Beinn nan Ord

With a fine day forecast, we were into the hills this morning as soon as we'd had breakfast, climbing towards the western end of the ridge, Druim na Gearr Leacainn, which runs along the back of Ormsaigbeg.  We paused by this glacial erratic, dumped on top of the ridge by a glacier some 10,000 years ago, to look across the Sound to Mull; the passing ship is the Ronja Pioneer, on her way to collect more salmon from the fish farm at Camas Glas.

Looking northwest, the whole of our planned walk lay before us.  The main objective was the small lochan just visible to the right of the white house - Grigadale Farm - on the right of the picture.  The lochan is another feature which, sadly, the OS 1:25,000 map doesn't name, but it lies below our second objective, the summit of the long ridge of Beinn nan Ord - ord means a rounded hill.

To reach the lochan we followed the small fold which can be seen on the right flank of Beinn nan Ord.  In this, there's a small shieling village which we've visited before, though at that time we didn't recognise what these circles of stone were.  There are the remains of at least six huts here, typically about 3m across, some of them rather squarer than this one.  Since they're on Ormsaigbeg common grazings, we assume it was used by the people of the Orsmaigbeg clachan.

The lochan is small, shallow and almost rectangular in shape.  The ridge in the distance is Beinn Bhuidhe.  From the knoll to the right of the lochan we looked....

....northwest towards Grigadale Farm, Loch Grigadale and Sgurr nam Meann, and....

....northwards across the small crofting township of Achosnich towards the Isle of Eigg.

We then turned and climbed Beinn nan Ord, from the top of which we could see Lochan Caorach - coarach means sheep - and Ardnamurchan Point lighthouse.

Turning due west, we looked down on these lochans, called Lochain Dubha, the black lochans, and across to another un-named feature, the long ridge which forms the southwestern rim of the end of the peninsula.  Just visible on its summit is a trig point.

It was a pleasure to be in the hills on what was a truly beautiful day.  The walk took us four and a half hours.