John Hesp's Hike Across Scotland 3

View from camp spot down Glen Aladale to Loch Sheil

TGO Challenge - A Walk from Glenuig to Montrose

Day 2 Saturday - Foul Weather Alternative

I was up and about at about 7:30. It was a cold, dark wet morning and the cloud was even lower than yesterday. My plan was to continue along the ridge to Glenfinnan, which Ian was doing too, and then either camp on the SE shore of Loch Shiel, or if the weather was bad, walk over into Cona Glen. If we thought the weather was too bad this morning we could descend to Glenfinnan from our bealach, but after breakfast I made preparations in case Ian was continuing along the ridge. The weather was worse, but I’d certainly go along with him if he was going.

A voice from Ian’s tent said “I think it’s a Foul Weather Alternative day”. “I agree” I replied. No need for those map preparations I’d done then, but I was relieved. I was still tired from yesterday, and whilst the first peak, Beinn Mhic Cedidh, which rose directly from the campsite, looked navigationally simple it was a 1200’ (380m) ascent followed by a 800’ (250m) descent. A brutal start to the day. From there another 1200’ ascent led to Beinn Odhar Bheag from where the ridge wound about in a way guaranteed to give slow, frustrating going.

“When will you be ready Ian?”
“Thirty minutes.”
“Perfect.”

Ian packs up

Fifty minutes later we were on our way, first finding a place we could jump across the burn without taking our boots off, and then the long descent down to the railway beside Loch Eilt.

Descending from the ridge

Despite the rain we stopped for a rest beside the railway, and we were just pondering the probability of a train being on this length of track, given there are only about six trains a day, and they take a couple of minutes to round this loop, when a train obligingly appeared. There followed a mad scramble for cameras, a brief glimpse of the warmer, drier world of people in a railway carriage, and then it was gone.

We followed the track on, under the railway, then across the flat bottom of the glen towards the Lochailort to Glenfinnan road. Just before the road we came to the Allt Lon a Mhuide feeding into Loch Eilt (Allt = river). Our feet were so wet by now that we just walked across and took our boots off on the other side to empty out the water.

There followed a few miles of road walking into Glenfinnan, but this wasn’t too bad. The road was surprisingly quiet, there was lots to look at, and it made a change to put ones feet on something solid, dry and level.

After a while a couple of Challengers hove into view ahead and we put on a bit more speed to catch them up. Andrew and Eileen from Cornwall had started from Lochailort that morning and had been advised that the route to Glenfinnan north of the road would be difficult due to swollen rivers, so like us had opted for the road route. Setting off from Glenuig you find yourself walking with people who set of from another start point a day later. I love the west so an extra day in the west is a bonus, but some might see this as putting yourself a day behind.

We all went into the National Trust visitor centre cafe at Glenfinnan. There was a bit of excitement here as Ian met people he’d met on previous Challenges. It seems another Challenge routine is that if you come across somewhere with food for sale buy it, and we settled down with various things to eat. National Trust iced walnut cake and raspberry tea seemed a hundred miles from the cold wet world we'd recently abandoned.

After an hour or so Eileen and Andrew set off north up Glen Finnan to Corryhully, and Ian set off along the road a bit further to turn north up Gleann Dubh Lighe. I walked down towards the monument at the head of Loch Sheil. Loch Shiel, a freshwater loch, is about fifteen miles long, and only about 15’ (4m) above sea level. A day and a half’s walking had almost brought me back to sea level.

At the monument I turned left and followed the Callop River up to Callop. Here I found that extensive work had been done installing quite a large Hydro plant. A new track for this installation had been built up the glen which made for easy, if quite dull walking.

After a while I came across a side stream which was running quite full. There was no obvious easy way across, but rather than wade I managed to get across by balancing on a fallen tree trunk. From here the path rises steeply and then enters an upper glen which is quite different from the lower wooded glen. It started raining again here, and we were to get showers for the rest of the day. There was a good path here though, and I was able to make good time. Rising steeply from the glen on my right was the Corbett (mountain between 2500 and 3000’) Sgorr Croabh a’ Chaorain, its head in the cloud.

At the head of the glen one finds oneself looking down into the next glen – Cona Glen – with a ridge of dramatic peaks around its head. These were to have been my hills of tomorrow if the weather hadn’t been so bad. They certainly didn’t look very inviting today, and I was glad I’d taken the easy option.

A good path angled down the north side of Cona Glen and then became a track following the river. I decided that as it was still early, and as this upper glen looked pretty austere on this rainy afternoon I’d carry on down the glen until I found a less bleak campsite. A couple of miles down the glen, where it starts to get more wooded I found a grassy patch beside the river and put the tent up. It was six thirty.

I spent the evening making enormous cups of tea and reading my book. I had that carefree, relaxed Saturday evening feeling. The sun put in an occasional appearance between the showers. The weather was improving.