The land to the west of Ormsaigbeg is remote and exposed, and the walking tough. It's not an area to be approached without care and preparation, and we only enter it in settled weather. That said, it is superb walking.
Because the crofts occupy the full length of Ormsaigbeg, and not many of them have access up to the common grazings through their fields above the road, the easiest route is from the end of the road, by walking through the track which goes to the Twin's House and through the gate beyond, then up the scree slope.
Once out on the common grazings one can walk for miles, but the route westwards is blocked by a spur of rocky land which runs down to the sea. A blue star marks the approximate point where an old droving track works its way round this spur, which brings one into....
....a north-south running glen beyond which rises Dubh Creag. It isn't a difficult hill to climb from the east side but be aware that the black crag to which the name refers is on the west side - and it is very steep. Climbing it is well worth the trouble for....
....the views which open up to the north and northwest. The two lochans are called
Lochan Dubha and the further is
Loch Caorach, while the hill to the right is
Beinn nan Ord.
This whole area is great for walking - there's only once fence between this point and the lighthouse, just visible in the distance, but to reach
Lochan na Cloiche....
....one has to work one's way westwards, across the trend of the rocks, threading through the lumpy hills and keeping a close eye on the map as....
....the little lochan doesn't appear until one is almost on top of it.
It's one of the most peaceful lochans on western Ardnamurchan, little visited by anyone and rarely even by the local hill sheep.
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