DAY 87
TUESDAY 27 MAY, 2014
DRUIMINDARROCH TO LOCHAILORT
11 MILES 9 HOURS
MORRIS, PHIL, KEITH, DEREK, ALEX, BILLY, STEWART, ALAN J AND PAUL
TOTAL DISTANCE WALKED SO FAR 1224.5 MILES
We enjoyed an excellent meal and a few pints in the very friendly Lochailort Hotel last evening and as a result we chose to eat there most nights on this trip. After breakfast we set off in the minibus to the start of the days walk round the Ardnish peninsula. To avoid a walk on the A830 road or the adjacent railway line we started the walk near Polnish, crossing the railway line and picking up the path shown on the O.S. map to Peanmeanach sands. This was a well walked undulating path, sometimes muddy, sometimes rocky which took us along the steep hillside above Loch Beag. On reaching the high point we left the path and made our way towards the point at Rubha Chaolais. Turning east we followed sheep tracks along the hillside before dropping down onto the lovely sands at Peanmeanach beach. Leaving the beach we kept close to the sea making our way towards the bay at Laggan and on past the island of Eilean Nan Trom. On reaching the point below Cruach an Aonaich our group split, some preferring to take a higher route while the others chose to keep near the sea edge. Both routes proved very challenging with some very steep climbs and scrambles and are not for the unfit or faint hearted. It had also started to rain which made the going more difficult and the 2.5 miles along the south side of the peninsula near the sea edge took two and a half hours to complete. From the bay at Camas Driseach it was a short road walk to the finish of the days walk at the Lochailort Hotel.
Summary; This proved to be a tougher walk than we had expected particularly the second half and was a test of our fitness. Some good paths and tracks to follow towards the Peanmeanach sands but nothing to make life easy thereafter.
Highs; Some great views all around the peninsula and a fabulous beach at Peanmeanach.
Lows; The heavy rain at the end.
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
- READY TO SET OFF FROM NEAR POLNISH
- CANT IMAGINE ANY VEHICLE CROSSING THIS BRIDGE
- LOOKING WEST ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF ARDNISH PENINSULA
- THE STEEP PATH UP THE HILLSIDE SHOWN ON THE O/S MAP
- LOOKING BACK ACROSS LOCH BEAG
- THE PATH STARTS TO FLATTEN OUT
- LOCH DOU A’ GHEARRAIN
- CRUACH AN FHEARAINN DUIBH
- LOOKING BACK ACROSS LOCH NAM UAMH
- LOOKING NORTH WEST TOWARDS EIGG AND RUM FROM THE HILLSIDE PATH
- LOOKING AHEAD TOWARDS THE POINT AT RUBHA CHAOLAIS
- LOOKING SOUTH TOWARDS LAGGAN BAY
- ON THE HIGH POINT AT CRUACH AN FHEARAINN DUBH
- A PHOTO CALL WITH YESTERDAYS WALK AND RUM AND EIGG IN THE BACKGROUND
- THE WAY AHEAD TO THE POINT AT RUBHA CHAOLAIS
- THE POINT AT RUBHA CHAOLAIS
- LOOKING DOWN AT PEANMEANACH SANDS
- PEANMEANACH SANDS
- ON PEANMEANACH SANDS
- THE SMALL ISLAND AT PEANMEANACH SANDS
- STEWART ON PEANMEANACH SANDS
- LOOKING BACK AT PEANMEANACH SANDS
- LOOKING AHEAD TOWARDS LAGGAN BAY
- CROSSING LAGGAN BAY
- LAGGAN BAY
- LAGGAN
- AT THE SEA EDGE LOOKING DOWN THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PENINSULA
- ALEX AT THE SEA EDGE LOOKING FOR A WAY AHEAD
- VIEW DOWN LOCHAILORT
- VIEW ACROSS LOCHAILORT
- ALEX MAKING HIS WAY CAREFULLY ALONG THE STEEP HILLSIDE
- LOOKING BACK WEST ALONG A RAINY LOCH AILORT
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