Distance: 37.15 km
Ascent: 1390 m
Time: 8hrs 10mins (excluding the camping bit!)
Munros: The Devil’s Point, Cairn Toul, The Angel’s Peak
Weather: Day 1, clear and warm, Day 2, early sunshine, cloud above 1100m, late warm and humid
Route: Click to view

At half-past six in the evening and with a boot full of gear I headed out of Aberdeen towards the sunny west. There were clouds about but the sun was shining and the air was warm as I drove through Braemar and out along the road to the Linn of Dee. The sunshine over the Dee was beautiful.

At just on 8:15pm I was booted up and heading into the woods away from the car park. It was my latest start for a hike but there was still plenty of light and I decided I could walk for about two hours before I would need to start looking about for a place to pitch the tent. This was going to be my first wild camp so I wanted to ensure I had sufficient light to get my tent sorted.

The walk along the Derry Road beside the quiet Lui Water was beautiful. The cloud formations were fantastic and at one point I was treated to a brief sundog. At Derry there was plenty of activity: tents, bikes, camp fires, football games, laughter and shouting. It was a busy place with various camps set up around the river and trees.

After Derry I followed the right of way around to Luibeg where I encountered more campers. After getting a brief toe-wetting at the Luibeg steps (to save the detour around to the bridge) I did my only serious ascent of the day, up and around the south shoulder of Carn a’ Mhaim.

As I rounded the corner the Devil’s Point came into view, and then behind it the bulk of Cairn Toul. The sky was now darkening as my watch showed the hour ticking over. It was 10pm.

I dropped into the Lairig Ghru and then, as the track headed towards the branch off to Corrour, headed down towards the River Dee to find a site for my tent. On a small flattened knoll, covered in sparse heather I found my spot. It was just up slope from the river but was flat and relatively rock free.

I got to work pitching the tent. Despite it being a while since I had practiced it went up smoothly and soon I had all the various tapes and cords and guys secured. The pitch wasn’t perfect but with a calm evening ahead I didn’t anticipate any problems.

Whilst setting up the tent the midgies had found me but a cooling breeze got up and drove them away. I set my stove up and made myself a nice hot cup of hot chocolate. With this in hand I watched the light change as the sun sank somewhere beyond Braeriach.

For my first night under canvas in a long, long time I slept fairly well, only waking up a couple of times during the night. Each time I had a peek out of the tent, first seeing the full moon had risen, and later that the north had maintained its cloudy state.

At 4:30am I finally got up to enjoy the still dawn. The glen was in the shade whilst the mountain tops were beginning to catch the first rays. I wanted to make the most of the clear weather so broke camp and was soon heading along the track to the Corrour branch. A rainbow appeared behind the Devil’s Point and a brief shower passed across the glen.

I headed towards the bothy, crossing the Dee via the metal footbridge. A single tent was outside the bothy but all was quiet. The path continued up into Coire Odhar. With my full pack on I was glad of the good track which rose in a series of zig-zags besides the chattering burn. Behind me the Lairig Ghru was beginning to fill with a suffused light.

At the bealach I dropped my bag behind a tussock and then, with a spring in my lightened step, headed up to the summit of the Devil’s Point. I reached the summit of the day’s first Munro just before 6am and had the pleasure of watching the sun light up the surrounding scenery. It was still and beautiful and definitely worth the hassle of lugging a tent around.

I picked out Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor above Glen Geusachan. To the south along the line of the Tarf was Beinn a’Ghlo. North I could see along the high ridge to Cairn Toul and away east the sun was rising over Carn a’ Mhaim and Ben Macdui. It was simply stunning.

After this refreshing wake-up I returned to the bealach and then continued on the track to Cairn Toul. Unfortunately cloud had swept in from the west and soon I was in the mist, picking my way up a boulder field to the subsidiary top. It was then a case of following the ridge around the lip of a coire and ascending the final slope up to Cairn Toul’s misty cairn.

There were no views so I continued on, dropping off Cairn Toul to the col and then ascending the Angel’s Peak. As I dropped back down to around 1100m I came out of the mist and got a view of Lochan Uaine and the Lairig Ghru beyond.

