This was a delightful walk into the rough country of North Morar undertaken with my wife and 5-year old daughter on a mild- though windy- day in late September. For those seeking a little solitude (we did not see another human being beyond Loch an Nostarie)- this walk does the job. Despite only being 6 miles, it is a good wee workout and my wife and I always comment when walking in this area- and the North West Highlands in general- that the miles seems longer and harder than elsewhere in Scotland. Clearly, nothing to do with age.....

We did have a right old laugh at the unutterable bogginess of it all though. A Walk Highlands Bog Factor IV walk should never be sniffed at and the "path" between Loch an Nostarie to Eireagoraidh itself did not disappoint. We decided we'd grade it a Bog Factor 8 or 10 actually. It possessed a disconcerting combination of 'Saddleworth Moor'- type expanses of peat on the one hand, which morphed suddenly into the type of bog found only in the Scottish Highlands in which you tentatively dangle the merest toe over the innocuous-looking foliage only for your entire legs and torso to be snatched into the thing as if in the grip of some demonic subterranean power. Quite often, the water is unexpectedly warm and, once immersed, you have the consolation prize of all the day's mud being washed clean off- an experience markedly less frightening provided you have a friend to pull you out. On the day we were there though, it was mostly the thick, dark peaty type of peat though. Upon examining the breeches the following day, there was a golden, sparkly deposit all over them- we wondered whether this was actually gold or, more likely, some other mineral...

Anyway, back to the walk itself. I wish there were other user reports from others who could have shared the sheer joy of arriving at what can only be described as Scotland's only 'horizon loch'- such is the topography of the path's approach up to the rim of the loch. {SPOILER ALERT} If you've not studied the OS map closely beforehand, you might expect to look down on the loch; however the path takes you up and your first glimpse of it is on an eye level basis!! Totally bizarre and has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

An excellent day out in the hills and another rite of passage for my poor little 5-yr old girl to be put through, at one point literally having to be thrown from dad to mum to avoid full immersion in a Bog Factor 4. She loved it really...!!

Cheers,
Nick