Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Munro 2007 - Day 36: 24th May
Waterfall
Loch Hourn
Waterfall
Loch Hourn
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Thursday 24th May
East Top, Beinn Sgritheall 906m
Beinn Sgritheall 974 m NG 83590 12670 (Munro 56)
N top, Beinn Sgritheall 928 m (Munro Top 32)
Distance: 9.9 km
Ascent: 1230m
Time: 5:10 hours
Parking: Arnisdale. NG 84170 10490
Weather: The weather forecast continued to be bad (and there was a bank holiday
weekend coming up!) The cloud was down low over the mountains. It was still very windy
and the morning rain gave way to drizzle and showers in the afternoon.
Personal notes: It was raining steadily in the morning and I ha a lie in and waited for the
Five Sisters Restaurant to open for breakfast at 9am.
After breakfast I drove round to Arnisdale on Loch Hourn. I could barely see the 2 km
across the loch.
It was a little brighter by 1:30pm and I could now see across the loch, but the cloud was
still low over the mountains. The steady rain had given way to light drizzle. I set off at
about 1:45pm.
I reached the cloudbase at about 200m. There was a sudden clearance at 600m on the
descent with better weather coming in from the west. I could see clear weather over Skye.
I was back at the van van at about 7:15pm.
The route: The route is signed from Arnisdale and you should follow the rough boggy path
to Bealach Arnisdale. Water was running in sheets down the mountainside. From Bealach
Arnisdale there is a steep ascent to the East Top, Beinn Sgritheall, before the descent to a
col and the final ascent of a surprisingly knife-edge ridge to Beinn Sgritheall. In thick
mist great care is needed for the navigation to the North Top, first NE then NW. I had
intended to return down the west ridge of Beinn Sgritheall, but in the poor weather I
returned by my ascent route. In these difficult conditions care is needed to descend safely
down the steep eroded path from the East Top to Bealach Arnisdale.
Nature notes: There were 6 male Goosander swimming and diving on Loch Duich. Their
impressive new breeding plumage looked black and white in the poor light.
A Robin and chick were feeding down around the seaweed on the beach. It s only in
England that the Robin is associated with gardens. Elsewhere in Europe it is a wild bird.
There was a herd of about 70 Red Deer on the lower slopes of Beinn Sgritheall.
Sandaig:
Gavin Maxwell’s “Ring of Bright Water” was based on his keeping of an otter at
Sandaig on the Sound of Sleat at the entrance to Loch Hourn.
Book: “The Remorseful Day” by Colin Dexter
Overnight: Overlooking Eilean Rarsaidh on Loch Hourn
East Top, Beinn Sgritheall 906m
Beinn Sgritheall 974 m NG 83590 12670 (Munro 56)
N top, Beinn Sgritheall 928 m (Munro Top 32)
Distance: 9.9 km
Ascent: 1230m
Time: 5:10 hours
Parking: Arnisdale. NG 84170 10490
Weather: The weather forecast continued to be bad (and there was a bank holiday
weekend coming up!) The cloud was down low over the mountains. It was still very windy
and the morning rain gave way to drizzle and showers in the afternoon.
Personal notes: It was raining steadily in the morning and I ha a lie in and waited for the
Five Sisters Restaurant to open for breakfast at 9am.
After breakfast I drove round to Arnisdale on Loch Hourn. I could barely see the 2 km
across the loch.
It was a little brighter by 1:30pm and I could now see across the loch, but the cloud was
still low over the mountains. The steady rain had given way to light drizzle. I set off at
about 1:45pm.
I reached the cloudbase at about 200m. There was a sudden clearance at 600m on the
descent with better weather coming in from the west. I could see clear weather over Skye.
I was back at the van van at about 7:15pm.
The route: The route is signed from Arnisdale and you should follow the rough boggy path
to Bealach Arnisdale. Water was running in sheets down the mountainside. From Bealach
Arnisdale there is a steep ascent to the East Top, Beinn Sgritheall, before the descent to a
col and the final ascent of a surprisingly knife-edge ridge to Beinn Sgritheall. In thick
mist great care is needed for the navigation to the North Top, first NE then NW. I had
intended to return down the west ridge of Beinn Sgritheall, but in the poor weather I
returned by my ascent route. In these difficult conditions care is needed to descend safely
down the steep eroded path from the East Top to Bealach Arnisdale.
Nature notes: There were 6 male Goosander swimming and diving on Loch Duich. Their
impressive new breeding plumage looked black and white in the poor light.
A Robin and chick were feeding down around the seaweed on the beach. It s only in
England that the Robin is associated with gardens. Elsewhere in Europe it is a wild bird.
There was a herd of about 70 Red Deer on the lower slopes of Beinn Sgritheall.
Sandaig:
Gavin Maxwell’s “Ring of Bright Water” was based on his keeping of an otter at
Sandaig on the Sound of Sleat at the entrance to Loch Hourn.
Book: “The Remorseful Day” by Colin Dexter
Overnight: Overlooking Eilean Rarsaidh on Loch Hourn