater, where we camped at the really quite posh caravan park. Phoebe had not hiked on this side of the Cairngorms before, so I suggested Lochnagar- one I'd done before, but it gave the opportunity for a Corbett I was missing, and was a short enough day that we could be in Torridon that evening (the poorer forecast on Friday was why we'd stopped off in the Cairngorms to begin with.)
We took a direct route from the spittal up Conachraig. As is usual Phoebe complained that there was too much heather and asked why we hadn't just taken the footpath. From there we continued onto Lochnagar and Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach, before returning via Loch Muick. Although the queen was in residence at Balmoral we saw no royals on the walk - a shame, as I had some pointed questions to ask about their use of private flights!

Myself on Conachraig

Us at the summit of Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach

From the Spittal we drove up to Torridon and camped in the free village campsite, which was packed and horribly midgey. Earplugs were useful for sleeping. The following morning we packed up the tents and drove to the start of the route up Beinn Alligin.

It was windy on the ascent!

Looking back to the horns

We took the standard route over the horns and across the munros. Beinn Alligin was the last of the big three for me; meanwhile this was Phoebe's first time hiking in Torridon. The views were pretty good and it didn't take us long to do the full traverse.

Me posing with the Eag Dubh

Phoebe at the summit of Beinn Alligin

Once back at the car we drove to the campsite again to grab some water and then packed up to head up Liathach. We took the eroded path up the coire to Mullach an Rathain, arriving about 6pm, then wandered along the ridge to find somewhere to pitch the tent. There was some grass a few hundred meters to the east, so we stopped there and had our dinners. Phoebe restarted the complaints - apparently I had claimed the grass patch was "practically at the summit".

Pitching up on Liathach

Cooking dinner by the tent

Food improved our moods. As the sun began to set we wandered back to Mullach an Rathain and watched it vanish behind the horizon.

Myself, watching the sunset

An artsy shot for Phoebe

Our little tent

Phoebe was up for sunrise, while I took the opportunity to lie in (driving is hard okay). She took some amazing photos.

This one was digitally touched up

As there was nobody about we left the tent where it was and took an easy stroll over the pinnacles to Spidean a' Choire Leith. From the summit we spied some folk coming up so hoofed it back to the tent and packed up. It was ferociously hot as we made the long descent back to the campsite, where we paid for some showers and had a rest.

The hazy view over Glen Torridon

Phoebe and Am Fasarinen

Heading back to the campsite.

It seemed a shame to waste the nice weather, so once we felt alive again I drove us up to Coigach. We parked below Cul Beag and wandered up the valley between Beinn an Eoin and Beinn More Coigach to camp at Lochan Tuath. I transferred the cooking stuff to my pack and we headed up to the summit of Beinn an Eoin to watch the evening light over Assynt while we had dinner.

Walking in to Lochan Tuath

Last light on Inverpolly.

Sunset over the summer isles.

Our campsite on Lochan Tuath.

Once the sun had set we discovered neither of us had brought a torch so a quick descent was made to the tent while we were still confident we could find it. The quiet noise of waves on the lochan lulled us to sleep and we woke late the following morning. There being no prospect of climbing the other two Grahams in the time we had, we instead packed up and took a relaxed walk back to the car.

The campsite in the morning.

Again it seemed a shame to not enjoy the sun so we stopped at Ardmair to paddle and skim stones, then again in Ullapool where we freshened up in the public toilets and had tea and cake in The Frigate. We were both rather sad to see the end of the long weekend, which I'm sure will remain one of the best I've ever experienced.

[Sunset tripper]

Looked like a great few days. Its hard to beat a camping trip like that and you packed in some great hills. That looks like a cracking camping spot in your last two pics.
All the best