Beinn na Caillich

Monday 27th June 2011 

I’d originally planned to do this walk the day before but I hadn’t done so because of the bad weather. That plan would have entailed me doing this walk with a heavy rucksack and then catching a bus to Sligachan where I would then have had to walk over the pass into Glenbrittle. I was expecting a long day but that sort of schedule would have been torture! Instead I was able to take my time while carrying a light rucksack and enjoy the walk, which I most certainly did. I am beginning to come to the conclusion that it isn’t a good idea to plan to do a mountain walk while carrying a rucksack full of not only all my clothes but also all my food for several days. A heavy rucksack can be carried when backpacking along valley paths, but it’s not a good idea if your route involves going up to the top of a mountain. It is much better to leave your food and clothes at a base (either a tent or a hostel) before going on a hill-bagging walk. 

I started early, as I often do, and walked alongside the main road out of the small town of Broadford for a short distance (with a delightful display of wild flowers beside the road) before turning off along a side road to the scattered houses of Coire-chat-achan. From there I crossed boggy heather covered slopes to the foot of Beinn na Caillich and slowly climbed the steep, never ending heather and boulder strewn eastern slopes up to the top. Although long and tiring this was an enjoyable climb that was enlivened by the occasional wild flower, including an orchid. Great views in all direction greeted me when I reached the top: east across the Inner Sound to mainland Scotland, north across the Isles of Raasay and Scalpay, north-west towards the Red Cuillin and west past my onward route towards the rugged Bla Bheinn and the Black Cuillin. From the top of Beinn na Caillich, the highest point of the day, a lovely walk ensued around the top of Coire Gorm, across a wind-blown col and up to the top of Beinn Dearg Mhor where I had lunch with clear views of the cloud-topped Black Cuillin ahead of me. Despite being covered in clouds I think the Cuillin possibly looked even more appealing with the clouds giving them a brooding, sombre look. I also found it thrilling to be able to look in most directions and see the sea, either that of the Inner Sound east, or the sea lochs of Loch Slapin and Loch Eishort southwards, and Loch Sligachan and Loch Ainort northwards. Only the Cuillin Hills to the west prevented a view of the sea. 

A ridiculously steep shingly descent brought me to the start of a delightfully enjoyable ascent of Beinn Dearg Bheag on a gloriously rocky ridge. With stunning views from the summit across the relatively flat lands of southern Skye I reluctantly left the hills and slowly dropped down the eastern ridge back onto the heather covered land below. Another wet crossing took me back to Coire-chat-achan where I joined a tourist path known as the Marble Line Path. This former railway line took me all the way back to Broadford and made for a gentle and relaxing end to a good day's walk. After the radical rethink to my schedule following the heavy rain of the day before I was glad to have a thoroughly enjoyable walk in the mountains of Skye.