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After a corker of a day on Sgorr Tuath and Beinn an Eoin (see Part 1), the weather deteriorated for my last couple of days in Assynt.
Part 1 separate WR: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89861Day 1: Arrived Saturday 18th MayDay 2: Cranstackie and Beinn Spionnaidh -
just Cranstackie in the end - with Mosquito crash remainsDay 3: CALL volunteering, then to Inverness for the Groam House Museum and "The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil"Day 4: Sgorr Tuath and Beinn an Eoin what a tart of a hill!!Part 2 Day 5: Beinn Dearg abort - Scoraig insteadDay 6: Quinag abort - more CALL volunteering and Ullapool Museum insteadDay 7: Beinn More Assynt South Top & Glen OykelDay 8: Catch up with pal on route to AnstrutherDay 9: Isle of MayDay 5: Beinn Dearg abort - Scoraig insteadThis was going to be a magnificent day on the Beinn Dearg 4, but the cloud was doing this...:
002 Why not Beinn Dearg 4 by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
...so I'll come back for them. I decided to walk out to Scoraig from Badrallach instead along Little Loch Broom, the other end from my An Teallach visit the previous month.
I parked in the little space by the gate - not in the turning circle. There was one other car, but no one around, and I had the lochside path to myself. Last month had been all woodpecker sounds wherever I went. This month was all Blue Ming Cuckoo. As I walked, peering down in vain for otters on the shore, the male cuckoo companion for this day was flying in a wide circle around me, and eventually settled briefly on a post.
005 Cuckoo by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Just ahead of him appeared a white tailed sea eagle. Possibly the same one I'd watched soar over Sgurr Fiona in April - who knows? I didn't get a good photo of him/her, and when s/he disappeared and a golden eagle suddenly surged out from the rocks I didn't get a photo of that at all. Next up was a buzzard - this day would have been perfect for a study in size comparison! - and, at the other end of the spectrum our tiniest bird, a baby goldcrest in the pines.
009 WTE by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
010 WTE blurry with white tail by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
024 Buzzard on a post by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
025 Worlds tattiest buzzard by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
028 Baby goldcrest by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr (super-cute!!
)
Another constant companion of the day was this crane boat on the loch. It didn't seem to be doing much and had barely gone any distance by the time I was walking back. Weird.
029 Crane boat on Little Loch Broom by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Although not a part of my original plans at all, this was a really interesting day, noseying into Scoraig's long-established off-grid lifestyle. Duck eggs for sale here, logs for sale there, and a croft for sale too... Tempted?
013 Duck eggs for sale - pre-beer by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
031 Logs for sale by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
017 Croft for sale by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
One of the wind turbines at the south end of the village was sporting a flag of Europe (... just sayin').
033 Hugh Piggott wind turbine by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
And cold water was being piped from springs.
035 Pond with pipe by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Signs of past crofting snuggled up alongside modern set-ups.
015 Old croft building by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
022 Updated old croft by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
023 Modern house by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
All around, there was just a really great feel to the place.
037 Cafe protocol by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
I stopped at the Lighthouse, looked inside where there's a good summary of the community's history and resources (wind, stone, wood) and also an intriguing board about the resident violin/viola-maker. In the grass outside were whale bones, and a carved, curved seat offered up words of wisdom.
038 The lighthouse by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
040 About the lighthouse on Cailleach Head by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
056 Inside the lighthouse by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
058 Geology of Cailleach Head by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
065 Violin making by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
068 Transporting stuff by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
069 Donations box and lizard by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr (I did.)
054 Whale bones by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
041 Decorated seat by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
047 Legend 6 - honest by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
052 Legend 11 by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
It's a gentle pace out here, (aside from the hard work that goes with crofting that is). This was a Tuesday. The next post collection was in three days' time.