Once at the summit of the Angel’s Peak, my third Munro of the day, I was once again in the mist. I explored the mountain’s north-east ridge and then sat about munching on a cereal bar and enjoying the silence and solemnity.

I returned to the bealach below the Devil’s Point by a more direct route, contouring below Cairn Toul and then dropping more directly from its southern top.

After picking up my bag I dropped down by my route of ascent and once again joined the Lairig Ghru route for the walk out.

The long road out was a re-run of the previous evenings walk (the misty weather didn’t make me want to take the longer Whitebridge route out) but was livened up by walking with the Stocket Hillwalking Club who had done the entire Lairig Ghru over from Coylumbirdge. There were also plenty of other groups of people heading into the Cairngorms, some with massive packs.

Back at the Linn of Dee there was a barbeque with the Stockets and then a quick drive back to Aberdeen for a good night’s sleep.

Distance: 20 miles
Ascent: 7,000ft
Time: 9hrs 10mins
Weather: Brilliant sunshine, strong, cold northerly wind
Route: Click to view

The day did not start well. I slept through my alarm and woke up at 7am with the wind blowing a hoolie outside and the cloud low and ominous over the grey city of Aberdeen. My hand left the warm comfort of the duvet only long enough to pick my laptop up. From under the covers I re-read the MWIS report for the North-West Highlands and watched the BBC Scotland weather report. Had last night’s reading of the same information been a dream? Would I really find the sun if I headed for the western hills? Well, apparently I would! The report still insisted there was an 80% chance of cloud free Munros and visibility improving over the course of the day.

Alright then. Out of bed, clothes, sandwiches, cereal, car, petrol, off and out of Aberdeen just before 8am.

Quiet roads got me quickly through to Inverness and just after 10 I was heading south towards Loch Ness. The only dampner during the course of the journey had been the low cloud, particularly over the Cairngorms as I passed Aviemore, and the occasional rain shower. Loch Ness arrived and just as I passed the first viewing point the clouds above me split and suddenly the dull grey water was shimmering in the morning sunshine. My spirits lifted as I turned off at Drumnadrochit and made my way through beautiful scenery down to the Glen Affric turning.

The jubilance lasted until I reached the turning. A traffic warden was rummaging in the boot of his car for a set of cones and in front of the car was a sign: “Highland Cross today – Glen Affric road closed 11am-4pm”. It was 10:55am.

Hazards on, out the car, “Good morning. Am I alright to take my car up the road?”, “You’re in luck, five minutes until I close it”, “Brilliant, thanks!”, hazards off, in gear, drive!

Slightly concerned for any early pacesetters coming towards me I cautiously made my way up the single track road which winds its way down this beautiful glen. The trees were a vibrant green in the sunshine and the waters of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin sparkled a deep, deep blue. At the layby just before a bridge at GR there was a checkpoint for the Highland Cross and a sign saying “No cars beyond this point”. Luckily I don’t need to go any further as this was my start and end point for the day.

Out of the car and booted up with my light daypack on I set off up the Affric road munching on a brunch bar and marvelling at the contrast in weather compared to the eastern half of the country. I passed the Highland Cross paraphernalia and said “Good Morning!” to the marshals who are lounging around in the sunshine. The track runs alongside the River Affric, and the views beckoned me on with the promise of wild, beautiful mountains in what has to be one of the most stunning locations in the country.

Just before Affric Lodge I turned off the road onto a decent track that immediately climbs up the northern slopes of the glen. The views got better and better as my vantage point changed. I could now see the intimidating nose of Sgurr na Lapaich, my first target for the day and all the way down Loch Affric to the mountains east of Kintail. This is a stunning, magical place.

The track gained me height rapidly and then, as it turned a wide corner to head back east, I left it, finding my way across the boggy land to the east of Sgurr na Lapaich. A track was occasionally found though it seemed to be more frequented by deer then humans. I saw a medium sized stag watching me as I climbed up the course of a stream.

