Hills above Lochluichart Wind Farm

Dawn was approaching as I arrived and parked in the hamlet of Lochluichart, located on the A832 Garve to Achnasheen Road. I then walked a short distance north along the main road to the start of the vehicle track (grid ref NH330634) that headed up through the trees on the west side of the Allt Ceann Loch Luichart, later crossing the stream to a junction of tracks.

Dawn and start of walk
Dawn and start of walk

Here I went left and headed up the vehicle track on the east side of the stream. As I progressed up this track the sun rose but cloud cover prevented its appearance until later that morning.

Loch Luichart and Sgurr Marcasaidh
Loch Luichart and Sgurr Marcasaidh
Sunrise
Sunrise

The track led passed a hydro electric generating station then north-west towards the Lochluichart Wind Farm. Here I was overtaken by a couple of vehicles which had been parked at the generating station. Later I spotted them at one of the wind turbines which wasn’t in operation.

The main track through the wind turbines ran north-east before tuning north and after around three kilometres I left the main track and walked along the track to wind turbine 306. From there I climbed through rough vegetation, mosses and deer grass to the summit of the Sub Dodd, Meallan Caoruinn, where young stags were feeding.

Stag
Stag
Meall nan Caorach
Meall nan Caorach
Am Faochagach
Am Faochagach

It was calm and mild so I took a break here before descending west, the stags were still nearby, to the col with Meall nan Caorach before climbing to the summit of this Sub Simm which was marked by an outcrop.

Stags
Stags
Carn na Beiste and Meallan Buidhe. Strathconon Corbetts beyond
Carn na Beiste and Meallan Buidhe. Strathconon Corbetts beyond
Carn na Beiste, Meallan Buidhe and Loch Fannich
Carn na Beiste, Meallan Buidhe and Loch Fannich
The Beinn Dearg Munro Group
The Beinn Dearg Munro Group
Loch Glascarnoch Dam and the Aultguish Inn
Loch Glascarnoch Dam and the Aultguish Inn

I then descended south and climbed Meall Mhic Iomhair, the highest point of this Tump being an outcrop ten metres west of the cairn.

Loch Mhic Iomhair. Meallan a' Mhuthaidh Mor beyond
Loch Mhic Iomhair. Meallan a’ Mhuthaidh Mor beyond

It was a steep descent south-west later crossing a quad vehicle track then some wet and boggy ground to the north of Loch Mhic Iomhair.

Route off Meall Mhic Iomhair
Route off Meall Mhic Iomhair

From there I climbed south onto Meallan a’ Mhuthaidh Mor, where an outcrop marked the highpoint of this Hump. I also visited the summit two hundred metres to the south which was possibly equally as high but there was no sign of the small cairn that was supposed to mark its highpoint.

Loch Fannich and the Fannich Munros
Loch Fannich and the Fannich Munros
Loch Luichart and Sgurr Marcasaidh
Loch Luichart and Sgurr Marcasaidh

The descent south from the South Top of Meallan a’ Mhuthaidh Mor involved two rather steep sections to gain the wet and boggy col with Meallan a’ Mhuthaidh Beag before the climb to the summit of this Tump, which was marked by an outcrop.

Meallan Buidhe and Carn na Beiste
Meallan Buidhe and Carn na Beiste
Graham Top Beinn Dearg and Beinn Liath Mhor a' Ghiubhais Li
Graham Top Beinn Dearg and Beinn Liath Mhor a’ Ghiubhais Li
Loch Luichart
Loch Luichart

From there I headed east to the south of Loch nam Fiadh crossing some rough and wet ground en-route to Creag Mhor. Once across this slight rise the descent took me south-east through some long vegetation and a few boulders to the deer fence west of the Allt Ceann Loch Luichart and the crossroads junction from earlier that morning. I crossed some wooden slats in the deer fence then made the short walk down the vehicle track to the main road and Lochluichart.

Meallan a' Mhuthaidh Mor and Meall Mhic Iomhair
Meallan a’ Mhuthaidh Mor and Meall Mhic Iomhair
  • Time taken – 6.5 hours.
  • Distance – 17.5 kilometres.
  • Height climbed – 850 metres.