Parked in a small quarry on the west side of the minor road leading to Leidchruich Farm, accessed from the town of Dingwall, and briefly walked north along this road to a stock gate. This gave access to the vehicle track, flooded in places, leading to Strath Sgitheach and the crossing of the Abhainn Sgitheach. Here there were stepping stones across the burn but the bridge had recently been repaired although the warning signs to stay off the bridge remained.
I opted to use the bridge then continued north-west along the track in the drizzle and low cloud with little to see other than some sheep. Near the col between Cioch Beag and Meall a’ Ghuall I crossed a stile then climbed west on a wet and peaty track onto Cioch Beag then to the Tump, Cioch Mhor, the summit marked by a small cairn.
With no views I returned to the vehicle tack then continued to the col where I left the track and commenced the ascent of Meall a’ Ghuall. The vegetation consisted of heather and soft mossy ground making for slow progress. Eventually I reached the summit of this Tump which was apparently a tussock of grass although I couldn’t tell which one so visited a few before heading off in a north-easterly direction.
The underfoot conditions here weren’t any better, then later included waterlogged peat hags which were a bit difficult to traverse. A deer fence was reached and crossed then it was through some stunted trees to reach the cairn on Cnoch nan Each. A heathery mound was supposed to mark the highest point of this Tump but I couldn’t tell which one so visited a few.
Due to the difficult underfoot conditions I didn’t fancy returning to the vehicle track by my ascent route so after returning to and crossing the deer fence I headed below Meall a’ Ghuall where the vegetation was a slight improvement on what I had encountered higher up. I continued in a south-westerly direction and on approaching the vehicle track the cloud began to lift and the drizzle eased. On reaching the track I followed it back to the start.
- Time taken – 4.25 hours.
- Distance – 11.5 kilometres.
- Height climbed – 435 metres.