After a week on the Isle of Skye and prior to returning to the mainland I decided to ascend the Marilyn, Roineval. The A863 Sligachan to Dunvegan Road, west of the Sligachan Hotel and through Glen Drynoch, had a covering of snow from an earlier shower. North of the hamlet of Drynoch and south of Inver Meadale I located the start of the vehicle track up Brae Meadale parking at the wide bellmouth. Beyond the gate a farmer was feeding his sheep but by the time I set off he had driven further up the track.
I walked east up the snow covered vehicle track passing between the feeding sheep to reach another gate leading to the open hillside. Here I met the farmer who was feeding another flock. He classed himself as a crofter despite keeping over 500 sheep and some cattle. He had no objection to where I left my car. I also learned that there were no cattle or horses on the open hillside, as reports from other walkers mentioned a problem with horses, but according to the crofter they were owned by his daughter and were now fewer in number and just looking for food.
![Track up Brae Meadale](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/01-Track-up-Brae-Meadale.jpg)
The vehicle track appeared to have recently been improved possibly for timber extraction so the walking was easy with a gradual height gain. Prior to reaching the Bealach Mor I left the track, lost a small amount of height, to cross a mixture of frozen and wet ground to reach what appeared to be the remnants of an old stone dyke.
![Roineval](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/02-Roineval.jpg)
This led to a stock fence and once over it I climbed through some straggly heather at the edge of a small stream. By this time cloud had engulfed Roineval’s summit.
![Approaching summit of Roineval](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/03-Approaching-summit-of-Roineval.jpg)
The gradient increased and there were a few patches of old snow to cross as I headed for a gap in the rocks then made my way towards the summit as the cloud lifted.
On reaching the trig point the cloud lowered again so I sat there waiting for it to clear. It eventually lifted and I got some views back to Brae Meadale and across Glen Tungadal towards Portree. I also had a wander around the some of the rocky sections on this fairly large summit area as the cloud broke over the Cuillin.
![Loch Harport and approach route](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/04-Loch-Harport-and-approach-route.jpg)
![Bealach Mor and Monadh Meadale](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/05-Bealach-Mor-and-Monadh-Meadale.jpg)
![Glen Tungadal and towards Portree](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/06-Glen-Tungadal-and-towards-Portree.jpg)
![Glenmore and Skriaig](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/07-Glenmore-and-Skriaig.jpg)
![Towards Dun Caan, Isle of Raasay](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/08-Towards-Dun-Caan-Isle-of-Raasay.jpg)
![Ben Lee](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/09-Ben-Lee.jpg)
![Cloud lifting from the Cuillin](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/10-Cloud-lifting-from-the-Cuillin.jpg)
The return was by the ascent route but by this time most of the mornings snow had melted.
- Time taken – 2.75 hours.
- Distance – 7.75 kilometres.
- Height climbed – 370 metres.