Aruindle Bunkhouse Weekend, Strontian
The Corran Ferry was still out of action. So fourteen club members, prospective members and guests took the winding single track road down Loch Linnie towards Strontian and the Ariundle Bunkhouse where we were staying for the weekend. An advance party including Steve, Ewen, Jim, Dan, Irene and Ian journeyed to the Ardnamurchan Distillery as part of a wider group to sample the two casks of whisky in which they have shares. They certainly seemed very pleased with themselves on their arrival at Ariundle on Friday evening.
Friday saw fairly mixed weather, but undeterred Becky and Jan walked round the Ariundle Oakwoods walk on a rather damp afternoon. And Dan and Irene headed for Ben Hiant before sampling their whisky.
Dan writes:
On Friday Irene and I opted to go up the highest point of Ardnamurchan. Although Ben Hiant is modest in height at 528m it was a great hill to ascend on a blustery day with nice views towards Mull, Eigg and Rum. There was also a purported sea eagle sighting. We then found some warmth sampling the local distillery produce.
Saturday was the best day of the weekend and saw parties on Ben Resipol, Sithean na Raplaich and Sgurr Dhomhnuill.
Dan again:
On Saturday we went up Ben Resipol from Ariundle and managed to join Michael at the beginning and end of his walk. There was lots of bog and peat hags to negotiate but the clear sunny sky kept a spring in our step before finding a faint stalkers path up the hill itself. There were terrific views all round to the islands and mainland with the wind and cloud only beginning to build towards the end of the descent. It was a lovely hill to have to ourselves on such a nice clear day with the food and company at the Ariundle centre being an extra reward.
Steve writes:
Ewen, Ian, Jim and Steve made their way to Morvern for a day on the rarely climbed Sithean na Raplaich, whose 551m summit is defended by a long craggy escarpment and forest originally planted by evacuees from Hirta who were working for the Forestry Commission in the area. Being the high point of the area between Loch Arianes and the Sound of Mull, the summit provided excellent views, including towards the Ardnamurchan Distillery and the small isles behind. To vary the descent they visited the abandoned township of Aioneadh Mòr whose population was evicted in 1824 and sent to the factories of Glasgow, with the final part of the day spent descending through ancient oakwoods.
Arthur writes:
A group of seven - Jan, Becky, Arthur, Robin, Federica, Calum and Chris headed for Sgurr Dhomhnuill - the highest mountain in Ardour and importantly for Robin and Arthur, a Corbett which neither of them had climbed. Our route started through the Ariundle Oakwoods, remnants of the original native oakwood of West Scotland and now a National Nature Reserve. The track led us to the Fee Donald lead mine which was amongst the earliest to be established in the area in 1727 and was worked intermittently until 1871 when the price of lead crashed. This is only one of the mines on a seam extending for 7km. Most recent working in the 1980s was open cast working for barites for the oil industry at the Bellsgrove mine and, of course, Strontianite was first discovered in these mines.
Relaxing on the spoil heaps from the mine we inconclusively debated the wisdom of filling water bottles from the adjacent stream and set off up Druim Leac a’ Sgiathain to Sgurr na h-ighinn and steeply, but easily to Sgurr Dhomhnuill’s summit. Stags roared in the glen below, but we saw nothing of them. The wildlife highlight was a red admiral butterfly mistakenly attracted to Robin’s new yellow top (yes, yellow).
Some of the group rounded off the day with a very nice meal in the Ariundle Centre restaurant. Then it started to rain and on Sunday morning all hill plans for the day were abandoned with people setting off for home or for coffee shops - except Jan, who went for a run round the oakwoods tracks.
Taking part: Steve, Dan, Irene, Ewen, Arthur, Jan, Becky, Robin, Michael, Jim, prospective members Federica and Chris, and guests Calum and Ian.
Words: Dan, Steve and Arthur Photos: Dan, Steve, Michael and Arthur
