A short but tough little walk climbing over rough, often pathless, moorland. The initial ascent can be severely hampered by bracken, so the walk is best attempted once it has died down. Despite the effort involved the rewards are substantial with amazing views from this remote hill lochan.
Bog Factor
Faint and often boggy paths and pathless moorland.
Carpark by Catacol Bridge.
Bus to Catacol.
NR909489
If approaching the carpark from the east you'll pass the Twelve Apostles, twelve almost identical houses built in the 1860s to rehouse those displaced from Glen Catacol in the Highland Clearances. A short distance after these houses the road crosses a bridge over crystal clear Abhainn Mr, and the carpark is immediately after this on the left. Leave the carpark by the obvious path at the far end, which quickly becomes grassy and somewhat overgrown as it heads through the heather and bracken with Abhainn Mòr tumbling below on the way to Catacol Bay.
Slowly ascending, the path heads through a deer gate and then drops to cross the Allt nan Eireannach via boulders before emerging at a meadow watched over by a red painted private camping barn. Head towards this building, passing it on the right and onto a narrow, wet path leading into the deciduous woodland.
The path is maintained by deer footfall rather than human, and is pretty hard to follow when the bracken is rampant. If in doubt remain parallel to the stream, though safely back from the edge of the deepening tree-lined gorge. As both the ascent and the tree-cover begins to ease, watch for a suitable place to cross the stream and step across. On the far side the path heads straight ahead to meet a more obvious path across the moorland running left to right. Turn left to remain parallel to the stream. Follow this path until a fork is reached, not far after the Allt nan Eireannach is joined by the stream flowing from Lochan a' Mhill, and take the left fork to cross via stepping stones.
On the far side follow any semblance of a track uphill adjacent to this new stream, looking for a suitable place to cross after around 300m. Continue the ascent beneath the rock face of Creagan nan Gobhar on the left, until a more obvious path appears for the final ascent to the lochan. Winding through heather, the slope angle reveals the rugged peaks of A'Chir and Caisteal Abhail gradually, before beautiful Lochan a' Mhill comes into view theatrically over the the brow of the hill. Descend to the lochside - an ideal place for a lunch break - and turn left for a short distance before heading across the heather-clad slopes of Meall nan Leac Sleamhuinn to the small summit cairn at 272m.
This is a fabulous viewpoint with Gleann Diomhan, home of the rarest tree in the UK, and Glen Catacol split by the steep slopes of Beinn Tarsuinn. Turn left to follow the ridge a short distance north before bearing slightly right to avoid the granite slabs and carefully descending along animal tracks towards the valley floor below. Cross a small stream at a suitable location, ideally quite close to the valley bottom, to reach a very wet path on the valley floor. This path leads through and around a series of boggy pools before heading through bracken to reach the meadow crossed at the beginning of the route. Cross the field, recross the stream and return to the carpark.
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