John Davidson, author and journalist, shares his love of the great outdoors from Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland
These two fine Munros in the Fannichs made a superb winter outing on Saturday. Peter and I had seen the ridge leading up Sgurr nan Clach Geala on a previous outing in these hills with Meg a few years back, and it looked dramatic enough in summer.
Continue reading ‘Sgurr nan Clach Geala and Sgurr nan Each’
This picture seems to have gone down well – see this week’s Active Outdoors to find out where it is and follow the great walk to get there!
Continue reading ‘A new year – time for new adventures!’
Click to see more photos in the gallery
What a weekend we had in Wester Ross! Peter was down to his last three Munros, and two were in the remote Fisherfield Forest – an 11-mile trek to the start of the climb from the nearest village, Poolewe.
Continue reading ‘Ruadh Stac Mor and A’ Mhaighdean’
Posted from Achnasheen, Scotland, United Kingdom.
I’ve never been on a mountain with so many people on it! To be honest, I was glad to get off the top of Ben Nevis and head down to the CMD Arete for the bit of the day we’d really come for – the scramble between the Ben and Carn Mor Dearg.
Continue reading ‘Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg via the CMD Arete’
Posted from Fort William, Scotland, United Kingdom.
On the Saturday we ventured up Beinn Sgritheall from its more dramatic north side, which has a much less demanding gradient than the roadside route from Arnisdale. We had a beautiful clear day – before all the snow arrived this week – so enjoyed views from the summit over the Knoydart and to the Cuillin ridge on Skye.
We walked in and out to the bothy in the pitch dark, so I’ve no idea what the route through the forest from Moyle looks like. We struggled to find the bothy late on the Friday night when we arrived, in fact. In hindsight, we should have taken a bearing from the bridge where you emerge from the forest, but thankfully there’s a wall which we followed round until we found our beds for the night.
There was no-one else there that weekend, and we found the bothy well looked after and in excellent condition. It even had some candles and firewood and coal waiting to be used. It was a cold night outside but I slept well in my down sleeping bag, and that was without us lighting the fire.
After doing Ben Sgritheall, we headed to Skye on the Sunday, to do another long walk (around 10 miles) around Elgol and above the cliffs from Camasunary.
In the lodge, we had the company of a chap who was cycling around Scotland for three months and climbing Munros as he went. And he was 60! Happy retirement – I hope I’m doing something like that when I’m 60.
I love combining a bike ride with a mountain outing, even if it’s just for a few short miles. Starting from Inverlael near Ullapool, you get get quite a way into Gleann ns Squaib on two wheels.
That’s exactly what Meg, Peter and myself did when we did a round of three Munros, Beinn Dearg, Meall nan Ceapraichaen and Eldidh nan Clach Geala. We’d planned to add Cona Mheall to our route as well but decided to skip it, and we’ve still not got back up there yet, despite at least one attempt since!
The full route is described in the latest TGO magazine – that’s the December 2010 edition.
Now I’m looking forward to some more winter trips in the Scottish mountains. I just hope this wind will calm down soon, as we’ve got an interesting bothying trip planned for the weekend…
I’ve been out in the Fannichs today, going up two Munros – An Coileachan and Meall Gorm – from the Lochluichart road. We took the bikes up the access road for Fannich Lodge and walked from a couple of miles before there, heading up around the incredible Garbh Choire Mor onto the ridge.
John on Meall Gorm, with Sgurr Mor in the background (centre)
The tops stayed clear for us and we enjoyed some magical views of Slioch, Sgurr Mhor, Ben Wyvis and many more!
Once down at Fannich Lodge, it was a couple of miles along the tarmac track back to the bikes, then a superb descent of around 5 miles back to the road. What a fantastic day!
The road is really quiet, as the number of cars allowed down there each day is restricted, so it’s perfect cycling country. The views, even with the cloud this low, were magnificent, so they must be amazing on a clear day.
You can just about spy the very tops of the Fannichs from my office window – on a clear day – so it’s great to get out and about for a walk there.
A fantastic route is from the Loch Droma dam on the Inverness-Ullapool road, taking in Meall a’ Chrasgaidh, Sgurr Mor and Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich. I’ve written about this in the November 2010 issue of TGO Magazine, so pick up a copy in the shops now!
The weather’s looking ok the next few days but, as I’ll be stuck in the office, I’ll have to settle for staring out of the kitchen window for a glimpse of these magnificent mountains… for now, at least!
Weather like this may be pretty rare on Skye but when it happens you have to make the most of it, and we certainly did that here!
This is a route that is straightforward for walkers, and any scrambling is optional, yet you still get to bag a Munro on Britain’s most awe-inspiring ridge.
Pick up a copy of the October 2010 edition of TGO to read more about this fantastic route.
John Davidson's Guide to Walking and Cycling in Inverness and the Highlands
See links here for other ways to buy...
I'm a journalist in Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland who specialises in the great outdoors - including walking, cycling and mountaineering. I write a regular Active Outdoors feature for the Inverness Courier as well as contributing to other publications, including leading hillwalking magazine TGO.
Active Outdoors
