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Having enjoyed two weekends of long multi-Munro walks I hoped for another Saturday epic. Unfortunately with the weather rather unsettled we had to change our plans and opt for something quick and easy. Luckily, we discovered a hill that's very much worth climbing as it is a splendid viewpoint. We both absolutely loved this short jaunt and I'd like to recommend it to anyone with a few hours to spare
So today's story is about Beinn Enaiglair, a rather neglected Corbett rising in the shadow of the big Beinn Dearg group near Ullapool. I guess few people can be bothered to climb this mountain which is a shame as the approach presents no technical problems and a relatively fit person can reach the top in about 2-2.5 hours. SMC Guide suggests a circular walk around the hill and it would be a good idea for turning this route into a longer trip - but what we wanted was a quickie
We left the car at a large car park at Braemore junction. There is a private track through the forest, but unfortunately the gate is locked and there's no access to the hills this way. A couple of signposts directed us to another small gate and after crossing it we found ourselves on the open moorland.
The path is easy to find almost all the way though it is narrow and quite wet. With all the compliments that can be said about Beinn Enaiglair, there is one disadvantage of this hill: it is a very wet place. Nevertheless, if you can put up with constant maneuvering between boggy patches and annoying splash-splash sound with almost every step you take - you found your perfect spot
Views around are nice even on lower ground, the tops of mighty An Teallach and the Fannichs can be seen all the way up:
After about 2 km of walking on a boggy path, we reached the shores of Home Loch:
An Teallach and Home Loch:
Just past the loch we crossed a small metal bridge and joined a wider track, which soon became a narrow path again, turning north along a small stream towards the bealach between Beinn Enaiglair and a neighbouring Graham, Meall Doire Faid.
The bridge and Home Loch from the north:
View to the bealach:
By the stream we met a unicorn
... and his large family:
The path now climbed north to the col and from higher ground we could see even more:
The stream flows in a natural gorge and at some point there's a nice waterfall:
The path is hard to spot in the pictures but believe me, it is there somewhere!
The narrow col between the two hills is scattered with large rocks and the slopes of Beinn Enaiglair look painfully steep... But it's just an impression and there's nothing to be afraid of...
With An Teallach still in sight, I wandered how good the views will be from the summit:
We walked on the path through the bealach up to its highest point which is by a tiny lochan (a big puddle?), then we tackled the steep side of our target Corbett. As we climbed, two more bigger lochans revealed themselves:
Tackling the steep slope:
Views to the east:
And a glimpse to the west:
An Teallach still there:
Stony slopes:
It didn't take us much time to get close to the summit. It was still wet in places but we didn't really care about a bit of bog as we had a much bigger problem: the little black blood-sucking army!
We could now see Loch Glascarnoch in the distance:
The Fannichs:
Eventually we reached the summit where we were welcome by Beinn Dearg in a very dark mood:
Simply stunned! As I looked around, I forgot even about the army of midges:
The views from this Corbett are breathtaking. Even when framed in dark shadows, this landscape is magical...
Ullapool and Loch Broom:
The summit cairn and AnTeallach:
Distant Torridon:
My 27th Corbett ticked! Still a lot to do!
Meow! Wish I could stay here for a bit longer...
Another multi-Munro walk awaiting - the Beinn Dearg four!
Clouds were approaching from the south-east but the western side still looked clear:
Here they come!
Assynt hills - Suilven hidden behind Cul Mor:
Ben More Coigach looking like a knife edge:
Stac Pollaidh:
Mighty An Teallach:
The best views were towards Loch Broom, with moody clouds slowly coming in:
Kevin spent some time clicking pictures in all direction and eventually he managed to decipher the panoramic photo function. It resulted in these two panos:
We had some snacks and stared at the amazing views for about half an hour. We paid for this with dozens of midge bites, but it was still well worth it! Eventually we returned down to the bealach and continued down along the wet path. On the way down we had a close encounter with a suspiciously-looking fella:
Dark clouds were now almost everywhere although An Teallach still enjoyed some sunshine:
Back by Home Loch:
So, to sum up: this hill would do with a bit more advertising! An enjoyable, easy route (I assume it would be a good one for a winter walk), fantastic views, only about 700m of ascent, no scrambling involved. If you decide to follow our footsteps, remember to wear waterproof boots and take midge repellent
