Sutherland Road Trip

I've lived in Scotland for 9 years, and although I'm definitely not a native, I certainly don't miss my southern roots all that much.  Its hard to imagine a time when I might choose to base myself south of the border again- nature is extravagant and regal here, the hills are empty and quiet as soon as you leave the beaten track.  I feel as though I could spend my entire life exploring this wild country, and only scratch the surface. However, until last weekend there was something specific that I missed about "down south"... something that felt irreplaceable and lost for ever in the move North....  I have periodically longed for the relaxed combination of sandy coves, rock climbing, surfing and rolling hills that I thought only Pembrokeshire in the West of Wales could provide.

Oldshoremore Bay, Sutherland

I was wrong. I've been to Sutherland before, on a different journey that encompassed the hills and the wide sweeping landscapes for which the "empty lands" are famous.  On this occasion however the hills were swathed in storms and gales, and so we naturally focused our attention on the coasts.  Dodging showers and blustery winds, we found plenty of our own fun, bouldering in secret bays and surfing empty breaks. This was a beach holiday just like my long weekends of ancient past.  Surf, weather and rock, with mugs of hot chocolate and drams of fiery whisky to warm us after getting soaked on the beach. Not exactly like Pembrokeshire, but similar, and better, because between the cloudbursts, the skies might clear, to reveal Sutherland's other side, magestic peaks, marching over the empty flow country, like giant dinosaurs in the desert.

We began our adventure at Brora on the east coast.  Home of Clynelish distillery and a quiet windswept beach behind the links golf course. We braved the north sea surf for the first time and found it warmer than expected. From here we headed to Scourie and a deserted campsite to get a wash and some mod cons.  The following day we watched showers blast along the coast, cheering as they kept on missing us and we explored the empty beaches and headlands beyond Kinlochbervie.  There is unlimited bouldering potential here, at every grade.

Boogie board at Brora

Wally catches a wave

Scourie sunset

Bouldering on the beach at Oldshoremore

Taking in the view after an evening bouldering at Droman Pier. 

We found a secluded spot for the van that evening, cracked open the Clynelish, and sat on the slipway at the water's edge swaddled in primaloft while a salty gale blew in. The van was battered all night by the wind but we slept soundly in our whisky haze.  The following morning the weather was barely better.  We set off for the famous Sandwood bay, and were blown across 7km of moorland on the approach, the bouldering mat acting as a sail. The beach is worth the walk.  If you are lucky enough to visit, don't be one of the sad-sacks who slogs over the hill, takes a few pictures and leaves.  The true nature of the place takes a while to sink in.  We spent a few hours there running among the dunes and crags, splashing in the sea and leaping in to the sand. We nearly lost the bouldering mat, which cartwheeled across the beach before the wind.   Next time we will bring a rope as the climbing looks fabulous.  The rock is a strange glassy gneiss that is absolutely bomproof and gorgeous to the touch.  It looks permanently wet- making it harder to spot the places where it genuinely does seep...

The long walk in to Sandwood Bay

Perfect sandy landings at Sandwood.

Sandwood Bay

Strathy Bay surf

On our final day, we returned to the waves, this time on the north coast, surfing in the rain at Strathy. Autumn has many gifts but most people don't include the weather, unless they like water!

Sutherland Adventure Part 3: All roads lead to Quinag

When I began this adventure, I had originally planned to follow the rough route of Cameron McNeish's Sutherland Trail, traveling on foot and carrying all my gear. This plan was quickly ditched at Tongue when my bus failed to arrive, for an easier and lazier one that began in Lochinver, and gently working my way north by car.  Driving south from Tongue to my start point of Lochinver took me through some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen.  New to the country, I hadn't a clue what I was looking at, but one view made me screech to a halt in admiration.  My picture above doesn't do it justice, And I could only cram two of the three summits into my viewfinder, but it is the only one I have from the northern perspective.

Later on the trip, I was to see this mini mountain range from more angles, and each time it would intrigue me further. It seemed to change its nature depending on where I was. The view on the left is from the hills behind Suileag Bothy, and the mountain forms a long undulating ridge on the skyline. 

