Glenelg.

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Section 10b Sgurr a'Bhac Chaolais 885 Buidhe - bheinn 885 Beinn na h-Eaglaise 804 Beinn Loinne 790 Sgurr Mhic Bharraich 781 Beinn nan Caorach 773 Sgurr a'Choire-bheithe 913 Sgurr an Fhuarain 901 Sgurr nan Eugallt 894 Ben Aden 887 Fraoch Bheinn 858 Sgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidh 835 Sgurr Coire Choinnichean 796 Beinn na Caillich 785 Ben Tee 901 Sgurr Mhurlagain 880 Meall na h-Eilde 838 Geal Charn 804 Meall Dubh 788 Streap 909 Bidein a'Chabair 867 Carn Mor 829 Sgurr an Utha 796 Beinn Bhan 796 Meall a'Phubuill 774 Braigh nan Uamhachan 765 Section 4 Section 9 Section 10a Section 11 Return to Corbett index Return Home.

Beinn Sgritheall , Beinn na h-Eaglaise and Beinn nan Caorach seen from Barrisdale Sgurr Mhic Bharraich 781m 2553' Personal name Map Beinn na h-Eaglaise 804m 2650'  Church Hill Map Beinn nan Caorach 773m 2536' Currach (Rowan Berries) Hill Map

Sgurr Mhic Bharraich 781m 

Sgurr Mhic Bharraich from Beinn a'Chapuill.

The Glenelg peninsula is a gentler version of Knoydart. The hills are still rough, but the presence of a road in has meant that the glens are still farmed here, and the community is still living though depleted. The hills are still pretty exciting with Beinn Sgritheall taking most of the boot prints, but there are plenty more to go at when west of the Saddle.

The way in involves the famous pass, Mam Ratagan. Hairpin bends up from Kintail, and a long sweep down to Glenelg make it unforgettable on a bike, which is how I once climbed Sgritheall. The road is much improved now, Telford's bridges were worn out by timber lorries when Glenelg's Forestry Commission lands were felled around 1980. Of course the new road was built after years of heavy traffic moving timber not before.

The Mam Ratagan was the line of Cauldfeild's Fort Augustus to Bernera road, which unlike most 18th Century military roads took a long time to build and ran way over budget. No sooner than it was completed, Bernera was scaled down, maintenance stopped and it became little more than an erosion scar. In 1802 Thomas Telford started a survey for a new road to Skye and in 1819 a new road, costing £1000 /mile wound its now familiar way up the steep slopes above Loch Duich and down to the swift flowing waters of Kyle Rhea.

Meanwhile Bernera Barracks, built a hundred years earlier were falling into ruins, their last use was relief shelter for Clearance refugees, before being plundered to build the Free Kirk in Glenelg.

Just beyond Bernera, is the tide race of the Kyle, site of the ferry that has had a new lease of life following the opening of the rip off Skye Bridge. A useful crossing in the summer, passing money into the local economy rather than down a corperate black hole. The speed of the water is frightening considering that cattle were swum across here in droving days, before heading over to Glen Sheil or Glen Quoich and thence to the marts. They were tied nose to tail and the lead animal towed into the straights.

The Kyle was named for Reithe, of the Fianna who was said to have lost his life here in a pole vaulting accident. They were supposed to be able to leap across on their spears, only his broke. This story does suggest that pole vaulting is as venerable a discipline as discus or the javelin.

The Mam Ratagan has to cross a spine of hills, the western end of the South Sheil Ridge, here is the last big peak, Sgurr Mhic Bharraich, a steep sided square keep of a hill that faces Sgurr an Airgid across Loch Duich and provides a background to countless Eilean Donan Castle photos. Despite the steepness its an easy hill, ideal for a short day in Kintail.

It is at first sight tempting to go in from the Mam Ratagain, a high starting point, but the rough traverse of Sgurr a Bhroanan destroys any advantage. You are going to have to start low, and probably utilise the path shown going from Glen More to Sheil Bridge via a 460m bealach south of the hill. It's a good path on the Kintail side, but Glenelg based climbers will get wet feet. The pass is very scenic with its lochan, and I suggest doing it from Glenmore for the sudden revelation of the Kintail peaks at its summit when climbing out of the narrow confined An Gleannan.

