Meall an Tarmachain

Meall an Tarmachain, Ptarmigan Hill, stands in the broken high ground a few kilometres north of Kilchoan - this picture is taken from its summit, looking down on Lochan a' Choire Chruinn. After Ben Hiant, 528m, and Meall nan Con, 437m, at 405m it's the highest hill on this end of Ardnamurchan. Sadly, the ptarmigan after which it is named, a member of the grouse family which favours the sort of terrain of this area, is no longer seen.

Th easiest approach for a walk to the summit is from the Sanna road, following the track up to the Kilchoan water works at NM483651, and then following this stream, the Abheinn Chro Bheinn, upstream until the Ardnamurchan estate fence comes into view, before turning due north and following a long shoulder to the summit. It's a relatively easy walk, with sheep tracks to follow in the valley and, on the slopes above, the grass fairly short with little in the way of bracken or thick stands of heather; but the upper slopes are steep. Doing the walk in July, we had to tread carefully through Marsh Spotted Orchid, Bog Aspodels and the first-flowering heather.

The views from the top are breathtaking, a full 360 degree sweep of westernmost Ardnamurchan. One looks almost straight down onto Kilchoan itself - this picture shows Kilchoan Bay, Kilchoan village and, to the right, the township of Orsmaigbeg, with the Sound of Mull and Mull itself in the distance.

The small crofting township of Achnaha, seen in the centre foreground, lies to the northwest. Beyond it stands the lumpy hill called Meall Sanna, while the road to Sanna can be seen skirting the hills of the ring dyke.

Clearly visible to the north lie Canna (in the left distance), Muck (to the left), Rhum (in the centre distance), Eigg (to the right) and, in the right distance, the Cuillins of Skye.

The day we climbed Meall an Tarmachain, we had hardly sat down on the summit before a golden eagle came soaring over to inspect us; then, on our return down the valley to the water works, we almost trod on an adder.