As I approached it, Sgurr na Lapaich changed shape and I began to see a way up through its defences. I picked up its curving south-eastern ridge and soon a track was found, this one more assured, that climbed steeply up the side of the mountain between large slabs of angled rock. This track is of excellent quality and soon had me high above the glen with the views developing all the time.

I reached the cairn and was immediately hit by a strong northerly wind which forced an additional layer on despite the hot June sunshine. The view though was magnificent. I could see the whole of my day mapped out in front of me and to the west peak upon peak faded into a hazy distance. To the south the familiar fin of Ben Nevis could be seen rising above the rest of the Grey Corries range and closer by were the mountains of Glen Shiel.

It was now a matter of following the ridge along to the first Munro of the day, Mam Sodhail. The ridge is straight-forward with a clear track appearing shortly after leaving the summit. It runs along beside the drop of the strange landslip which scars the north side of Sgurr na Lapaich. I enjoyed the ever developing views up to Mam Sodhail, Carn Eige and the continuation of that mountain’s eastern ridge with its pinnacles clearly on display.

I passed a couple of people coming towards me and soon found myself winding up the east ridge of Mam Sodhail, soon emerging on the summit to find a giant cairn/shelter. I scrambled up it to the top and admired the vista. To the north the Coulin and Torridon hills could be seen and away west was a hazy hint of the Cuillins on Skye. Beinn Sgritheall was the dominant feature to the south-west.

It was a brilliant place to sit, in the shelter of the cairn, basking in the sunshine and eating a sandwich. As I was enjoying it a chap came up from the west – he had taken the boat up Mullardoch and was now (having already bagged An Socach) heading along the ridge. He left and I followed soon after dropping down the steep slopes to the col with Carn Eige. The Lochan Uaine far below looked alpine, particularly with the snow still cornicing around the lip of the corrie.

As the track now heads up Carn Eige I turned off and chose a descending line along a faint track that contoured around Carn Eige to the low bealach with Beinn Fionndlaidh. The track comes and gos but eventually becomes more sure of itself. It was rough ground, the going much improved by the views up the glen to Sgurr nan Creathamnas and down to the head of Loch Mullardoch. After the bealach the track is much clearer and heads straight up the reasonably gentle southern slopes of Beinn Fionndlaidhe.

I reached the summit cairn and again the views were glorious. The dark surface of Loch Mullardoch below the massive hills to the north of Glen Cannich. To the west Skye was gradually becoming more distinct, and I could see the bridge against the waters of Loch Alsh. I also looked back towards Carn Eige sitting above another dark lochan.

The conditions were perfect up there and on the sheltered side and I lay back sunbathing for half an hour, eating a little and chatting with a couple of guys who arrived a short time after me.

From Beinn Fionndlaidh I traced my steps back to the bealach and then ascended the 300m or so up to the summit of Carn Eige. The climb was done remarkably quickly and I was soon enough at the trig point. The visibility was improving as the day progressed and by this time Ben Nevis and the Grey Corries were clearly seen without their earlier covering of haze.

Now I had the splendid Affric ridge ahead of me, sinuous and lumpy with plenty of interest even before I got to the next Munro of Tom a Choineach. The first section was wide and gentle but then as it curved around to the south the pinnacles above Loch a’ Choire Dhomhain came into view. They looked like fun!

I tackled the first one head on, climbing up a groove and then around an exposed corner onto the first summit. From here I dropped down to a notch between it and the second pinnacle. Here I became a bit more circumspect. The route looked to be around to the right side and then up a string of needles that stuck out from the rock. The drop below was brutal looking. After a couple of steps along I lost my nerve and backtracked to the notch. From here I dropped to the avoiding path and followed it around the south side of the pinnacle. Once around I climbed back along the pinnacle to survey the route. It turned out I had only been one or two very exposed moves away from safety and will definitely give this section a go next time. The third pinnacle was much less intimidating – just a blocky scramble and then a careful walk along to rejoin the path. Overall these offer an interesting section of scrambling with plenty of foot and hand holds, secure rock and an easy way of getting down to the path at two points. I was pleased with having negotiated the first and third pinnacles and the adventure along the second one had certainly got the heart racing with plenty of exposure!

