Yesterday started with low cloud and hardly a breath of wind, yet held all the promise of a fine day. So, with the sun out by early afternoon, The Diary set off to climb the ridge that runs north of, and parallel to the Ormsaigbeg road. Called
Druim na Gearr Leacainn (map
here), it is formed of a hard igneous rock called gabbro, and is part of the great ring dyke of Centre 2 (post
here). The road runs along the 30m contour, and the climb goes straight up to over 250m in a horizontal distance of about 1,000m.
On the steep slopes the bell heather is beginning to come out, the best often being at the bottom of the outcrops of the cone sheets, steeply dipping intrusions of igneous rock which form distinctive scarps along the hillside.
The wind, a northwesterly blowing at force 4 to 5, came bouncing over the the top of the ridge. Little wonder that no heather grows there, the main vegetation being a hardy grass. This view looks northeastwards, across the twin lochans (
Lochain Ghleann Locha, the lochans in a narrow valley) to the distant summit of
Meall an Tarmachain, which we climbed last week.
The eastern end of the ridge looks straight down on Kilchoan village and Kilchoan Bay with its scattering of small boats. In the distance is Ben Hiant and the entrance to Loch Sunart, while in the foreground is the rounded
Tom na Moine, the knoll of the peat moor.
In places, even the easiest decent was almost 45-degree, but one could not help stopping frequently to enjoy the view. After Sunday, when it rained for most of the day, it was wonderful to be out roaming the hills in perfect walking weather.
Yesterday started with low cloud and hardly a breath of wind, yet held all the promise of a fine day. So, with the sun out by early afternoon, The Diary set off to climb the ridge that runs north of, and parallel to the Ormsaigbeg road. Called Druim na Gearr Leacainn (map here), it is formed of a hard igneous rock called gabbro, and is part of the great ring dyke of Centre 2 (post here). The road runs along the 30m contour, and the climb goes straight up to over 250m in a horizontal distance of about 1,000m.
On the steep slopes the bell heather is beginning to come out, the best often being at the bottom of the outcrops of the cone sheets, steeply dipping intrusions of igneous rock which form distinctive scarps along the hillside.
The wind, a northwesterly blowing at force 4 to 5, came bouncing over the the top of the ridge. Little wonder that no heather grows there, the main vegetation being a hardy grass. This view looks northeastwards, across the twin lochans (Lochain Ghleann Locha, the lochans in a narrow valley) to the distant summit of Meall an Tarmachain, which we climbed last week.
The eastern end of the ridge looks straight down on Kilchoan village and Kilchoan Bay with its scattering of small boats. In the distance is Ben Hiant and the entrance to Loch Sunart, while in the foreground is the rounded Tom na Moine, the knoll of the peat moor.
In places, even the easiest decent was almost 45-degree, but one could not help stopping frequently to enjoy the view. After Sunday, when it rained for most of the day, it was wonderful to be out roaming the hills in perfect walking weather.
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