12 - Continuing L Baghasdail to L Aineort via Stulabhal

Thursday 11th May – Continuing Loch Baghasdail to Loch Aineort via Stulabhal
What a wonderful place to eat my boiled eggs and tomatoes, now coated in ginger marmalade!  (Why has no-one recommended this combination?)  While eating, map reading and considering my return route, the ridge descending towards Airneabhal looked like a smooth and attractive prospect.  A kestrel climbed from the mouth of Loch Aineort in the north, energetically, almost furtively, and approached straight towards me, rose at the last moment, made some tight aeronautical acrobatic manoeuvres above me and then departed, descending north-west.  I ate my sandwiches in calm solitude while large dark feather shapes, formed by down-currents of air from the hillsides, played back and forth across the waters of Loch Snigiscleit.

From Stulabhal, looking down on L Snigiscleit and L. Aineort, backed by Beinn Mhor

I descended the north-west 'ridge'.  Initially 265-degres from the summit and then 305-degrees.  A golden plover repeated its high single note call (neither rising nor falling in pitch), occasionally changing to the same call at a slightly lower pitch and then back again to the higher one.  The descent along the north-west ridge was indeed gentle and easy - at least until the last bluff was reached.  
 

Descending the NW 'ridge', and surveying the route between lochs and the rise beyond, through the little col.

A turn to the right yielded an easier slope and some shelter.  Down jacket and cag came off and I proceeded on a bearing of 30-degrees from 795246, and then crossing the slope, slightly towards north, followed better drained ground to the edge of Loch Drollabhat.  Turning to the right, Loch Drollabhat on my left side, I passed between that and Loch Snigiscleit, a dam of loose boulders and shredded tarps making a suitable point to cross the water running between them.  Then walking parallel to the north-western shore of Loch Snigiscleit, I let it lead me north.  Where the shore turned east, I attempted to continue north, but realising the basin ahead was boggy, I turned north-east to rise over a small col.  Again, heading for the lowest point of the col between Beinn Ailein and Airneabhal, I found my way impeded by tall bracken or swamp – I decided easier footing was well worth a larger gain in height, maybe just 20 metres, over the western edge of Beinn Ailein (from 797255 to 796258 to796260).  In fact, as I contoured around the side of Beinn Ailein, I found that I emerged level with the col and had gained no unnecessary height.  A bearing of 310 to 320-degrees off the col was my intended direction to An Gleannain with the head of Loch Aineort beyond.  

From Beinn Ailein, looking towards L. Aineort and Beinn Mhor, my route being towards the head of the loch at the left of the photo.

By 3:30 pm the sun was shining through a sky mottled with white.  Reaching a plain of burnt heather (791264), with white, dry sphagnum and the yellow stalks of last year’s grass, I cautiously crossed the stream, poking with my stick to check for any drop covered by a carpet of heather.  Heading down on a 312-degree bearing, I reached a rusty barbed wire fence blocking my route, but as it passed over a hollow I noticed that there was a channel cut into the peat below it by animals such that I was able to walk under the fence at this point while only bending over a little.  A house and a caravan came into sight where the track would turn to road, but with no sign of life.  A cuckoo called from the direction of Beinn Mhor, which was standing resplendent with dapples of sunlight.  Passing above the shore I noticed long smooth rocks talking – ten to twenty seals were basking, grey, brown and black on grey rocks and brown-black sea-weed.  The jetty area, caravan and work-hut were deserted.  I passed the house and a white shape moved briefly behind a window – my first human sighting after 8 hours of solitude.  I walked gently along the road reaching the first junction – 766296 – at 5:15 pm and the junction with the main road – 757305 – by 5:35 pm.  A lady from Eriskay gave me a lift to the Loch Baghasdail junction, and almost immediately I was given another lift to the Lasgair road, returning to my van by 6:00 pm.  

Abandonded house by the road on the southern side of Loch Aineort

Beinn Mhor from near the L Aineort road junction

 Since I wished to commence my next walk from the most northern limit of this day’s route, I decided to find a place to sleep in the van overnight near to Cill Donnain.  This took me past Loch Chill Donnain, where I stopped to take photos of the water and the golden reeds in the evening light, before driving on to the end of the tarmac and following the gravel and sand track terminating at the shore.  

Loch Chill Donnain

I did as well as I could in my attempt to get the van level, moving backwards, forwards and diagonally across the humps and then sat with the sliding door open listening to the crashing of waves and watching the sea-birds on the water.  Around 7:15 pm I made a cup of tea and realised I was missing the items that I’d washed up before leaving camp after breakfast.  Calculating that the cost of the items was greater than the cost of the fuel to fetch them, I decided that the next night I would have the luxury of a shower at the campsite in West Kilbride.  I had the second half of Wednesday’s meal, but by adding Rogan Josh powder as well as cinnamon, it was a lot more palatable.  Serving it with couscous - boiling water to just cover the couscous, insulated with a towel for 3 minutes, fluffed up and its ready - can't get much quicker for an instant, nutricious meal.  Settling down to sleep, around 10:30 pm, I kept the van roof down for warmth.  It still remained quite light outside.