A WALK to reach two remote Highland mountains was always going to be a long outing. But when my friend Cath and I reached a crux point at a river crossing, we realised it was going to be a much bigger undertaking.
Our plan, mapped as accurately as we could before setting off from Loch Ossian Youth Hostel on the Corrour Estate to the summits of Creag Ghuanach and Beinn na Cloiche, had revealed a route of around 25km (16 miles) close to 1219m (4,000ft) of ascent. At first, we followed a pleasingly easy-going Land Rover track that undulated and descended west and then north-westerly. The morning was bright and patches of blue sky gave us hope that the dry forecast would be correct.
To our left, the wide ridge of Leum Uilleim, a mountain that features on Scotland's list of 222 Corbetts, loomed lonely but majestic amid a vast moorland of grass and heather. Behind us, we looked up at the Munro, Beinn na Lap, one of 282 Scottish mountains with a height of more than 914m (3,000ft).
Ahead, we glimpsed a long, narrow stretch of freshwater, Loch Treig, which glimmered in the weak sun. The track led us along the southern shore of the loch, skirting to the north of two rocky lumps of land before crossing a wooden bridge over a river, Abhainn Rath.
It was a river that we would be paying close attention to as we began the climb of Creag Ghuanach.
Leaving behind an obvious path along Abhainn Rath, which eventually takes walkers to Fort William or the village of Kinlochleven in the west, we zig-zagged steeply uphill on rough terrain, carefully picking a route between crags and over grass, moss and bracken.
We were grateful to be sheltered for the time being from a northerly wind we could hear over the mountain.
Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Bliss Of A Bothy
After a strenuous walk, a mountain shelter can offer all you need
The Long Way Round
When you can only just see the stepping stones under a river in spate, it's time to re-think the route, as two Highland adventurers found out
The New Oyster Cult
A community is helping to restore the once rich biodiversity of Loch Craignish, one species at a time
A Poet's Sanctuary
Hidden on a hilltop, writer Dominic Cooper is inspired by the wild, stormy winters of the Ardnamurchan peninsula
A Rural Housing Crisis
Across Scotland, locals are being priced out and crowded out - but communities are now working hard to address the issue
A Historic Centre
Glasgow's Mercat Cross may not be as old as it appears but it's still seen many changes, along with an ebb and flow in prosperity
A Bird With A Brain
Jim's encounters with the raven in several northern countries have only increased his respect for its intellect and ingenuity
The Warrior King
On the 750th anniversary of his birth, Robert The Bruce's legacy as cultural keystone and historical enigma continues to fascinate
All Going Swimmingly
From Tutti Frutti to Shetland, Monarch Of The Glen to Granite Harbour, Dawn Steele's heart will always be in Scotland - and the sea
Following The Coos
The latest charity art trail aims to a-moos-e and delight visitors to Perth and Kinross this summer