Beinn an Leathaid, the broad hill, is the feature that dominates the view from the cairn, at the point where the Kilmory and Fascadale road leaves the main B8007 Kilchoan-Salen road. We set off to climb it on a fine morning, our only companions on the lower slopes being a few blackface sheep and small groups of red deer hinds.The initial approach, up the spine of the hill, is straightforward enough....
....though it's a steady and unrelenting slog. We stopped on the 250m contour to look southwestwards, across the open valley of Allt Choire Mhuillinn, the stream of the mill in the hollow, to the Sound and Mull.
As we climbed, so more of the view to the east became visible. This looks across the stream that leaves Loch Mudle and runs north. In its first section it's called Allt an Doire Dharaich, the burn of the oak grove, but later it becomes the Achateny Water. Nestling alone in this beautiful valley, which is filled with red deer throughout the year, is one of Ardnamurchan Estate's letting houses, the Braehouse, details here.
We worked our way along the eastern flank of Beinn an Leathaid, which became steeper and steeper. This picture looks down on the Achateny water, with the village of Branault in the centre, and Kilmory, on the north coast of Ardnamurchan, away to the left.
Branault is a compact little village, but it has only one remaining working farm. It used to support a number of small crofts but these have gone, the broken walls of their houses being just visible in the bottom left of the photo.
Kilmory is a more dispersed village, its land still worked as crofts. It's heartening to see a new house which has just been built, to centre left of the picture, which will be occupied all the year round by one of our posties.
....though it's a steady and unrelenting slog. We stopped on the 250m contour to look southwestwards, across the open valley of Allt Choire Mhuillinn, the stream of the mill in the hollow, to the Sound and Mull.
As we climbed, so more of the view to the east became visible. This looks across the stream that leaves Loch Mudle and runs north. In its first section it's called Allt an Doire Dharaich, the burn of the oak grove, but later it becomes the Achateny Water. Nestling alone in this beautiful valley, which is filled with red deer throughout the year, is one of Ardnamurchan Estate's letting houses, the Braehouse, details here.
We worked our way along the eastern flank of Beinn an Leathaid, which became steeper and steeper. This picture looks down on the Achateny water, with the village of Branault in the centre, and Kilmory, on the north coast of Ardnamurchan, away to the left.
Branault is a compact little village, but it has only one remaining working farm. It used to support a number of small crofts but these have gone, the broken walls of their houses being just visible in the bottom left of the photo.
Kilmory is a more dispersed village, its land still worked as crofts. It's heartening to see a new house which has just been built, to centre left of the picture, which will be occupied all the year round by one of our posties.A map of the area is here.
Many thanks to Moira Fisher for help with the Gaelic translation.
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