071 Post collected Friday - this is Tuesday by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
The boatyard is clearly something of a hub for Scoraig, although folk seem to have their own launching places too. And as I walked back out, after my nosey, past a shepherdess feeding a lamb from a baby's milk-bottle, the duck-egg seller had received a delivery of beer. So that's all right then. Vegan beer too
081 Boatyard by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
077 Launching site by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
101 Beer delivery for duck eggs seller by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
No raptors on the way back, but a delightful pair of stonechats (here's the male), gulls, waterfalls and what I think are just soggy dandelions but they look amazing.
103 Stonechatting by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
106 Waterfall by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
107 Wet dandelions by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
As I returned, I found about three viable ways up Beinn Ghobhlach, not that I could see much as I looked up. Still, might make a grand walk for another time. Then it was back to Ullapool YHA to cook up some scran and chat with my footsore room-mate who was taking a break from her WHW adventure.
Day 6: Quinag abort - more CALL volunteering and Ullapool Museum insteadAnother heavy-clag day, and since I've already walked Quinag on a heavy-clag day, it was pointless going for a repeat performance today. CALL were wanting vols to do some path-clearing at Glencanisp Lodge, so even though it was out of the way, I answered the CALL call, then visited Ullapool Museum since I've never had time before. As with
Cheviot in Part 1 of this WR, loads of interesting stuff to think about - but here's not the place.
006 Neil and I finishing our stretch CALL photo by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Day 7: Beinn More Assynt South Top & Glen OykelThis was to be my last day in Assynt. A couple of years ago, on BMA's north top, I'd been admiring the view of the ridge to the South Top as well as finding the Glen Oykel valley filled on and off with cloud and so mostly out of sight. I've been wanting to come at it from the other side since then.
[2 x Aug 2017 pics:]
010h Rock ridge and clouds - lovely by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
010a Ben More Assynt summit - dramatic cloud by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
As I drove along the road, before my left turn into the Benmore Lodge track where I'd leave the car, I saw a black grouse. Rubbish photo - (stay still, dammit
). Possibly the first black grouse I've seen - can't remember.
001 Blurry black grouse A837 by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Anyway, back to the walk: booted up, I set off along the track to Benmore Lodge, just after which I met a Geordie (ahem - or thereabouts) fella with a huge rucksack, doing the CWT. We kept company for about ten minutes, in easy chat about the difference in miles you cover in the Peak District compared to Scotland (him), about route-finding, about the soaking of the day before, and about midges this morning. When we crossed the little wooden bridge our paths diverged, his north and mine east.
083 Path-split Bridge and look back to Sail an Ruathair by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr [Caption saying 'back' is because I took this pic on the walk out.]
My path quickly deteriorated as the river was too deep and fast-flowing to re-cross to where the path continued. No matter - I was more than happy without a path (usually am), and anyway it crosses back further on. So I marched through the wild ground with a very happy heart, found live deer and less live deer, and when the bridge that brings back the path appeared, I stopped for a snack and a drink.
013 Hydro-free River Oykel by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
014 Red deer hind on Sail an Ruathair by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
019 Top of skull - male by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
022 Coffee stop just north of re-joining bridge by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
The two hills to my left, Black Rock and then Sail an Rhuathair, and the sounds, first of River Oykel rushing, then of the Allt Sail an Rhuathir tumbling and babbling, had been my new companions for this stretch. Finally the ground rose, and as I swung left to ascend Meall an Aonich up its broad grassy shoulder, I could see Ben Hee and the other hills to the north and east, most of which I was struggling to identify.
026 SE shoulder of Meall an Aonaich by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
030 Ground beetle by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
031 Cairn on Meall an Aonaich by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Golden plover were calling and occasionally flitting past, and then came the distinctive wind-up croak of ptarmigan as I walked in the sun through the grass and quartzite...
032 Grassy lanes between quartzite boulder fields by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
033 Ptarmigan by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Up at Eagle Rock I paused for a look at Breabag and thought about a coffee. In reality the wind was too strong, so I put the flask away and decided to wait til there was a bit more shelter down in the bealach.
