With the Backpackers Club in the Scottish Highlands.

2000 - Durness to Ullapool (Steve's Story)

Here is Steve's diary for their trip:

Wednesday 17th May

We decided, as in previous years, that a week was not long enough. Tony, Anthony 'Ant', Doug and I drove via Inverness and Lairg to Oldshoremore, about two miles past Kinlochbervie. The campsite was small, more or less a front lawn of a big house with a hard standing area that could accommodate about four caravans. There was a (basic) wash block with free hot water. The whole grounds were surrounded by evergreen trees to protect the area from the winds.

Throughout the journey we had had patchy sunshine and heavy showers. In fact, on our arrival at the campsite, we had to sit out a heavy downpour. We arrived about 8pm. That evening and in the early hours of the following morning, a Cuckoo perched nearby never stopped singing. Rain squalls overnight kept me awake.

Thursday 18th May

After a leisurely morning packing up, it was about half ten before we set off on a one and a half to two mile walk to Kinlochbervie to catch the Post Bus. At the Mission for Deep Sea Fisherman, we all had Bacon and Egg Cobs and copious amounts of tea whilst we sheltered from the rain and killed time. I also visited the quayside to watch them unloading their catches. The Post Bus left at 2.50pm and he took us to Durness and dropped us off where the River Dionard flows into the Kyle of Durness. We crossed the bridge and struck off west around the Kyle.

We pitched on the foreshore, around 6pm, opposite Grudie. Tony was worried about the tide coming in higher than normal with it being a full moon, and decided to pitch higher up the slope. The tide came in unbelievably fast, but stopped a good ten feet or so away. It appeared to have risen no higher than previous tides, judging by the 'tide mark' of seaweed. A quiet, pleasant evening, listening to the gentle trickle of water in the stream. High tide was about half past nine. It also started raining then. Throughout the day we had patchy, sometimes heavy rain.

Friday 19th May

We got away around 10am and continued along the west side of the Kyle. As we headed north, we had seen people gathering on the other side of the kyle. As we neared the jetty, we saw the boat cross and the white van departed for the lighthouse as we came down on to the road. We continued on along the track and had dinner in an old cattle shed next to the unoccupied building of Achiemore. The weather, throughout the morning had been mainly dry, sunny with the occasionally out burst of rain. We followed the coastline north, and came across the shepherd by the disused building at the end of the track from Daill. He had been up these parts for thirty odd years, and from 35 shepherds at the beginning of the last century, he was now the only one left, covering 100 square miles. He also talked about the 'fun and games' of the military when they are on exercise in the area, and the bombing/artillery range. When the navy uses the artillery range, (from the sea onto foreshore) and the army, from Faraid Head, the road to the lighthouse remains open. However, when the US Navy are using the range, they close of the entire area!! We followed the coast along the range, noticing shell holes, old and new and scattered fragments of shrapnel. We also noticed some small deep holes in the soft peat and deduced they were from unexploded ordnance.

The shepherd had warned us that it was a difficult, but possible to scramble up Cnoc Carn an Leim, but we decided to move inland and head up towards Sgribhis-Bheinn. As we climbed the slope we came across a number of old and rusted vehicles that had been used for target practise. We also disturbed a badger. Because we were down wind, we came within twenty feet of it before he ran off. Once on the summit of Sgribhis-Bheinn, I headed north west to the cliff edge, at a point just west of a northerly shoulder running from near the summit to the sea. I looked west along the cliff edge. It was an unbelievable and unforgettable view. The cliffs, several hundred high drop vertically to the sea, which was crashing against the face and enormous broken boulders. Pinnacles and towers of rock, stranded in the sea but close to the cliff face, were silhouetted by the setting sun. A variety of sea birds circled around, landed or took off or just nested on narrow shelves.

The others, from the summit of Sgribhis-Bheinn, had made their own way to Kearvaig. I continued along the coast, taking picture after picture and absorbing the view for time immortal. The bothy at Kearvaig, was well furnished as bothies go. It had two downstairs rooms and a centre staircase leading up to two sleeping rooms, but it had no view out to the bay. Notices also warned of mice. I made an entry in the bothy book and pitched on a flat area in front of the bothy, with a lovely view across the bay. I lay, mesmerised, watching waves breaking as high as possibly thirty feet, over exposed outcrops of rock and the cliff face. The afternoon had been lovely and sunny and the evening was turning out to be the same.