After the excitement of the pinnacles I climbed up to Carn Eige’s most eastern top which then dropped rapidly down to a low col. There was a dusty track but it was steep and slidy so I took my time getting down. As I descended, far below I could see a group of people have an animated discussion. They finally left the col and began contouring around below me across a steep boulder field heading for the crags below An Leth-creag. What they were doing exactly I am not sure as I soon lost sight of them in the dark shadow of the cliffs.

Heading away from the col I followed the continuation of the ridge along as it climbed up towards the next high point, enjoying the views across to the Mullardoch hills and the changing character of the mountains I had already crossed as the light changed with the slowly sinking sun.

The west side of Tom a’ Choineach is a fairly featureless dome with a faint track moving up through rocky ground. Eventually I reached the summit cairn where I paused only briefly – my final Munro of the day Toll Creagach looked an awful long way off and I wanted to get the final re-ascent over and done with.

There was another steep descent down the west ridge of Tom a’ Choineach before reaching the bealach and the very tempting path downwards. Still, it was a fine evening (albeit getting chilly with the reduced power of the sun and persistent wind) and so I pressed on, covering the last couple of kms up steadily steepening slopes to the summit of the day’s final Munro.

This was another rounded summit with a feeling of wilderness about despite it being the closest to the car. I sat for a fifteen minutes or so sheltered from the cold wind, enjoying the views out west over the wonderful mountain ranges. The sun was still two or three hours from setting but the quality of light was beautiful.

Reluctantly I turned away from the high mountains and headed south, following the broad flank of the mountain which was made up of a series of rocky terraces interspersed with springy grass. I made rapid progress until I hit the boggier terrain as the river approached. As I got lower I found a faint path that ran just to the left of the Allt cxx which brought me down a gentle slope to the river itself. Here I only had a few meters of bog until I picked up the surfaced track shown on the map.

I saw a tent here and was very jealous of their idyllic campsite. Out of the cooling breeze the evening sunshine was delightful and now I made excellent progress down the track. The mountains, silhouetted against the sun, fell into the distance behind me and then I was into the sparse wood with the blue waters of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin ahead of me.

The track dropped gently down the final slopes and emerged just a few yards from my car. It had been an astonishingly good day. Long, tiring but the rewards far outweighed the effort I had put in. it was a deeply satisfying day and one that easily tops the highlights of my relatively short hillwalking career.

And then they found me.

I tore the boots off my feet, threw my bag in the boot, pulled on my trainers and hurriedly got into the car. Though Glen Affric had been kind to me, the hoard of midges were not so benevolent. With the windows down and my music playing loud I drove rapidly back along the glen road, heading for the cloudy east lands and leaving in my wake the glow of a summer evening and a trail of bewildered insects.

My satnav took me a different way home so I enjoyed a brief leg stretch along the Beauly Firth and some time later (close to midnight in fact, with a brightness still filling the northern sky) arrived back in Aberdeen.

Distance: 28.2km
Ascent: 1772m
Time: 7hrs 40mins
Weather: Sunshine with cloud building later, warm but breezy
Route: Click to view

I had a late start today but the forecast was good and with the summer well on its way daylight was never going to be an issue. I started walking at 11:20 from the excellent walkers car park at Dalrigh. I dropped down to the West Highland Way and followed this as it passes the farm buildings. It was lovely walking, with the sun occasionally coming out, a slight breeze keeping the midges away, and a good clear track to the follow. As the WHW turned away to Tyndrum I continued on the landrover track that left the woods and continued west along the course of the Cononish.

As I advanced the views opened out, initially showing the Corbett Ben Chuirn with the gold mine workings on its eastern side, and then the flanks of Ben Oss. Finally, after half hours walking around a corner in the glen I caught my first sight of the mighty Ben Lui.

