This Article first appeared in
AAC(UK) Newsletter 172
published Winter 2006

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Our intention is to populate this right hand column with photographs taken on this meet. If you attended the meet, have good digital photographs which might be appropriate, and would be willing to see them displayed here, please send them to our Webmaster. If you would like to see examples of how we would use them, please see either the Solu Khumbu article from Newsletter 170 or the Dolomites Camping article from Newsletter 176

Last updated  04 December 2007

 

Kintail Meet 2006

by Martin Haydon

It doesn't get better than this, I thought, as we sat atop Sgurr nan Saighead, the last major summit of the Five Sisters of Kintail. We didn't even have to save the best weather for this expedition, because we had sunshine and clear skies for most of the week, The ridge stretched far behind us, revealing our day's enjoyment, with views to our left of Loch Duich, Loch Alsh and the line of the Skye bridge, crossing the ragged shoreline to the magic Cuillin.

Saighead isn't a Munro but it should be, quite separate from Sgurr Fhuaran, the highest in the region, and com­manding exquisite views to the north west; like sitting on the prow of some giant sailing ship. With Sgurr na Carnach being declassified by the 'Munro invisibles', this walk rewarded us with just two, on what is genuinely a big enterprise. Still the ridge is not about Munros or counting summits, but a splendid and magnificent day, especially when done from the forest by the Battle of Glensheil memorial all the way back to Kintail Outdoor Centre at Morvich, where we were lucky to be staying.

The centre, owned by the National Trust of Scotland, is perfectly situated for forays to the north and south ridges of Kintail and much more beyond. I am used to big groups, usu­ally having to turn away members as they seek the available places in an effort to get away from the boring grind of life in the dusty and polluted cities. This time we just made the minimum numbers required by the Centre, but those who came left with memories of wonderful weather, scenery, friendship and an exciting itinerary of walks, scrambles, strolls,garden visits and boat rides to see seals and sea birds. There were pre-dinner drinks, a glühwein evening, a communal "'haggis" dinner and the week concluded at the splendidly situated Kintail Lodge Hotel, where we dined on our farewell evening.

We had started our week by doing the underrated A'Ghlas Beinn, which has commanding views of Beinn Fhada. Returning via the south ridge to Balach an Sgairne, one is rewarded by a gently craggy descent and then a walk down dramatic and beautiful Glean Choinneachain, with its wonder­ful aromatic smells and new plantings of birch and rowan. Our evenings were absorbed by views from our dinner tables of pink and mauve sun-sets across a backcloth of hills and the gentle sounds of the River Crow, as we planned more for the 'morrow.

Munros or not, we did amass 57 of them, plus 28 'Tops', 2 Corbetts and another 25 summits, not bad for a group of eight who do not admit to being Munroists! Mind you, we did have the guidance and experience of one completed Munro exponent, who also happens to be a gluhwein expert!

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Last updated:    04 December 2007