The Track East of Ockle

From the tiny settlement of Ockle (population: 1), a track runs eastwards across rugged hills towards Gortenfern and the Singing Sands. As it rises from the Ockle valley it passes an almost perfectly round lochan with a ring of lily pads. Most lochans are ice-formed. One wonders what mechanism produced this one: a small meteorite impact?

Beyond it, there are spectacular views north across the Minch to the Lesser Isles of Eigg, Muck and Rhum, and further to Skye and the Cuillins, and northeast to the mainland coast of Moidart, but it is the fierce grandeur of the surrounding scenery that holds the walker's attention. The underlying rock is Moine, billion-year old sediments of sand, mud and oozes which were crushed and heated when they were buried in the core of a mountain chain, later to be lifted and exposed to the recent glaciation. There is little soil above this hard base, so it offers ideal conditions for the growth of heather.

The track is good walking, and passable in a 4WD as far as the secluded valley of Eilagadale (or Elgadale, elg, noble, dalr, dale), where there is a single, remote house. Looking down on the valley, we wondered whether it had once supported several families, but there are no obvious signs of field systems or stone buildings without closer investigation.

Beyond Eilagadale, the way deteriorates into a narrow, barely-visible path that fights its way through heather and rough grass, clinging to hillsides and fording small streams. We walked it yesterday to enjoy the annual display of heather, which is not quite as spectacular this year as in 2007, but well worth the effort. We were out in warm sunshine for over two hours and, once clear of Ockle itself, where we talked with its one resident, Dougie Cameron, we didn't see another soul.

Map of the area is here.