From Inchnadamph, Quinag (meaning milk pail) towers over Loch Assynt (right), and the horn like peak of Spidean Coinich makes the mountain seem a different shape again.

But it is from close up that this mountain really gets interesting.  And even though I had never heard of it before I came to Sutherland, it turned out to be one of the best days out I have ever had.

I began my approach from a carpark at the top of the hill between Loch Assynt and Kylesku. From here it was an easy walk up the shoulder of Spidean Coineach (Mossy Peak, 764m). This is the first of three summits, and many minor tops, that form the mini mountain range of Quinag.  As I climbed,  the bog soon gave way to gorgeous slabs of  Torridonian Sandstone and little blue lochans.

From the summit of Spidean Coineach there were stunning views south to Suilven. I disturbed a ring ouzel from the rocks near the summit, which was an exciting first for me- in all my years of walking the hills I have never seen one of these special upland birds.

From this first summit, it was a rollercoaster ride along a series of humps, bumps and switchbacks along the main spine of the ridge to reach my second objective of the day, Sail Ghorm (Blue Heel, 776m) which lay at the other end of the ridge.

Looking back along the ridge Spidean Coinich was showing its dramatic side!

Looking back along the ridge from Sail Ghorm towards Spidean Coineach:

The ridge itself is shaped like a giant capital E, with the two smaller summits along the spine of the letter, but the main summit of Sail Garbh (Rough Heel 808m) forming a great whaleback along the central ridge and jutting out between two dramatic corries. The picture below shows the Corrie between Sail Garbh and Spidean Coinich.

After reaching the summit of Sail Ghorm, I returned back along the ridge to the centre of the "E", to go to the final summit, Sail Garbh. I have just noticed that Suilven is in the background to this picture taken from the summit... That mountain gets everywhere!

From here it was possibe to retrace my steps a short way and then descend in to the corrie below Spidean Coineach and walk out on a good stalkers path to the carpark.

Before I got to the car however, I stopped to relax by the lochan below the bealach for a while.  It was a warm day and I was soon fast asleep on the flat top of a rough sandstone boulder. I woke up to find that the wind had dropped and the midges feasting.  I'm still paying for this decadence in midge bites!
This pretty much rounds up what was a fantastic trip.  I had never been to Sutherland before, but I'm sure that this the start of a long love affair with a landscape that is full of wonders.

Sutherland Adventure Part 2: Karst Country

I arrived in Inchnadamph in late afternoon after a long hot walk out from Suilven back to Lochinver. I had booked myself in to Inchnadamph Lodge and was looking forward to a proper bed for the first time in a couple of nights. I was also very excited to have arrived at the location of the famous Bone Caves, where not only have 4500 year old human burials been found, but also the remains of a polar bear, radiocarbon dated to almost 19,000 years ago when Scotland was in the grip of the last ice age. The caves have yielded a remarkable array of fossil bones spanning the last 45,000 years.  Other mammals found at the site include reindeer, arctic fox, and lemmings, painting a picture of a landscape much colder than today.

I quickly ate my supper, and headed straight back out again, hoping to reach the bone caves before dark. The area around Inchnadamph is unusual as is primarily made up of limestone- a type of landscape geologists call "karst".  Numerous long, complex cave systems and underground watercourses have wound their way under the mountains and as I walked up Allt nan Uamh Glen I saw the first of many wonders that this landscape would reveal. Before me, where the path would go, a river rose up fully formed from the ground.  There was no visible exit for the water, and although the geological reasons for this are well understood- it appears like a miracle. 

Above the path, a tiny trickle washes down the rocks, below it, a rushing river!

Magic!

 The bone caves are further up the glen on the right as you walk up hill. 

A circular walk around the Glen leads up and past the caves.

The next morning I took a track behind the cottage in Inchnadamph that climbs the Gleann Dubh up to Conival (987m). At the head of the glen, a boggy path turns left up to the bealach between Conival and Beinn an Fhurain.  It was a still and overcast day, and the midges were ferociously hungry, so it didn't take me long to reach the bealach- I didn't stop for long!

