Gulvain and Braigh nan Uamhachan

[bootsandpaddles]

I had been wanting to do Gulvain ever since I walked past it and over to Strathan when I was doing the Cape Wrath Trail 3 years ago. We parked in the layby on the A861 at its junction with the A830. Crossing back over the A830 we took the track immediately opposite past some cottages and then turned left along the track up the glen. After a couple of km you cross a bridge and can soon glimpse the roof of a cottage amongst the trees (Wauchan). The huge bulk of Gulvain looms ahead

Gulvain

but there is still a long way to go the bridge and ruined buildings at Na Socachan. We were overtaken by a couple of cyclists but we passed them a bit further on where they were having problems with a saddle that seemed to have detached itself from the bike - ouch!!
The track I had followed towards Cape Wrath turns north at the bridge but for Gulvain you carry straight on and start climbing on quite a good zigzag path. It seems a long slog up to a rocky knoll but it never gets too steep. After that the ground eases a bit and you reach a trig point.

Looking along the ridge towards the summit

Then down a bit of dip and up to the summit of Gulvain.

The Summit

We dropped our bags on the low point of the dip as we were coimng back that way. After a bite to eat we headed off down into the corrie towards Gualann nan Osna. This descent was very steep and ended in quite boggy ground over which we headed for the climb up to Braigh nan Uamhachan. Plan A had been to carry the camping gear and then drop down to Lochan a Chomhlain, spend the night there and then do Streap the next day. I'm glad we opted for Plan B! Both the descent to the lochan and the ascent up Streap Comlaidh looked fiercely steep. So we wandered along the ridge, soon accompanied by a dry stone wall

until we reached Na h-Uamhachan from which we descended to the glen, meeting the path just before the start of the forestry.

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[gaffr]

The first time that I went to Gulvain was by bike...well as far as I could reach up the track from the Loch Arkaig road.
I returned later for Uamhachan, same way as yourselves, I just had to pay another visit to Gulvain....It just seemed so welcoming from that side. I quite often find that it is enjoyable to do them from another direction and have ended doing many of the tops in this way. Originally the Corbett was to have been ascended after visiting Streap and its satellite peak but somehow it didn't happen on the day.