Appendix B The peaks (by height)
Appendix C The peaks (alphabetically)
Appendix D List of walking routes
The Lobster's Claw (Stack Polly), Route 7
PREFACE
This book has been over four years in the making. When I first began the project I already had some knowledge of the far north of Scotland, having first visited at the age of 14 and a few times since then. However, as I began my further explorations I realised that the more I discovered, the more I found which still remained to be discovered!
Like any regular visitor to the Scottish highlands, I've had a truly mixed bag of weather to contend with, from snow down to sea level at Scourie in March, to a superb week of blazing sun in May when the beach at Oldshoremore put anything in Cornwall to shame!
In between there have been magical days of mixed sun and cloud (so atmospheric), along with those particularly Scottish specialities – mist and seemingly endless sluicing rain.
In truth it is precisely this variation which gives Scotland its special appeal, and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every trip I've made to the area.
I hope that users of the book with get as much pleasure from exploring this excellent area as I have.
Andy Walmsley
INTRODUCTION
The ‘far north’ is one of Scotland's best-kept secrets. Despite its many attractions, the area is largely ignored by British holidaymakers, though it is popular with visitors from elsewhere in Europe. Even at the height of the summer season, the area is never really busy, and this is one of its attractions to the connoisseur who appreciates the solitude, the rugged coastline and the unique landscape with its bumpy gneiss moorland and jutting peaks.
The country's northern peninsula, with the remote headland of Cape Wrath at its tip, is covered in this guide as far as Ullapool in the south and Dunbeath in the east. The guide is selective rather than comprehensive, however, and readers will notice a bias towards the west side of the northern peninsula. This is intentional, as most of the rugged (and thus the most interesting) terrain is concentrated there; but Morven (the highest summit in the old county of Caithness) and its neighbour Scaraben, are included, along with a couple of other interesting routes on the eastern side. The far north-eastern corner of Caithness (the ‘lowlands beyond the highlands’), including John o'Groats, Wick and Thurso, is not covered.
The area has some of the most challenging and spectacular mountains in the British Isles, including splendid peaks such as Suilven and Quinag, yet because they are mostly below Munro status most of the hills have been spared the worst excesses of exploitation. Nevertheless, the far north hills stand head and shoulders above many a Munro in terms of interest and character.
Sunset over Scourie Bay
A large part of the area covered by the guide is made up of lumpy gneiss moorland, sprinkled with a multitude of tiny lochans, which form an unusual landscape. Readers who like wild, remote country with extensive vistas opening up around each corner will find many routes to their liking. There is a real feeling of spaciousness up here, which is often lacking further south.
Another jewel of the far north is the coastline. From Ullapool north to Cape Wrath, and then east as far as Strathy Point, the Atlantic seaboard threads a ragged line, encompassing wonderful little crofting settlements, spectacular headlands, excellent beaches, fjord-like sea lochs, fascinating offshore islands (including the Summer Isles and Handa Island), the British mainland's highest sea cliffs and two of Scotland's most celebrated sea-stacks – the Old Man of Stoer and Am Buachaille.
As if this were not enough, the area has limestone caves, Britain's highest waterfall and a number of interesting antiquities! Surely such variety in so small an area is unique.
Looking across to the mainland peaks from the Summer Isles
View north across Balnakeil Bay
Surprisingly, although this is the farthest-flung corner of the British mainland, the mountains are all relatively accessible, being fairly close to roads in most cases. However, they are also quite well scattered, and for this reason it is difficult to climb a large number of them from one fixed base. The dedicated peak-bagger would have to move around by car quite a bit to collect them all, using a number of different bases. With this in mind, I have mentioned the best bases for each area at the end of the area introduction.
Topography
Much of the southern area of the guide, Coigach and Assynt, consists of the characteristically choppy moor, composed of ancient gneiss rocks and made up of innumerable abrupt little hillocks cradling a multitude of tiny lochans. This terrain seldom rises much above 200m, leaving peaks such as Suilven standing in spectacular isolation. Many of the peaks consist of huge outcrops of Torridon sandstone, a rock which weathers into fantastic pinnacles and spires and which has a superb rough texture, ideal for scrambling.
Further north, above Rhiconich, there is more schist, giving a smoother more boggy type of moor, and rising from this are the majestic quartzite peaks of Arkle and Foinaven, characterised by their swooping ridges and dazzling screes.
Moving eastwards from the coast the mountains generally become less shapely and thus less interesting, but hills such as Ben Leoid, Ben Hee and the Munro Ben Klibreck give good walking in superb lonely terrain.
Even further east, the mountainous terrain of the west gives way to a bleak rolling moorland with very few interesting summits. The exception to this is the area immediately inland of Berriedale on the east coast, where outcroppings of sandstone have produced the distinctive peaks of Morven, Smean, Maiden Pap and Scaraben – well worth a visit.
Overlooking the north coast village of Tongue are the prominent isolated peaks of Ben Loyal (often given the sobriquet of ‘Queen of Scottish Mountains’) and Ben Hope (most northerly of the Munros). Ben Loyal is a shapely peak, but lacks the pinnacled ridges of Suilven or Stack Pollaidh, while Ben Hope is of simple form but is challengingly craggy, particularly its northern ridge, which provides the most difficult ascent route.
The coastline, especially in the west and north, is almost as spectacular as the mountains and boasts a number of features which are worth a visit. North from Ullapool, the coast skirts around