036 Picnic at Eagle Rock - Braebag with corrie - Canisp behind by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
037 Up to BMA South tops and Conival - Quinag invisible by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr [Actually, Quinag is faintly visible...]
038 Back to Sail an Ruathair - Black Rock - Loch Ailsh by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Looking down to the east, as I rose up Carn nan Conbhairean, the terraces in the hillside were becoming more obvious.
039 Loch Carn nan Conbhairean down on right - East by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
040 Looking back up to Eagle Rock by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
041 Buttercup path up Carn nan Conbhairean by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
And then I hit clag.
042 And cloud from here on up by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
I carried on up to the top of Carn nan Conbhairean but didn't bother with the South Top. Instead I dashed back down to get my views back. They're what I'd come for. The tops weren't shrugging off the clag, so the ridge view I'd wanted from this angle weren't happening.
My descent brought me above Dubh Loch Mor and under the south ridge, with cloud filling its troughs and gullies. The view of the ridge was impressive from here, I liked it a lot!
043 Ben More Assynt South top and ridge to North Top by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Across the way Breabag was looking very handsome, and I imagined CWT-guy looking up at these quartz shenanigans too as he plodded along with his heavy pack. He'd said to wave from the top of BMA, but even if I'd gone to the top, who waves in a cloud?
044 Breabag Tarsainn by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
045 Breabag to Breabag Tarsainn by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
I loved Garbh Choire. It's one of those things when you're up on a summit, and you know from the map there's a corrie below, you can't necessarily imagine (or you don't generally bother) what the atmosphere's like in the corrie beneath your feet. I certainly didn't from the top of BMA 20 months previously. But today, looking over to the corrie from down here, just south of it, I was loving its darkness, its secrecy and its drama.
046 Garbh Choire with Quinag behind by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
049 Garbh Choire pano by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
I was also really enjoying this view of Breabag's wonderful folds and contortions. It reminded me of one of the photos from allangilly's superb WR on Arkle and Meall Horn (
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89528).
050 Breabag - folds like Arkle by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
So now, down on the west side to drop back to Glen Oykel, which just involved a bit of careful navigation to find the one good gap between all the otherwise steep drops.
051 Glen Oykel by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
A hind was munching on the grass in my path, so I waited til she sensed me, and then carried on once she'd sauntered off. When I got to the point where she'd been grazing, for some reason a tiny little mud-cave, about the size of my boot, caught my eye. In it was a bird-poo, a white one, not a grouse one, and I was peering to see if I could see any footprints when a little froglet crawled up out of the grass beneath.
055 Froglet and poo line by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
He was very entertaining. He clambered on up, and settled for a moment on the bird-poo. As you do?
057 OK - froglet on poo by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Then on he went, and he just sat, peering, looking awe-struck, into the massive mud-cave (massive if you're a froglet).
058 Froglet arrives in cave by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
I put my hand down, and he crawled into it, so I picked him up and we had a froglet-y-human peer at each other, then I put him back down but on the grass so he could hide. He didn't want to go back there, and only crawled out of my hand when I put him back in his mud-cave, where he turned and peered into it again. So I left him there.
And I hope the massive-poo-bird didn't come back and eat him...
061 Froglet zoom by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr [Stay alive, wee man.]
064 Looking back up descent by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Then it was just a leisurely long walk back above and then beside the River Oykel.
065 Path back south by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
068 Crossing the waterfall by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Above me I heard a mobbing, looked up and there was an osprey - possibly one of the Loch Shin ones.
070 Osprey being mobbed by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
073 Osprey silhouette by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
077 Butterwort in flower by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
078 Another butterwort with midge by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
(That's what we like to see...)
084 Salmon-friendly cross-river fence by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
086 Fishing boats on Loch Ailsh by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
090 Cuckooflower or ladys smock by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Day 9: Isle of MayOn the way back south, a puffintastic day on the Isle of May
059 Puffirotti by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
022 Tern in flight with sand eel by
Emma Kendon, on Flickr
etc.... - and home.