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This started off as a determined 10k walk to Slaggan Beach. As usual, I couldn't find the start of the walk, and decided on the alternative, (and easier to locate!) Mellon Udrigle Beach Circuit.
God only knows what I was thinking, leaving Nairn at 5:30am!! Far too early really at this time of year. Still, I'll know the next time. As it turned out, I reached my destination in almost perfect time for such a walk. A few words first about the drive down to Dundonnell and etc:
In the pitch dark on the A382, I was aware of very little of the scenery. What I was suddenly aware of, were Red Deer!!
A stag jumping out in front of you in the pitch darkness is, without doubt, an unnerving experience! And it happened more than once, although I soon got used to spotting their reflective eyes in the headlights and managed to avoid any disasters! Beautiful animals, just beautiful. As I approached Dundonnell, and the head of Little Loch Broom, I rounded a bend to be confronted by a good sized flock of sheep, just sitting sleeping in the road!
They were completely uninterested in me and my car and sort of vaguely looked up as I wound my way around them in the now near-light. Imagine my amusement then, when I came across a warning sign farther down the road, which read: "Red Squirrel Crossing"
Superb!!
The sun was just rising as I parked at the car park above Dundonnell. The idea being to capture the sunrise on the loch. Due to my impatience and desire to get on,
here's the best I could get:
![Little Loch Broom Sunrise001.jpg]()
- Little Loch Broom at Sunrise
Onward then, to my goal. But something caught my eye on the way, and it was...... Little Gruinard Beach!! I parked the car,grabbed the camera and off I went down to the perfectly gorgeous beach. With the light just about perfect now, I couldn't contain myself and snap-happiness hit me again!!
Aware that time was ticking ever on, I snapped as much as I could and left the beautiful Little Gruinard beach, only to come across the superb viewpoint further up the hill
More pictures ensued and I found it very hard to leave this astonishingly beautiful part of the coast. But, camera laden with Gruinard Beach and Bay photos, I left to find the Slaggan beach walk I had intended to complete as early as possible.
![Little Gruinard Bay03.jpg]()
- Gruinard Bay from the Viewpoint
As I stated earlier, I simply couldn't find the start point of the walk. Truth be told, I didn't really try that hard. Well, I didn't want to look suspicious lurking around at this early hour although the locals here at Achgarve, I'm sure, are used to it! Anyway, I had the directions for The Mellon Udrigle walk with me as a possible additional walk or alternative for just such an occasion, and decided to press on to said beach.
![Mellon Udrigle Beach06.jpg]()
- Mellon Udrigle Beach
I have to say that the beach here was a little disappointing after Little Gruinard, but I didn't really take the time to explore as I wanted to get on. As usual I had spent too much time taking pictures along the way, and as I wanted to get back home a little earlier this week, I needed to complete the walk. So off I set along what I think should more properly be named the
"Mellon Udrigle Beach,Coast,Hill and Bog Circuit" 
I know it sounds sarcastic, but honestly that's it in a nutshell.
Following the faint path/vehicle track, I was anticipating an easy enough trek and I wasn't disappointed. The going was a little more strenuous than I had expected, but nothing at all really. Probably the ascent to the first of a series of cairns was the hardest part as I had been originally going to be on a grade one walk and this was of course, a grade two. The scenery was superb although the sky had become a little dull by now, and I can't say I wasn't disappointed at that. The views were as one would expect from this area, Gruinard Island and the Summer Isles, Coigach and Assynt and with Stac Pollaidh and Suilven also visible in the distance, gave a feeling of being shrouded in Scotland's finest mountain landscape!
![Mellon Udrigle Walk010.jpg]()
- Superb Views
Impressive rocky outcrops are apparent as you look down toward the coastline, great slabs of craggy rocks! Under foot is not so solid though as I found out on several occasions when it was very easy to miss what was now a fairly indistinct path across the heather and peat bogs. Having said that, It was just as expected. No surprises either when the final descent landed me at the rocky beach at the Allt Loch a Choire, where I saw three grey seals basking on the rocks. I managed a few shots of them, but I was too far off, and when I ventured too near, they, of course, disappeared underwater.
![Seals012.jpg]()
- Grey Seals?
After a treacherous stumble back up the beach over seaweed strewn rocks, I came across the ruins mentioned in the guide. Nothing exciting here I thought, except more photographic opportunities of course.
Then it dawned on me that I had strayed way off the path, and the terrain was such that I couldn't really make out where that path was!! I had to, therefore, struggle across bogs to reach the well defined final approach path which took me back to Mellon Udrigle and the beach car park. It was on this final part of the path that I met the only other human beings out walking here. A middle-aged couple just setting out on the reverse to walk I'd just completed. We exchanged pleasantries and I bid them good luck as I trod back to the car, where I opened a welcome flask of tea. All in, the walk took me around an hour and a half to complete.
I feel it worth mentioning that despite the disappointment of not finding the original walk star, I thoroughly enjoyed my trudge over the Mellon Udrigle hills, and although the weather was dull during the walk, the effort was made well worth it by the sunshine and scenery I witnessed on my return journey via Little Loch Broom and Loch Glascarnoch. A couple of pictures of which are below
![Little Loch Broom010.jpg]()
- Little Loch Broom
![Loch Glascarnoch021.jpg]()
- Loch Glascarnoch