For years I dreaded Mhic Bharraich, its so steep. I tried contriving routes up through the forest from Ratagan and its fine youth hostel, but never read the maps properly, as the south slopes are not at all fearsome. Eventually in January 2001, it was time to leave Willie Nicholson's cosy bunkhouse and tackle the last of the Kintail Corbetts.

I chose to go in from Glenelg, this way Frances could walk the pass and wait in the bar of the Kintail Lodge Hotel, while I bagged the Corbett, she was obviously put off by the steepness too. It is usualy possible to park in the forest in Glenmore, and after about a mile of damp spruce we emerged at ruined Bealacheasan and the path disappeared into a bog. The path returned on the climb up to the lost valley of An Gleannan, an obvious cattle hiding place hanging high above Glenmore. The climb was enlivened by a glimpse of the old vegetation in the ravines, holly oak and rowan. A short zigzag up snow brought the summit of this fine pass and the parting of the ways. According to Frances the path going down to Kintail was maintained and in very fine condition so the descent was easy. Unfortunately, the pub at the end was closed.

Meanwhile I was getting to grips with the steep slopes North of the pass. They were to prove easy and the simple arithmetic of doing a 780m hill from a 460m pass ensured that I was soon dodging the knobbles on the typically Rough Bounds summit plateau. Footprints in old snow told that I was not a first foot, but I met no one on that bitter grey day. There was a view of sorts between the showers, a fine prospect up to Dorusduain and across to gullied A'Glas Bheinn. The Saddle remained in cloud.

I returned the way I had come, the West face is split by ravines and is very craggy, a good way up perhaps but troublesome on the way down. This time the bogs were easier and I was soon back in the gloomy woods. An easier journey than those in previous years when I had often carried big packs over the Mam Ratagan. Shame the bar was shut.

 

Beinn na h-Eaglaise 805m

Followers of Sir Hugh will know all about the southern shores of Glenelg, they will no doubt have strong memories of rivers of scree and toiling up some of the steepest slopes of any Munro trade route, although the cannier ones will have sneaked up Beinn Sgritheall from the north. Eastwards, the steepness never relents and Sgritheall's lesser known East top Beinn na h-Eaglaise presents just as uncompromising face to anyone looking for a short roadside approach. Thanks to the deep Bealach Arnisdale, Beinn na-Eaglasie makes it as a Corbett, the Corbett closest to a Munro, although even steeper slopes above the bealach deter a linkage. Further east, along a ridge curving around a corrie is a further Corbett, the squat Beinn nan Caorach, a sure improvement over its Tyndrum namesake. The two Corbetts are almost invariably done together. The list soup is enriched with other lower hills, including the fine Beinn a'Chapuill, the south wall of Gleann Beag.

Like with Beinn Sgritheall, I chose to approach from the North, easily accessed through Gleann Beag, the glen of the Brochs. Make time for Dun Telve and Dun Troddun if passing this way. Along with Dun Dornaigil under Ben Hope, Sutherland these represent the best preserved examples of these strange fortifications on the mainland. A third example Dun Grugaig is completely ruined. The process of ruination was aided by plunndering building stone to build Bernera Barracks.

The Brochs were built sometime around 100BC and are entirely dry stane construction. Bottle shaped, like a Staffordshire kiln, they are made with two walls separated by a narrow passageway and tied by slabs. Dun Troddun has the remains of steps within the cavity, post holes tell of floors within the central courtyard. We know little of how built these structures or the enemy that spurred their construction.

After a long absence I returned to the area in January 2003. This was the first time I had taken a car up Glen Beag. On the Corbett trip I walked in from the Mam Ratagain, having been offered a lift up from the Kintail Lodge by a fellow EUMC member. The Munro trip was a case of hiring a bike and lugging it over the Mam Ratagain, in a 13 hour day (including broch visits). Its not too difficult getting to Eaglaise and Caorach from the Mam Ratagain, a network of tracks leads doen to Suardalan at the head of Glen More and a good path leads to the foot of the North Ridge. A third visit was during a coast to coast walk, starting at Sheil Bridge and crossing over to Kinloch Hourn via the Bealach Aoidhdailan.