Saturday 20th May

The efforts of the previous two days had taken its toll on Doug. He wanted to spend a little more time around the bay. Ant decided that he would stay with him, so we decided to meet up later at Sandwood bay. He had pitched by the east flowing river, away from us, and was skinny dipping when Tony and I left. We followed the river on the east side of the bay, south to the bridge and then followed the road to Clais Charnach, where we left our rucksacks and walked down to the jetty. We met Ant and Doug who had come in over the coast. Tony and I then followed the coast round to the lighthouse. We spent about two hours there, exploring the area and semi derelict building previously occupied by the men from the Lloyds signal station and their families. We had lunch there and rain drizzled on and off. Ant and Doug caught up with us. We also came across Cedric and Les with their dogs, who had just arrived on the van; it was their first day on the club Scottish week.

After a short trek out along the road, we crossed over the peat hags and followed the coastal cliff south to Sandwood Bay. We tried to stay as close to the cliff as possible, but at Keisgaig bay a trek in land for about quarter of a mile had to be made for a safe crossing over the river that was running in a deep ravine. We passed Loch a Gheodha Ruaidh on the east side and over Strath Chailleach close by the bothy.

When we arrived at Sandwood Bay, Tony went off in search of a place to pitch and water. I did likewise and found a place on a grassy terrace, close to the outflow, with a view along the beach and at the dunes. Close by was a small spring from where we were able to gather water as it made a small waterfall over a rock. Ant and Doug arrived about an hour later and pitched below us. It had been a pleasant day, ideal backpacking weather.

Sunday 21st May

Again Doug and Ant were feeling the pace, Doug especially wanted to explore Sandwood Bay before setting off. After a pow wow, we agreed to do our own thing and meet up at the campsite. Tony and I finally got away about half past ten. We crossed over the outflow from the loch on well placed boulders at the mouth of the stream and walked along the beach to the far end of the bay, where we scrambled up a sandy bank and ascended to the cliff top. We again followed the cliff top and had spectacular views both north and south. We stopped for a bite to eat on the cliff edge overlooking Am Buachaille (The Shepherd), a towering pinnacle of rock that we had seen from as far away as Cape Wrath. We continued close to the cliff edge until we got to Rubh an Fhir Leithe. We then followed the stream up, stopping for a snooze, to the track which leads to Sheigra. We stopped for a further snack by the car park at Blairmore before the road walk back to the campsite at Oldshoremore. We arrived at 3.30pm, although a cold NW wind it had been sunny and I'd caught the sun. I rinsed and hung some clothes out before relaxing.

Monday 22nd May

A glorious morning. Content to go where the others wanted to go, I had left the others poring over the maps the night before. At Kinlochberive we visited the local store and I made a quick call home. We paid a further visit to the café at the Deep Sea Fishermans Mission before heading on to our next destination, stopping at a couple of locations en route to admire the views. We arrived at Inchnadamph Hotel around lunch time and left the car in the public car park by the main road. Ant and Doug were suffering with old knee problems so they decided to do there own thing. They went off into the hills but remained low, whilst Tony and I ascended the track by Allt Poll an Droighinn to Loch Fleodach Coire. About 5pm we pitched close to the loch, by the northern-most feeder stream. A glorious evening with views across to the base of Beinn Uidhe where we watched deer grazing. We were at about 1,800 feet and during the night the temperature dropped to +3 or 4 Centigrade.

Tuesday 23rd May

In the early hours the winds got up and the rain lashed down. Shouting to each other from the tents, we decided to sit it out and make a move when the rains had stopped. Around 11.30am the rain, which had been lessening throughout the morning, finally stopped. About 12ish we set off and ascended to the pass between Ben Uidhe and Glas Bheinn. The northerly wind grew stronger as we moved through the exposed pass and down the other side. We followed the path down as best we could but lost it amongst the peat hags. We decided then to make a direct path to our destination, the waterfall at Eas a Chual Aluinn.

It was tough going and en route we sought sanctuary behind a large boulder to shelter from the wind whilst we had something to eat. We had only been at the waterfall a few minutes before it started raining, gradually at first. Luckily we managed to take some photos before the swirling wind and rain spoilt the views. Returning over the peat hags, we took a buffeting from the winds and heavy rain as we ascended back to the pass. Tony was also suffering with backache, especially when we stopped. It had been our intention on reaching the pass to turn right and walk along the ridge of Ben Uidhe to an aircraft wreck at the other end before returning back to the tents, a nice circular walk, but with the weather being as bad as it was and the summit of Ben Uidhe shrouded in mist, we decided to return direct back to camp. As we descended, we became more sheltered from the winds and the heavy rain became showery. It was nearly 6pm when we got back. The five to six mile round trip had been heavy going. I managed to tune into BBC radio 2 later on and the forecast was blustery with showers. That night the temperature dropped again.

