Ben Loyal

Wednesday 9th June 2010 

After going up Ben Hope, the day before this walk, I drove to the village of Tongue, which was a stark contrast to the tourist-laden splendour of Durness. Tongue is a quiet, secluded village beside the picturesque sea loch of Kyle of Tongue. I asked in the local shop what there was to see in the area and I got the reply that there wasn’t much. I took a walk up to a nearby tower called Caisteal Bharraich, which has dramatic views across the loch, as well as views inland to the multiple topped mountain of Ben Loyal, which is affectionately referred to as the Queen of the Scottish Highlands. The next day, I had another cold and cloudy walk ahead of me as I set off through Ribigill Farm and across the vast moorland of Bad Salach to a ford. Once across the river I climbed up a boggy path beside the imposing mass of Ben Loyal. Slowly the first top of Ben Loyal passed by me and I began to be concerned that the path I was on was going through the pass of Bealach Clais nan Ceap and not up the mountain. Quickly I turned around and began to slowly climb the steep hillside to my right. This was a really tough climb, but it surely would have been a lot steeper if I had taken Ralph Storer’s route straight up the face of the mountain. Eventually, after a lot of effort, I managed to reach the rocks at the top of Sgòr Chaonasaid. It was very windy up there, but nevertheless I clambered onto the top of the end crag from where I had great views along the length of the Kyle of Tongue and behind to the summit of Ben Loyal across a grassy plain. Climbing back down I bypassed all the other rocky tops, the most notable being the second top, Sgòr a’ Bhatain, and headed straight for the summit of Ben Loyal, An Caisteal (The Castle). The summit is well named as it is a huge circle of rock, impregnable except at one point, surrounded by the towers of the other tops of Ben Loyal. After climbing onto the huge rock that is the summit I found the trig point that marks the summit of the Corbett (Ben Loyal is not a Munro as it is less than three thousand feet high, in fact it almost isn’t a Corbett as it is only just above two and a half thousand feet). Climbing back down and circling round to the south I found shelter from the wind and had my lunch.

After eating I set off across the vast grassy saddle to the next top, Beinn Bheag. I was rather euphoric during that crossing, sheltered from the wind, wrapped up against the cold, and striding out through the clouds across the top of a mountain that stands far from any others. A western ridge branches off from the top of Beinn Bheag, and this was my descent route, which I immediately took rather than visiting the fifth and final top of Ben Loyal, the grassy dome of Carn an Tionail. I climbed down the steep grass slope onto the ridge and passed over the multiple tops of Sgòr a Chleirch before reaching the end of the ridge. There I dropped steeply off the end, clambering carefully down to the mouth of Calbhach Coire. Following the stream I dropped down through a delightful birch wood descending steeply to the moorland floor. 

I now had a couple of miles of walking across the vast moorland until I crossed the ford again and returned to Ribigill Farm. Once again there was another long walk in and out of a mountain in Scotland, which amazes me how often that happens. I couldn’t help thinking what I would have done if I hadn’t had the car. Although there is a Youth Hostel near Tongue I would have had to walk a couple of miles into the village and then another mile the other side of the village to Ribigill before I’d even started the walk I did this day. And then of course I would have had to repeat it at the end of the day, which is an all too familiar story. Despite the poor weather, this was an enjoyable walk over an interesting mountain, I just wish I could have found an easier way up.