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Kintail. |
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Section 11 Section
12 |
 Tide's out, head of Loch Duich
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Kintail. |
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Section 11 Section
12 |
Tide's out, head of Loch Duich
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Am Bathach is somewhat hemmed in by higher neighbours, but gives a fine half day on a good narrow ridge. It is especially valuable as fine highway to Ciste Dhubh, a sporting alternative to the boggy glens.
The hill is a simple narrow grassy ridge with very steep sides. It is easily climbed by initially broad slopes beside a small forestry plot from the A87. The start point is the other side of a bridge from the Glen Affric walk in track, about three quarters of a mile east of the Cluanie Inn.
The Cluanie Inn seems to be a site of numerous epics, I have been carried out of the bar suffering from sunburn and heatstroke, hallucinating wildly. I have swept up the shattered petrol sign in the evil gale of Hogmanay 1983. This storm was so bad that trying to walk back to my gear in Alltbeithe , Glen Affric was near suicidal, others tried and were swept away by the flood waters. They survived being swept away, and over falls, but others elsewhere were not so lucky. We were forced to seek shelter in Sheil Bridge. After being kindly being put up by Mr Campbell, we were able to get back on the first, only to be snowed in by the next storm. A few years later at Christmas, my ascent of this hill was uneventful and I was blessed with fine winter conditions underfoot.
The New Year often brings foul weather, when it is too unpleasant, or plain stupid to tackle the Munros in this area, or if just plain hungover, wee Am Bathach could save your day.
Prominently visible to those staying at Ratagan Youth hostel this hill enjoys a certain popularity as an easy day on a Kintail holiday. This is a hill for a half day, the ascent is usually aided by a stalkers path up from Strath Croe, making it the easiest summit in Kintail, it is, judging by the path to the summit, a popular hill. The path is now beaten all the way to the summit. In 1998 this was still unusual for a Corbett.
The name alludes to silver. Carr Brae, the old road to the Isles, is a site of former silver mining, and is well worth the detour from Philip Tranter's modern lochside road, for the fine views. The view from the upper reaches of the Sgurr are also rather good, and this hill amply repays the small effort needed to walk up it.
The usual way up, and a route that is tolerated all year round is by the path marked on the OS map from Strath Croe. There is good parking at the cemetery by the causeway and there is no problem joining the path from the old road. The lower reaches of the path are indistinct and the best tactic is to cross the boggy lower ground near the burn at 955215 and pick the path up just below a large ash on the right. Once found the path goes all the way to the top, save for a short boggy section on the plateau between Sgurr an Airgid and Beinn Bhuidhe. Not only is the path a very easy way up, it provides the means of crossing a large deer fence that surrounds the hill.
Strath Croe from the Pony track
From the boggy plateau a double edged ridge rises towards the summit, the path goes between them at first and then continues to the right. The left hand ridge is rather rocky and looks quite sporting. The right hand ridge formed by a slumped slope. The whole of the Croe side of the hill is littered with depressions and slots from ancient landslips. Continuing beyond the hill is a wild ill frequented tableland, which eventualy plunges down to Glen Elchaig. Boc Beag, a fine sharp peak provides good climbing here. This is prime deer stalking country.
I visited Airgid on a day with an appalling forecast, in October 1998. The stormy weather suggested a small hill was a sensible option. Of course it turned out to be a glorious day, at least here, Skye was rarely visible for rain clouds, but here sheltered by miles of hills , it remained dry.
The summit, Beinn Sgritheall and Beinn a'Chapuill in the background
I fouled up the approach to the path and ended up floundering in the bracken, before eventually scrabbling up the edge of a rubbly gully to gain the path. At 450m I was on to snow, quite a bonus so early in the year. The bogs were snowy but not frozen , however they soon gave way to the path extension up on to the summit ridge. Here the snow was quite deep and it was hard work gaining the trig point by the summit. The views across Glen Elchaig were fine, Skye was sulking in snow and rain bourne on a stiff northerly, but the real treat was gained by a short descent to the southwest. From a sheltered neuk, out of the wind I could see down directly to the head of Loch Duich, with the causeway and scattered crofts of Kintail. Beyond was an unusual edge on view of the Sisters and I could look straight into the corries of the very white Saddle.
Descent was by the same route as the ascent, stalking and forestry saw to that. I had mixed feelings about the path, although contributing to it myself, I was worried that the Munro phenomenon was trickling down to the sanctuary below 3000', despite this I was cheered to see a solitary figure on the rocky other ridge, silhouetted against a blue sky. Paths are now on all the popular routes, 15 years earlier they were rare, sadly they are often thoughtlessly steep, leading to runoff damage, if a more gentle zig-zagging approach was taken, sustainable paths would be worn on the slopes. This is the secret of the pony tracks, it is said that they were surveyed by letting an old cow descend the slope, her route plotted by sticks. Due to the gentle slopes I believe Sgurr an Airgid is unlikely to develop Lake District style gullying. To underlie the popularity of this hill, another party was met just above the deer fence.
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan from the descent of Airgid
