I left my vehicle in a small parking area adjacent to a passing place on the A838, Lairg to Laxford Bridge Road, west of Loch Merkland , (NC357334) during a heavy shower which had eased as I walked briefly west on the A838 to a stalker’s path.
This path initially crossed the Allt Ceann Locha via a wooden bridge then zigzagged south between a couple of plantations, the westerly one had been harvested.
![Start of walk and bridge over the Allt Ceann Locha](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01-Start-of-walk-and-bridge-over-the-Allt-Ceann-Locha.jpg)
Lower down the path had a new lair of stones covering it but that wasn’t the case higher up where it was a bit wet.
At the col between Meall na Leitreach and Meall an Fheaur Loch I left this path and climbed north-west to the summit of the Hump, Meall na Leitreach.
![Loch Merkland and Ben Hee](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/02-Loch-Merkland-and-Ben-Hee.jpg)
![Meall an Fheur Loch](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/03-Meall-an-Fheur-Loch.jpg)
![Meallan a' Chuail and Drochaid Beinn Leoid](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/04-Meallan-a-Chuail-and-Drochaid-Beinn-Leoid.jpg)
![Ruigh a' Chnoic Mhoir. Beinn Leoid beyond](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/05-Ruigh-a-Chnoic-Mhoir.-Beinn-Leoid-beyond.jpg)
I thereafter returned towards the col before descending west to join the path running between Loch More and Loch Dubh. After a short walk south I crossed the Allt Srath nan Aisinnin and climbed to the summit of the Tump, Ruigh a’ Chnoic Mhoir, disturbing some stags.
![Glas Choire, Beinn Leoid](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/06-Glas-Choire-Beinn-Leoid.jpg)
![Route to Sail na Slataich](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/07-Route-to-Sail-na-Slataich.jpg)
From this hill I descended south-west to below Glas Choire, avoiding some of the peat hags, and climbed to the col between Beinn Leoid and its North Top, Sail na Slataich, before ascending the latter.
![Beinn Leoid and its West Top](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/08-Beinn-Leoid-and-its-West-Top.jpg)
On returning to the col I headed below Beinn Leoid’s rocky North Face then to the west a grassy rake led to some boulders and onto the Bealach Beinn Leoid. It was then an easy walk to the summit of Beinn Leoid’s West Top, a Sub Simm.
![Beinn Leoid from its West Top](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/09-Beinn-Leoid-from-its-West-Top.jpg)
![Loch Shin](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/10-Loch-Shin.jpg)
![Ben More Assynt and Conival](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/11-Ben-More-Assynt-and-Conival.jpg)
I returned to Bealach Beinn Leoid then crossed a mixture of boulders and grassy, mossy vegetation to reach the trig point located within a circular cairn marking the summit of Beinn Leoid.
![Summit, Beinn Leoid](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/12-Summit-Beinn-Leoid.jpg)
![Quinag, Loch a' Chairn Bhain and Eddrachillis Bay](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/13-Quinag-Loch-a-Chairn-Bhain-and-Eddrachillis-Bay.jpg)
The descent east was across a few boulders on a walker’s path to reach the col at Drochaid Beinn Leoid where I met a chap who had just descended from Meallan a’ Chuail and was en-route to Beinn Leoid. He was the only person I saw all day. From the col I descended a fairly rough path, which was also overgrown in places, and took me passed Loch Dubh and along the east side of the Allt Srath nan Aisinnin.
![Allt Srath nan Aisinnin and Loch Strath nan Aisinnin](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/14-Allt-Srath-nan-Aisinnin-and-Loch-Strath-nan-Aisinnin.jpg)
Lower down I left this path and climbed over more rough ground to reach the stalker’s path at the stepping stones on the col between Meall na Leitreach and Meall an Fheaur Loch.
![Loch More, Arkle and Foinaven](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/15-Loch-More-Arkle-and-Foinaven.jpg)
![Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill and Carn an Tionail](https://scotlandhills.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/16-Meallan-Liath-Coire-Mhic-Dhughaill-and-Carn-an-Tionail.jpg)
It was then an easy descent back to the starting point by the upward route.
- Time taken 8 hours.
- Distance – 19 kilometres.
- Height climbed – 1290 metres.