Sgurr nan Coireachan, Sgurr Thuilm

Date: 31 May-1 June 2021

For a while now, we've been turning day-trips into overnighters, but in this trip we managed to turn a day-trip into a two-nighter. Hm. I don't know whether it's just age that's slowing us down, but this first photo which Caroline took as we left the car park at the head of Loch Arkaig suggests that it might be. I look like one of those Little Old Men…

…I used to worry about when I was young. Not (ha!) that I would ever become one of those myself. Note that Shinty's keeping her distance.

Another thing you'll glean from that photo is that it was warm. Early evening, but warm enough for two deer to be cooling off in the river…

… below Strathan. Loch Arkaig has been in our minds a lot over the last year - partly because the osprey nest webcam on YouTube allows us to pay a virtual visit here every morning. And getting back here in reality didn't disappoint. Heaven.

So, The Plan was to walk up Glen Pean, camp, then head over the two Munros and back down Sgurr Thuilm's NE ridge, with another camp. The only indifferent part of this route is the start, through the remains of the plantations. Thankfully they are already disappearing (although beware the logging trucks on the road in). As the forestry thinned out, there was a good view through the trees to…

…Sgurr Thuilm.

Just before the bothy in Glen Pean we found a perfect place for the tent. And hey, what should be find to keep Shinty amused but…

…one of those disposable antler devices. It was a twelve-pointer before she started gnawing. Honest.

The following morning (after a rubbish night's sleep because one of our party - who will remain nameless but is called Shinty - wanted to go out and join in the dawn chorus) we were up betimes, and ready to carry on up…

…Glen Pean.

For a glen which has a reputation for being a loch in disguise, it was wonderfully dry underfoot all the way to…

… Lochan Leum an t-Sagairt. One of those places I'd always wanted to see. Even in flat light it didn't disappoint.

From here we headed straight up hill, with the horizon about to open up beyond the long ridge of…

…Carn Mor, and out down the rest of Glen Pean to…

…Loch Morar. One day, I hope to walk through the rest of this magnificent defile.

A slow plod up, and once over Sgurr nan Coireachan our bad night's sleep caught up with us. So…

…up with the tent! Actually, we never need an excuse for a siesta when we're up high. Not for the first time, Shinty had got herself emeshed in the guy ropes.

Eventually we went on along…

…the ridge towards Sgurr Thuilm. Once over the top, we headed down the long ridge towards Strathan. Half way down there is a noddle in the ridge, Maell an Fhir-eoin, where we pitched the tent. A perfect perch for the views east down…

…Loch Arkaig. And later, westwards out along Glen Pean. It had been hazy all day, but eventually…

…Rum cleared in the distance. No sunset to speak of, but we were quite content. And next morning was even better. Sharp light to look back up to…

…Sgurr Thuilm, and again down…

…Loch Arkaig. Along with Brora in the far north, I think this is our favourite loch in Scotland. I love the way it's so near, and yet feels so far, from the thrum of the Great Glen. And it's wonderfully undeveloped. On this trip, as last summer, we stopped off at Murlaggan before the long drive home. I wonder who owns the cottage here… I could certainly think of worse places to spend time. We parked up and went down to the loch…

…to soak in the water and soak up the ambience. I don't know whether you can hear it, but there is a cuckoo chiming away in the trees across the loch. Also over the loch is Gulvain. Our next excuse to come back to Arkaig.