Gleann Dubh (The black Glen).

Even on the ridge there was little respite from the biting beasties, but there were some fantastic views to be had, and I quickly made my way along the frost shattered scree slopes to the summit of Conival.  From here is was a short hop and a skip along the ridge to Ben More Assynt, at 998m, my second Munro of the day.

Looking Northeast towards Beinn an Fhurain.

Frost shattered rock on the summit of Conival

Looking towards Ben More Assynt from Conival. 

The return to sea level was more or less by the same route, but at the exit from Gleann Dubh I took a short detour to visit the Tralligil Caves. These caves form the entrance to a vast cave system, and here I was able to witness the river plunging in to the ground, emerging- who knows where?!

The lowest cave- with the river rushing in to it. 

700m upstream, there are more caves, and water can be heard and sometimes seen rushing through them.

It is possible to safely enter one of the caves.  The mountain framed is Quinag.

After exploring the caves I returned to the lodge. I was incredibly tired and midge bitten, but happy from another brilliant day.  I was also excited about my plans for the following day, when I was going to climb a mountain called Quinag, which I had never heard of before I came to Sutherland.  The shapely form of Quinag was visible from Suilven, Conival and Ben More Assynt, and was so strikingly beautiful I had to go and see it close up.

Sutherland Adventure Part 1: The Pillar

I'm just back from 4 days incredible walking in Sutherland, plus an ace day climbing on Arran yesterday, so have a lot of blogging to catch up on.  I'm going to have to post this in bite sized bits as there seems to be so much that I have crammed in to the last few days. 

My original Sutherland plan, had been to roughly follow the route of the Sutherland Trail, first laid out by Cameron McNeish. My plan was scuppered early on whilst waiting for a bus at Tongue, where I had left my car, to take me to my start point Lochinver.  The bus never came. 

Plan B wasn't bad though.  I drove to Lochinver through some of the most gorgeous country I have ever seen.  Left my car in the village, and planned a 2 day walk in and around Suilven. Suilven means "The Pillar", in a mixture of Gaelic and Norse, and stands some 723 vertical metres above the sea, just like a great pillar of Torridonian Sandstone.  

The approach to Suilven (right) from Lochinver.

The weather was absolutely magnificent, and the 6 km walk to Suileag Bothy was filled with wonderful views, buzzing insects and flowers. 

Golden Ringed Dragonfly

I pitched my tent near to Suileag Bothy on the advice of estate owners, The Assynt Foundation, after contacting them to find out about stalking in the area.

Fantastic views of Suilven out of my bedroom window!

That evening I went for a wander around the surrounding moorland. I watched a blackthroated diver on a nearby lochan, and was wowed by the sheer amount of wildlife in the area, including lizards, toads, pipits, buzzards and lots of invertebrates. And everywhere there were spiders! (I guess they do well on the midges?)

The next morning dawned bright and fine.  There was a little cap of cloud on the summit of Suilven, which soon burned off. The light was wonderful, and spent a long time walking up the glen very slowly to the start of the climb, sidetracked constantly by flowers, insects and interesting things to look at.

Ling heather in full bloom in the morning light. 

Remains of a scots pine, eroding out of the peat in which it has been preserved for hundreds or even thousands of years.

 My route took me up the steep gully that leads to Bealach Mor. The path is eroded in places, and I had to pick my way to find the best route up (and down again). 

View down the gully from near the top of Bealach Mor.

I was soon on the ridge, with incredible views south across Inverpollaidh

Looking east along the ridge. 

The ridge itself is narrow and interesting.  There is some complicated scrambling to be had for a full traverse.  On this day I was cautious, and just went to the main summit Caisteal Liath, at the western end of the ridge.  This means I have an excuse to come back with Wally for a full traverse- perhaps winter?!

On the top!

After climbing Caisteal Liath, I returned by the same path, and headed back to my tent. I packed up, and instead of following my originally intended route on foot to Inchnadamph, went back to the car, to drive along the shores of Loch Assynt and arrive at Inchnadamph later that evening.
More to follow....