There is room to park about three cars at the farm at the end of the public road in Glen Beag, and a farm track continues up the glen. Its a two kilometere walk past a third broch Dun Grugaig, more ruinous than the others, to a parting of the ways, where tracks head for Sgritheal, Kinloch Hourn or Glen More. The maps show a path crossing a footbridge and heading up to Sgritheal or Eaglaise at NG866158. In January 2003 there was no bridge, but someone had left some larch trunks across the gorge. I chose to walk across the frozen river on that occasion. It is possible continure up the glen and approach from the east of the small forestry block if you dont fancy the logs.

Beinn na h-Eaglaise is a bit like the Glen Etive end of the Buachailles, A scree cone with a long gentler northward ridge. The flanks are brutal. To the East a corrie, Coire Dhruim na Bo provides a possible weakness in the Hourn ramparts for anyone approaching from Corran.

An easy ascent over a minor top brought snow and the steep stuff under foot. I remember finding the final cone technically interesting. Wind blasted icy fine screes, very slippery with big drops waiting for a fresh offering. Sgritheall was clagged up, no clear views over Knoydart up there today. The summit of my hill came and went and I was glad of the odd fence pole to grab hold of. There was a view of sorts, into Barrisdale and down on to the croftlands of Arnisdale and Corran, but the bitter wind and scudding clouds made the summit a wee bit too inhospitable to remain long. Being February, day lengths were also a consideration, no comfy warm car to return to. I retraced my steps all too carefully down the steep slopes before heading off through the snow to the easier Beinn nan Caorach.

Things are different now, prior to privatisation of the railways many recreational passengers were driven off the network. Early and late trains were removed from the timetables, luggage restrictions came in and worst of all the overnight trains were restricted to sleepers only, not an economic proposition if you don't live in London, and get thrown out of your comfy bunk at 3 in the morning on the return trip. I finally cracked and learned to drive. This has changed my hill days somewhat, I have more of them, but its harder to avoid the trade routes, and linear routes take some planning. I may no longer toil up the Mam Ratagain under a huge pack, but hills like these, once as remote as some in Fisherfield when you start at the bus stop, have become quick and easy, and somewhat sanitised. I still find time for those long winter days, starting and finishing outwith the Sun's office hours.

 

Beinn nan Caorach 773m

Beinn nan Caorach from Beinn a'Chapuill

Fence posts led easily over a peaty col to a long drag up the north ridge of Beinn nan Caorach, by now there was no visibility and I remember little other than a few rusting poles, the remains of the ruined fence, a typical schist rough bounds hill and also being cold and wet. Descent was back the way I came before branching out over the wet slopes below the snow and a dark walk out to Glen More. Hamish Brown's chapter in Climbing the Corbetts, describes my day here as well as his.

The hill sits amongst some good cross country routes, and the narrow east ridge is probably the route of choice, useful on a long cross country route over the Bealach Aoidhdailean, (notice all the Dails in the placenames here, Glenelg was obviously settled by Norwegians, as was neighbouring Knoydart). I would advise approaching from Corran over through Coire Chorsalain as the Bealach Aoidhdailean hosts a row of electricity pylons and a hideous scar of an access track for the Hydro's engineers. The pylons were due to be routed down Glen Sheil, but place out of sight , over the back so as not to spoil the view, for the motorists!

While we are here I must mention Glen Arnisdale as another fine through route, no cables but fine lochs and birch woods, and the lost ferry road from Corran eastwards along the shores of Loch Hourn. The latter is one of the best constructed paths anywhere, weaving from bay to bay through oakwoods. A good place for otters (Gavin Maxwell lived near here at Sandaig) the path is sheltered from the guide books by the virtue of going nowhere. I have managed to use it during a Corbett raid, but usually its just a dead end. Why not take the road to nowhere.

 

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