Day - 08 Friday. The Good Life.
I got up at 6:45. It was hot enough to sit outside having breakfast in my baselayer. I put my head in the burn to cool off.
Todays plan was to walk up Stob Poite Coire Ardair, follow the ridge eastward, drop down to Loch Laggan, then camp somewhere near the River Pattack.
Although not steep it was hot work following the Uisge nam Fichead up into the wide corrie to the north of Creag Meagaidh. Countless deer were scattered around the corrie, but as I got closer they formed into small groups, then larger groups, until suddenly there were just two groups running towards each other. They merged together, and for a brief moment I thought they were going to stampede through The Window (the peculiar gap between Creag Meagaidh and Stob Poite Coire Ardair), but the whole group of well over a hundred made off in a northerly direction over Meall Ptarmigan.
I stopped at Lochan Uaine for a snack/lunch and took some photos then made my way up to The Window where, like the opening of curtains, a new landscape was opened up to me, including a dramatic corrie directly below.
Munro baggers look away now; instead of turning west and bagging Creag Meagaidh I turned east over Stob Poite Coire Ardair, where I met two people. I followed the ridge along for several miles with excellent views to north and south.
Deer were lying in the snow to cool off.
It was absolutely quiet. Not even a breath of wind.
At the col just short of Stob Coire Dubh, I dropped down to the SE. Whereas it had been fine walking along the ridge, the descent to the SE was slow going over rough ground – heather and craglets - and I was glad to get to the track which followed the Allt Crunachdain down.
The tiresome descent had made me hot, bothered, hungry and thirsty all at the same time, so I made custard which is food, drink and comfort food all at the same time, with water from a stream flowing to the east coast. The first river flowing east. (Although technically Sgurr na Ciche and the Ciochs, all the way back on day two, and only two miles from the west coast, are on the watershed, but I didn't see a river). I was getting there slowly, although after leaving the stream, and for the next few hours I was on the west side of the watershed again.
Feeling recharged I crossed the bridge and followed the track over a slight rise and then down to Loch Laggan, which drains to the west coast. When planning my route I had been tempted to go through The Window at Stob Poite Coire Ardair and drop down into Coire Ardair, but this would have then led to several miles of road walking along the A86. In fact, on joining this road at the head of the loch I found it very quiet, and it wouldn’t be too bad a walk along the lochside.
I followed it east for a few hundred metres and then turned south over the River Pattack along the approach road to Ardverikie.
This is the BBC’s “Monarch of the Glen” (Richard Briers) country. It was early evening now and there were good views back across the sandy beach at the head of the loch to The Window between Creag Meagaidh and Stob Poite Coire Ardair.
At Kinloch I turned south up through the pine forest but at the corner of the forest, near where the Allt Mhuilinn flows I was once again stopped by forestry signs. I could see a large machine throwing tree trunks around like matchsticks in the distance. What to do? I could wait for them to finish work, but who knew what time that would be, and they still might not let me through (I could see a caravan where they were working). I could climb over the fence and make my way across the moorland outside the fence, but it looked quite rough and I’d had enough of rough moorland coming down from Stob Coire Dubh. I could retrace my steps and go round by Gallovie, and this was an option I’d considered when I was planning the route, but I still might find my way barred having walked all the way round – I didn’t know how far the operations extended in that direction. Finally, I could retrace my steps a little, turn SW through the forest and then follow the track through the Coille Doir-ath to the River Pattack. This was probably the worst option as it added several miles to my route, but for some reason I chose it and set off through the dusty forest.
Having made my way round by this circuitous route I found that I could have quite easily gone round by Gallovie, which would also have taken in The Falls of Pattack, although the river was so low that I doubted they looked their best.
Having made my way round to where the track runs along beside the River Pattack I started looking for a camp spot. There were several likely looking places, but I kept thinking I would see a better one and I also had an idea that I should try and get a bit further before camping.
I crossed the river and followed the path up onto the moor to the east. There would surely be water up here somewhere, there’s water everywhere in Scotland. There wasn’t, and I had to walk some distance until suddenly the River Mashie came into view with a perfect camping spot beside it (8:45). It was with relief that I made camp and had dinner. I was quite tired and in my mind it seemed that I’d come some distance that day, and as on a few other days I was surprised to find that I felt rather pleased with myself.
Day 09 Intro