Kintail around Bein Fada

Starting in Strath Croe we picked up the path around Beinn Bhuide at Innis a’ Chrotha.

Lots of forestry on the west side of the Strath gave way to open hillside as the track swung around eastwards and began to climb Gleann Choinneachainn. The drizzle eased and sunlight threw spots of bright colour onto the dark red bracken and glistening yellow deer grass, the clouds swirling around the corries of Sgurr a’Choire Ghairbh came and went, revealing great black/blue slabs of rock and brightly back lit mist enveloping pinnacles. The path climbed steadily to the falls and quite substantial river crossing at the meeting of Allt a Choire Ghaoil and Allt Coire an Sgairne. No bridge here and some sprightly jumping between wet and slippery boulders was required. After a steep switch-back path climbing hard and fast we entered the silence of the enclosed and dark glen leading up to the Bealach an Sgairne. Rocks had tumbled down the steep sides of the glen burying the burn which only occasionally bubbled up through mounds of acid green moss. Deer were here, sheltering from the worst of the weather and they remained remarkably unperturbed as we passed within ten feet of a hind and her two calves from this year and last. As ever the Bealach was no disappointment, we have learnt to savour our approach as the wind picks up near the crest and the first hint of the country beyond appears over the ridge. We left the steep and rugged west facing glen and crossed the watershed, the enormous Gleann Gniomhaidh opened up before us with tremendous views of snow covered Mullach Fraoch choire above Alltbeithe in the far distance. Big country this, with three lochs draining north to Glen Elchaig, it was cold and desolate but with great walking down the Strath, only marred by some anxiety as to whether there was any bridge at the major river crossing at the foot of Fionngleann. Fortunately there was and here we headed back west towards the bothy at Camban. The walk from the bealach had given plenty of time to admire the long ridge of Beinn Fada and its northern spur, while to our left Sgurr nan 

Ceathreamhnan on the northern side of the glen was plain grassy slopes at first but as we travelled further east its steep snow covered ridges came into view. A craggy wall of hills surrounds the Alltbeithe at the top of Glen Affric, through them runs the narrow An Caoran Mor directly south to Clunie and off to the south west is Fionngleann, the upper extension of Glen Affric. Only half way and the light was beginning to fade, the colours at this time are super saturated as seemingly a huge magenta filter is put in the sky, reds, oranges, yellows and golds glow at your feet and away up into the towering hills, silhouetted darkly against the clouds. Ciste Dhubh across the glen to the south of Camban was pointed and steep and the three spurs of Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg were dark and rocky with black corries hanging between them, but nothing could have prepared us for our first sight of the Five Sisters as we crossed the long low Bealach below Creag Ghlas. They rose in splendid symmetry, black and dark and tall against the pink tinged sky. Remnants of snow clung to their vertiginous northern corries from which heather covered slopes fell steeply away. Narrow glens wove between them and bright white, spate filled rivers poured along these. Our path to Glenlicht House dropped steeply into the dark valley below; a serious feat of engineering it had clearly been worked and well maintained for centuries, at one stage crossing a huge river/boulder shoot that obviously washed clean away at times. It was good news this path with its two bridges across the swollen rivers at the head of Gleann Lichd, as the light had failed almost entirely by the time we reached the Edinburgh Uni. bothy at the top of the glen. With six to eight miles still to go, we rootmarched down the landrover track towards the lights twinkling in the distant houses at Ruarach and Lienassie; the faint afterglow of the western sky reflecting in puddles helped us follow the track and finally we reached the tarmac in total darkness glad of the head torches we had taken.

James and Flick November 1998