After a day spent travelling to the ferry port of Uig on the Isle of Skye and then across the Little Minch to Tarbert I was now on the Isle of Harris. A fantastic, but tiring walk brought me over the headland to the tiny hostel in the delightful, little coastal village of Reinigeadal. For this walk up Clisham, the highest hill in the Western Isles, I had to walk four and a half miles to the main road before I could even start the walk. After eventually reaching the road I took a track opposite across the boggy hillside before veering off into the bogs at the highest point. Having thoroughly soaked my feet and legs I then climbed up onto the eastern flanks of Tomnabhal and boulder-hopped across the rocky terrain, skirting to the south of the top as I had a bigger target in mind. From the col I started to climb the steep rock-strewn terrain of the eastern slopes of Clisham. This was tiring work especially near the top where the slope becomes really steep until eventually I reached the summit of Clisham where I had my lunch in a shelter that completely surrounds the trig point. 
I had excellent views from the top of Clisham to the surrounding, awesome North Harris Hills, down to the sea at Loch a’ Siar and east to Loch Seaforth. After eating I descended the western slopes and climbed the ridge to Mulla bho Dheas along an exposed path that skirts the northern edge of the eastern ridge. With hindsight I wish I’d tried to scramble up the ridge. Ralph Storer, in his book “100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains” which I use for much of my Scotland walking, says the climb is an easy scramble so I could well have missed a treat there. Before too long I reached the summit of Mulla bho Dheas and from there I followed a wonderful and enjoyably craggy ridge over Mulla bho Thuath to Mullach an Langa. There I dropped steeply down a boulder-strewn hillside to Loch Mhisteam and the boggy valley floor of Gleann Sgaladail. I followed the burn, Abhainn Sgaladail, trying to make my way to the road but eventually I gave up, crossed the river and tried to climb over the headland, struggling through the wet ground to reach my outward path. After more wet feet I joined the boggy path.
I had excellent views from the top of Clisham to the surrounding, awesome North Harris Hills, down to the sea at Loch a’ Siar and east to Loch Seaforth. After eating I descended the western slopes and climbed the ridge to Mulla bho Dheas along an exposed path that skirts the northern edge of the eastern ridge. With hindsight I wish I’d tried to scramble up the ridge. Ralph Storer, in his book “100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains” which I use for much of my Scotland walking, says the climb is an easy scramble so I could well have missed a treat there. Before too long I reached the summit of Mulla bho Dheas and from there I followed a wonderful and enjoyably craggy ridge over Mulla bho Thuath to Mullach an Langa. There I dropped steeply down a boulder-strewn hillside to Loch Mhisteam and the boggy valley floor of Gleann Sgaladail. I followed the burn, Abhainn Sgaladail, trying to make my way to the road but eventually I gave up, crossed the river and tried to climb over the headland, struggling through the wet ground to reach my outward path. After more wet feet I joined the boggy path. 
Eventually I returned to the main road and the long walk back to Reinigeadal followed. The prolonged walk at least gave my feet a chance to dry off after the boggy crossing. I really wanted to like this walk. There were many features of note about it: the fantastic weather, the stunning scenery, great rocky hills and more than anything else, that fabulous ridge walk. But there were too many problems for this walk to be considered great. First off there was that long walk at the start and end to the main road that turned a six and a half hour walk into a nine and a half hour walk. And it was very boggy low down so most of this walk was not very good, but once I was on the hills it was fantastic. The hills of Harris are fantastic and incredibly craggy, if only it hadn’t rained there all spring until the day I went for a walk.
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