Naismith Hut, 2016
It’s always a bit special heading to the Naismith, it feels like there should be a Border crossing point just north of Ullapool as you enter a different, and better, land. A small group of us assembled there for the first weekend in September (?) and investigated the usual things you do there. The FJ’s went FJ’ing on a sea cliff somewhere (without any head injuries this time) -“ We got roasted!
So much so that we had to go for a swim at Sheigra beach & then head straight to the Kylesku hotel for some lovely beer.
Graeme was knockin back the Erdinger like there was no tomorrow. The Blaven & Bealach na ba were both excellent.”
Meanwhile Dave and Gill disappeared to Quinag where rumour has it they went over all three Corbetts, and Charlie, Colin and Donal went for a look at Sandwood Bay, very likely the best beach in Europe. To distinguish it from Ibiza, there were no timeshare touts and no pickpockets…..Donal strode out making the pace for the others, causing stress to Colin’s aching legs.
Eastern Fannaichs Before getting to the hut, Colin had stopped on the road up just south of Achnasheen, to cycle up to Fannich Lodge and tackle the Eastern Fannichs from there rather than floundering over the bogs from the Dirrie Mor. Here’s a mystery: the map shows most of the track to be more or less flat. Cycling up I became convinced there was something wrong with the bike: 7mph laborious middle ring crawl. Yet on the way back down in the dusk, we flew…back at the road in about 25 minutes. The tops themselves were clag bound and unremarkable and the camera died as I was about to take a photo looking down the Resurrection from the summit of Sgurr Mhor.

Wandering the ridge towards Sgurr Mhor in the clag….
After getting mislaid coming off Sgurr Mor and having to scart round a very icy remnant on the north facing corrie headwall, a nice wee wander down a very oblique stalkers path brought me out of the cloud just above the Lodge in the fading light and the road was duly reached just as it failed altogether. It’s only a proper day out if you get back in the dark….