Grey Corries; Quinag; and Morven

Grey Corries - Stob Choire Claurigh, Stob Coire an Laugh and Sgurr Choinnich Mòr

For four out of our group of five assembled at the meet-up point, the Grey Corries would be new ground.  Only Richard had previously stepped foot on these hills, back in 1995.  The weather that day was apparently a bit mixed and not as good as today's forecast and Richard, like everyone else, was looking forward to good views from the Grey Corries ridge.

 The relatively gentle gradient on the stroll through the plantation was the perfect warm-up for the ascent ahead.  Upon exiting the southern end of the plantation at about 350 metres, it's a steady climb for about 3 kilometres or so to the summit of Stob Choire Claurigh at a height of 1,177 metres.       The ascent started off pleasantly enough, with a nice bit of warmth from the sun but as we gained height the wind strengthened and it became progressively chillier.  Eventually reaching the rim of Coire na Ceannain, we sought out a sheltered spot for a short break. 

Following the coire rim up toward Stob Choire Claurigh, we picked our way across the quartzite scree littering the slopes of the Grey Corries.  There were still patches of snow dotted about here and there. 

From the summit of Stob Choire Claurigh, the ridge snaking out in a westerly direction to Stob Coire an Laoigh looked impressive.  Walking at a leisurely pace, we progressed along the ridge, picking our way through the quartzite scree, buffeted by the wind which was quite strong in places.  Thankfully conditions overhead improved, with the sun occasionally breaking through.  We took the opportunity to stop now and again in sheltered spots to get relief from the wind and to take in the views.  On one such stop we watched as a couple of ravens took advantage of the wind and glided effortlessly along the ridge, surveying their territory.

Reaching Stob Coire an Laoigh around 2pm we had a decision to make - press on to Sgurr Choinnich Mor or bale out and head for home.  The unanimous decision was to press on. From the summit of Stob Coire an Laoigh, a slight descent then a shorter bit of ascent brought us on to the top of Stob Coire Easain.  From this spot, facing north points you in the direction of the descent route.  We headed southwards, taking our time descending the broken, rocky ground leading from the summit of Stob Coire Easain as we were still being buffeted by the wind.  Crossing Bealach Coire Easain, the ascent looked steep.  But it didn't take long before we were striding along the well-defined ridge path to Sgurr Choinnich Mor's summit.  It really is a fine hill and a fantastic viewpoint.  Everyone was glad to have made the extra effort.

 Retracing our steps to the bealach we contoured round the western slopes of Stob Coire Easain to join the descent route further along the ridge.  A careful crossing of a short steep section of scree and we were on grassy slopes, making good progress up towards the descent ridge.  It was easy going made all the better by a nice bit of sunshine.  Reaching the descent path, we had good views back towards the main Grey Corries ridge.

 It was all going well until we reached a deer fence which stopped us in our tracks.  No gate or stile was visible.  A quick check of our maps proved fruitless as no path was marked.  Thankfully, Sharan had downloaded the route map onto her phone and we were directed to a spot 200 metres or so to the west of where we had come face-to-face with the fence.  This involved a bit of ascent and at this point in the day it was not welcome.  Through a gate, we continued down into the forestry plantation, eventually reaching signposted tracks pointing us back to our starting point.  It had been a long but excellent day.  

Taking part: Brian (with Monty), Sharan, Paul, Richard and guest, Shirley

Words: Brian

Photos: Brian

 Quinag - Spidean Coinich, Sail Gharbh and Sail Gorm

Five members, one guest and a dog  got off to a shaky start on Quinag when Nell discovered she didn't have her phone. Thinking she might have left it on the car roof, John gallantly offered to run back down the hill (we'd just turned off at the first fork) to check. Once reunited with the phone (which was in the car, not on it) the party carried on up to the first summit of the day, Spidean Coinich, where we enjoyed a bite to eat and some fabulous, though a tad hazy, views.

We then carried on to the Bealach a' Chornaidh where Mairi and Joanne elected to head to Sail Gharbh. The other four plus Trevor carried on along the ridge to Sail Ghorm where we again enjoyed another bite to eat and some more views. The final summit of the day, Sail Gharbh was then achieved though we didn't linger there as the wind was getting up and the temperature decidedly chillier than earlier. We were soon back in the car park and all were agreed that Quinag is a grand hill and we'd had a most enjoyable day on it.

Taking part: Matt, Joanne, May, Mairi, Nell with guest, John and dog, Trevor

Words: Nell

Photos: Nell

 Morven

I am not a cyclist!  When your companion on a mountain bike gets back to the car more quickly than you - on an electric bike - that conclusion is clear.  In fairness, he took a more sensible  route and I claim to be having problems with my electric drive.

Jim and I had decided to cycle from Berriedale to Wag  beside  Langwell Water to tackle Morven by its south side rather than the usual route from the east. This was not in the least because Jim had been told by the keeper that it was less steep and so, easier.

We walked easily over the peat bogs which guard the headwaters of Langwell Water. It had been a very dry spring, but also because the drainage channels which were cut more than 50 years ago are now being blocked as part of a peatland restoration scheme. The mini dams of peat across the channels provided a convenient path through the bog.  How long that will last as the bog regenerates, I wonder.  Other dams were also introduced to stop peat run off and improve the water quality and the salmon fishing on Langwell Water.

Our way up Morven was straightforward - but still seemed steep to us, despite our local information.  A strong wind blew up about a hundred metres below the summit, but the summit itself was calm. We lingered for a while taking in the views of the Flow country, over to Hoy and the Orkney mainland, the mountains of the North West - Ben Loyal, Ben Hope, Ben Klibreck and Foinaven, round to Ben Rinnes across the Moray Firth. There is a lot of space and big skies in this part of Scotland.

Our descent was equally straightforward and we dropped down to the Allt Preas Bhealaich to have a look at the remains of the iron age aisled-houses marked on the map. These houses have a gallery or passage along one side roofed with large slabs. Our wags - as they are also called - were fairly dilapidated and stone had probably been pillaged to build the circular sheep fank close by.  The whole length of Langwell Water and nearby Berridale Water have so many wags, brochs, souterrains and other historical features that they are well worth a visit.

Our chosen route gets a mention in the SMT Grahams and Donalds guide and is well worth exploring, but it is also worth contacting the keeper beforehand to avoid having to manhandle bikes over a locked gate.

Taking part: Jim and Arthur

Words; Arthur

Photos: Jim and Arthur