Beinn Sgritheall 21/6/2011

From Beinn Sgritheall 21/6/2011

I'd first been up here a good few years ago, jogging in Ron Hills and Walshes.  Somewhere about half way I remember passing some German tourists in heavy boots who looked at me like I was mad in these little fell shoes.  Nothing changes although it is now inov8's.

This time Steven met us just after 9am and we drove off to Arnisdale and we set off up the standard path.  The main idea I think was for him to check out our fitness and how we were moving...but it was also to have a bit of fun on a nice hill.  I'd always remembered the view here as being something wonderful and had always wanted to do it again anyway.

It was a nice walk up to the bealach, we caught up with a couple and passed them,  where we dumped the bags and set off up the Corbett neighbour of Beinn na h-Eaglaise, a new one for me.  It was a sharp steep pull up the side following an old set of fence posts, but it was soon over and we popped out on the top for a great view back towards Glen Shiel, round to Knoydart - pleasures to come - and out to Eigg, Rhum and Skye.  Glorious.  You'll see from the photos that it was all a bit overcast, with cloud kissing the tops at times, but there was nowhere else that I wanted to be.

We dropped back to the col, got the bags and began the climb up Sgritheall, avoiding the scree on a nice path.  A high level wander round to the summit followed,  Loch Hourn below with a boat put-put-putting across.  Stunning views, freedom and space.  So different from the pressures of work, people and elections.

We lingered for a while at the top, then it was down via the small lochan turning to drop through a thick birchwood on a path that fell down all the way to the road, emerging at a tiny cairn a few kilometres from Arnisdale.  It was a pleasant stroll back to the car, in warm sunshine, looking over the the hills of Knoydart and the rest of the week ahead.

I have so many photos from this whole trip.  You might not want to sit through them all but as usual here they are for this day as a slideshow - do you sense how much fun it was?



Back at the Glenelg Inn it was a warm bath and a great meal - fine food but big portions -  and then rushing outside for photos of a spectacular sunset over Skye.