After passing Cononish farm the track rises more steeply around the lower slopes of Beinn Chuirn. This gave the legs an opportunity to warm up as well as a good view of the col between Ben Lui and Ben Oss and some of the route I would be following later in the day. I also got a more detailed view of Ben Lui as I got closer, its great northern corrie still holding some snow in its gullies and the twin horns of Stob Garbh and Stob an Tighe Aird guarding the summit like a pair of soldiers.

Soon the track dropped down to cross the Cononish, ending in a turning area and a sheep pen. At this point, and for no other reason than it was a pleasant day and I was feeling up for a challenge, I crossed the river and then turned off the clear track up to Coire Gaothach and instead contoured around the base of Stob Garbh and the usual route up to the mountain’s north-east ridge. This side is comprised of a series of shattered rock terraces which looked too steep for scrambling. Instead I found a grassy rake that ran up below the crags and onto a spur of the north-east ridge. Above the rake I then climbed and scrambled up steep grassy slopes, windy across the face a couple of times to avoid crags before emerging just below the north lochan (which is shown on the map).

I climbed up to Stob Garbh and immediately saw where the Coire Gaothach track climbs up to join the north-east ridge. I would recommend following that approach to save climbing up the featureless and steep slopes further to the north. Despite the slight deviation I was now on easy ground, following the good track up to Ben Lui’s summit. There were now plenty of people around, mainly descending at this time of the day. I went over the north top (marked by a cairn) and then scrambled along the east side of the summit ridge to get to the very busy summit itself.

After admiring the views here I dropped off Ben Lui down the clear track which runs south-west towards Beinn a’ Chleibh.

After 150m the gradient eases and from here the day became a more gentle bimble. I passed a couple of parties as I dropped down to the bealach and then ascended the short distance to the top of Beinn a’ Chleibh.

From the summit cairn I continued some distance to the west to get a better view over Ben Cruachan and Loch Awe which sparkled in the sunshine. It also gives a good perspective on Ben Lui.

Then it was a return to the bealach and up a short distance before turning to the right on a faint track which gently rose to contour around and under Ben Lui’s summit slopes. This saves a lot of reascending. The terrain is fairly easy going, largely grassy slopes with just a few rocky gullies to cross. I did end up slightly higher than I needed to be, mainly because I was tempted to climb up onto the ridge to see what the view was like. In the end though I picked up a clear track which climbed onto the South-east ridge of Ben Lui as it curved to the south.

After crossing the bealach I picked up a track which made the gently rising ascent of Ben Oss. This gave an interesting perspective on Ben Lui as well as views opening up down Loch Lomond and Loch Fyne further west.

The final ascent was steeply up through rocky terrain with some broken crags. Unfortunately here my left trainer came loose and I found that the lace had snapped. I had to effect a temporary repair which luckily lasted until the end of the walk. The long climb up to the summit of Ben Oss was rewarded by stunning views back to Ben Lui and on over Loch Oss to Beinn Dubhchraig.

I then dropped off Ben Oss and under cloudier skies crossed the bealach and began the climb up to Beinn Dubhchraig.

Again there was an excellent track here and the views around, back down Glen Cononish and over to Ben Lomond were superb.

The afternoon had faded into evening as I reached the cairn on top of Beinn Dubhchraig, my fourth Munro of the day. There was now time to relax, sitting on the grassy summit looking down over Loch Lomond and the brooding light further south.

After my break I then dropped off the summit and contoured around and down steep, occasionally rocky slopes to eventually meet up with the baggers path which ascends up besides the Allt Coire Dubhchraig. Once on this the going was excellent with only a few boggy and eroded sections. The evening sunshine was lighting up the hills above the Bridge of Orchy and further east I could see Ben Challum.

Eventually the track descended into the pleasant woodland and although warned of more bog I only really came across a couple of very bad sections. The majority of it was easily avoided. As I came back down to the River Cononish I had to cross the River Fillan by way of a rickety bridge. Then it was a case of picking my way across a marshy field to join the landrover track which would take me back to the car at Dalrigh.

A great day out with plenty of interest both in terms of the route and the scenery on offer. In particular the views over Loch Awe and later Loch Lomond were stunning.