The Headwaters of Three Burns

This walk explores the headwaters of three beautiful burns which drain the eastern part of the bowl-shaped depression formed within the circular outcrop of the Great Eucrite. The walk is flexible in length, and there is only one fence to cross.

On a winter's day we left the car at the small bridge on the Kilchoan-Achnaha road at NM474674, near which is a gate by which the deer fence can be crossed. The bridge spans the first of the burns, Allt Uamha na Muice, which drains northwestwards towards Achnaha before reaching the sea at Sanna. The gaunt ridge on one's right includes the heights of Creag an Airgid, the silver rock, and Meall Meadhoin, the middle hill.

Looking back towards the road, the outer wall of the Eucrite, in the shape of the great ridge called Beinn na h-Imeilte, the hill of many streams, curves round an inner, lower ridge, Sidhean Mor, the hill of the small fairy.

The broken nature of the ground is characteristic of glacial deposition. In one place, pictured below, the burn cuts through a distinct ridge across its valley, exposing a jumble of boulders. These were dumped by a glacier as it retreated, forming a dam which the stream later breached.

As we progressed further round the 'bowl', we crossed the small streams that form the headwaters of Allt Nead an Fhir-eoin. These little burns drain towards the abandoned crofting village of Glendrian, seen in the middle distance in the picture below, with Sgurr nan Gabhar, the peak of goats, and the Isle of Muck beyond. At any stage one can follow these streams down to Glendrian, and take the track from there back to the road.

Further on one crosses a small watershed, so the streams drain into Allt Mhic Cailein, which cuts the Eucrite ring through the gorge called Bealach Mor to reach the sea just to the east of Rubha Carrach, commonly called the Cat's Face.

Note: This is rough walking, and there is no mobile signal.

The land belongs to Ardnamurchan Estate.

A map is here.