An Caorann Mór

Sunday 19th May 2019

Several years ago I came across the Cape Wrath Trail that runs from Fort William all the way up the west coast of Scotland to Cape Wrath on the north-western tip. This is probably the most challenging long distance trail in Britain as it passes through some of the wildest and most deserted landscape in Europe, and despite this I thought I might want to do it. However, the more I read about the trail the more I realised that this may not be to my liking, and yet in 2017 I tried to walk along a small part of the trail from Glenfinnan into Glen Dessary, but soon I turned around and came back out. This year I was still looking at the trail and thought I could walk along another part of it starting from the top of Glen Shiel at the Cluanie Inn, so after travelling to Scotland the day before I caught a bus from Inverness past woodland beautifully strewn with bluebells to reach the Cluanie Inn where it was raining lightly. After walking beside the road for almost a mile I reached the clear track that heads over An Caorann Mór towards Glen Affric while behind me the views over depleted Loch Cluanie opened as I started to climb.

The rain had been short-lived and there was hardly any wind, which is often a welcome change when walking over mountains where it is usually very windy, though on this occasion I would have appreciated some wind as it would have cooled me as I slowly climbed the track. Soon, I became hot, which prompted me to take off my cagoule while straining under the weight of my heavy rucksack that I was not used to carrying and was weighed down with all the food I would need for the next five days. I hadn’t endured such a heavy load since my walk along the Hebridean Way in August 2017, and I was feeling all the weight as despite my rucksack doing its best to spread the load it couldn’t hide it from my legs. The good track was a bonus and a joy to walk upon and seemed to have seen some recent improvements that made me hopeful for the rest of the path, though this was not to be as the track eventually began to deteriorate with pools of water that I had to dodge around. However, these pools just added to the interest as beside the expected pond skaters on top, there were also tadpoles swimming around underneath.

Eventually the track came to an end beside a small herd of deer, possibly the same one that I had seen on this path in 2016, and beyond this point I had to make my way along a sketchy, boggy path over the pass while it briefly started to rain again. When I reached the Allt Coire a’ Ghlas-thuill I stopped beside the stream to have my lunch at the point where I had planned to turn uphill to climb Mullach Froach-choire, which is a mountain I had not succeeded in reaching in 2016 due to bad weather, but the weather was no better on this occasion. Therefore, after eating, I continued along the slender path that heads down the other side of the pass into Glen Affric. I had assumed there was a good path down, but if I had checked I would have discovered that the path into the valley is notoriously boggy, despite how popular this route might be. While struggling through the bogs the distinctive peak of Sgùrr nan Ceathreamhnan appeared through the clouds ahead of me continually taunting me about where I could be walking at that moment. As I came down to the bottom of the valley any trace of a path disappeared amongst the bogs which made me think I’d gone the wrong way and I possibly had as maps indicate the best path keeps high away from the river.

As it started to rain again, and heavily, I battled through the bogs to higher ground and finally made my way to the bridge over the River Affric not far from the Alltbeithe Youth Hostel, whose setting at the head of Glen Affric must be one of the best. There I found an excellent path, and with the rain ending and a cuckoo merrily singing away I had an enjoyable walk into Fionngleann on a path that was a joy after the miserable bogs I had just endured while coming down from the pass. Just as I came near the Camban Bothy it started to rain again and this time there was no end in sight, so despite the early hour I decided to stop and join the others who were staying there for the night. All I could do was hope for better weather on the following day. This was a short but enjoyable walk, when I had a good path under foot, which is always an important requirement for me. Despite not going to the top of any mountains it was still great to be walking amongst them.