Wednesday 24th May

Throughout the night it had been showery and blustery, but it wasn't raining when we struck camp and set off around 9.30am. Before returning to the hotel we decided to go via the aircraft wreck, an Avro Anson. The crash, in April 1941, had claimed the lives of all 6 aircrew who, unusually, had been buried at the scene. The location is Landranger map 15 GR 291231. We made our way across to the path just south of the Loch nan Cuaran, where we left our rucksacks and followed the track to the crash site. We arrived about 12ish and had only been there about ten minutes or so when it started sleeting it down, turning heavier, almost to snow.

We returned along the same track to pick up our rucksacks and soon after, on the same track we came across two club members, Darren and Steph, who were having lunch in a shelter. As we descend the rains cleared and the sun shone, becoming quite warm. Doug and Ant were already at the hotel. I had a pot of coffee whilst Tony took Darren and Steph further down the road to Knockanrock Cliffs, to save them a long road walk. Having noticed how the mountains seemed to be getting all the rain and the coast all the sunshine, we decided, whilst we had the car to make use of it, to spend some more time along the coast. We drove to a campsite at Achnahaird on the Coigach Peninsula and do day walks from there. That evening we drove to a pub in Altandhu and had fish and chips.

Thursday 25th May

Woke up to a lovely morning, the skies were clear, the sun was out, but the NW wind was cool. It was gone ten before we left. We drove back along the road and parked up in the car park. We were going to climb Stac Pollaidh. Due to erosion, a path led the way onto a steep 'staircase' which we duly followed to the saddle from where we were able to scramble over the pinnacles, towers and buttresses until our hearts content. The panoramic views were fantastic. Fortunately, the weather around us was clear, but in the distance we could see cloud formations, dramatic and threatening, moving across distance peaks. Whilst on one pinnacle that I had just scrambled up, I saw one such front heading north towards us from across the peninsula. I got some where safe and hurriedly put on my water-proofs as I watched the curtain of rain heading towards me.

I had just finished, when we were met with a hail storm, the wind also got up and the temperature plummeted, my hands soon became numb with the cold rain. I scrambled down the lee-side of another pinnacle, which sheltered me from the cold wind and rain, on to a scree slope, which I carefully descended, following Tony down to a track which we followed round to the path and headed back to the car park. By this time the front had passed over, the sun was out and the temperature rising. The sudden transition from glorious sun, warm temperatures to an hail storm and freezing temperatures, and then back again, all within half an hour or so was unbelievable.

Darren had told us about a crossing place between Loch Lurgainn, Loch Bad na Achlaise and Loch Bad a Ghaill. GR 086 087. This is where two very large lochs are separated by a headland, which stretches out and nearly dams the two lochs. We were surprised to find that Loch Lurgainn was higher than the other two lochs and it was very easy to step from one boulder to another to cross the 8 or 9 metre gap. From there we walked to a small sandy cove. I, followed by Ant, returned to the car, but Doug and Tony went off to explore a similar crossing point further up, unbeknown to me Tony had passed the car keys onto Ant and told him to meet them further down the road. Ant got this message slightly mixed up and we spent the best part of an hour driving up and down the road trying to locate them. It was gone 6, nearly 7 before we got back to the campsite.

Friday 26th May

Another beautiful morning. We set off about 10ish and walked north along the coast line from the camp. Numerous little coves made us cut back in land to negotiate them, doubling the distance to walk. It was possible to stand on the steep cliff side and look across the cove to the other side. Sea birds of all description perched or nested on the ledges or flew around in circles trying to land, but were soon chased off by other birds as they did so. Doug and Ant soon went their own way, mainly following the high ground. Tony and I tried to follow the cliff edge as best as possible, occasionally becoming separated only to join up again a few minutes later. We all later met up on a small sandy beach just up from Reiff. It was lovely to take my boots and socks off and go for a paddle. My feet were lovely and refreshed for the five mile walk back to the campsite. That evening we drove down to the hotel at Achiltibuie, were I sampled some beer from the Orkneys - very nice.

Saturday 27th May

Awoke with a headache. We decided on a drive round before heading down to Ullapool. We followed the road out and turned left to follow the twisting winding narrow track to Lochinver. At Kirkaig, the others walked off to look at the Falls of Kirkaig. I walked part way along the track and waited for a few minutes before deciding to return to the coffee shop.

On the path back I met Les and Cedric who told me about their epic journey on foot to Ullapool. They were camped about three miles outside Ullapool because the site that the club was meeting at was also hosting a BMW motorcycle club weekend. We drove around to Lochinver and on down to Ullapool via Inchnadamph. We arrived at the campsite about 4pm. It was a bit crowded but room had been made available for club members. By this time drizzle had settled in. After a look around the shops and a shower, we got ready and walked down to the hotel for a meal.

Yes, the Scottish week with a difference. Certainly with the car it gave us greater flexibility to visit those places that we would not normally see, Probably I prefer doing it the old fashioned way, which makes you more focused and disciplined. Pity I cannot have one of each holiday each year.

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