Beinn Sgulaird
19 July 2007
The start of this walk was the old section of the A828 Fort William to
Oban Road which runs between Inver and Druimavuic. A few metres
north of Druimavuic there is an unmarked parking area on the east side
of the road.
I left my car in this parking area and walked the few metres south to
a vehicle track that ran up the north side of Druimavuic through a
forest and onto the open hillside. The vehicle track, which was
shown on the map as stopping at the forest edge actually continued up
the north side of the Allt Buidhe though Coire Buidhe and over the
bealach between Creag na Cathaig and Beinn Sgulaird. I used this
track, which at times was fairly steep and varied from rough stone to
grass, rather than the normal west ridge approach. At the bealach I
was watched by several hinds from the lower reaches of Beinn Sgulaird.
I left the vehicle track at the bealach and commenced the climb of
Beinn Sgulaird traversing below its 863 point and joined the ridge at
the col between the 863 point and Meall Garbh. I was now in cloud as
I climbed through and over some boulders before I reached the cairn
which marked the summit.
It was still cloudy but I sat at the cairn eating lunch hoping that
the cloud would lift. I did get some views of Loch Creran and of
wild goats just below the summit but the cloud never really cleared
sufficiently for any decent summit photographs. I left the summit
and returned to the col where I met two chaps from Bolton who were en-
route to the top. They were fortunate as by this time the cloud had
lifted.
My return was over Meall Garbh and the 863 point before a steady
descent of the west ridge with good views of Loch Creran and out
towards the Island of Lismore. On reaching a fence, which I crossed,
a climb of around 40 metres was required to the 488 point. From here
the descent continued down the ridge to the vehicle track I used on
the upward route. It was then only a short distance back to my car.
Time taken - 6 hours.
Distance - 12.5 kilometres.
Height climbed - 1190 metres.
Photographs taken on walk can be seen here:
http://www.caledoniahilltreks.com/gallery07/beinn_sgulaird_july07/index.htm
Lindsay
www.caledoniahilltreks.com