Quite a viewpoint.....Meall Tairbh

Hill: Meall Tairbh (Hill of the bull)

Type: Fiona

Height: 665m

I had been unable to get out early in the week so was determined to take advantage of the one good weather day of the week available to me. An issue for me is that I am running out of new bagging hills within a comfortable day trip. Unless I visit my to-do, but I don't really want to do, list. Today was such a day. Last night was spent over maps and walk reports before I selected Meall Tairbh. There are a number of reasons why hills are on my ‘I don’t really want to do list’ and Meall Tairbh had nothing to do with the bull in its name but everything to do with the terrain. It has a reputation on its lower flanks, which is about half the walk, to have serious boggy sections. In my deliberations I reckoned that the mostly dry spring may have made it more doable.

I set off from home to time my arrival at the Green Welly with its restaurant opening and was spot on, normal unhealthy black pudding & fried egg roll scoffed with moans of appreciation, just as well it was quiet.

Inveroran Hotel and some WHW walkers

There was a lot of unexpected cloud around and indeed as I changed some drops of rain hit me. Rain gear taken out of the box in the boot and into the rucksack, hopefully not required. After my recent cleg onslaught in nearby hills I decided to wear long trousers today. A wise tactic, find out later.

For my ramble it really was a walk of two halves, a lower and upper section roughly of equal lengths. I was doing a straight up and down whereas another option is a circuit including Ben Inverveigh.

Passing clouds constantly changed landscape

The SMC book describes the bottom section as lush and boggy which in simple terms that's what it was. There is no one track for all on this hill. There was a mixture of very faint ATV tracks, along with deer trails but for the most part waddle through the long grass prodding sections very carefully as the bogs can be deep. Indeed the nearby Fiona has warnings of seriously dangerous bogs. I am sure some of these sections could be around here as well.

Still, got my big boy pants on I headed for the highest point following the best lines that I could work out. There was a strong breeze which was keeping the buzzing stuff away.

1st of the ramps, Ben Lui behind

Poor snap of Small Heath

After about an hour I came to the flatter section which was a constant tease. It is just over 2k but although it looks flat, it is a gradual rising ridge with about 250m of ascent before the top is reached. There are stony outcrops ahead on a regular basis that had the idiot in me constantly saying that's it, but of course it wasn't. I reckon there are about 5 of these long distance ramps. There are still sections of bog and peat hags so I was sticking to the highest ground when I could even if that was not the most direct.

Deer have a drinking hole

On the 2^nd ramp I spotted 6 red deer hinds. The wind was in my favour but it was clear that they had spotted me but allowed me to get quite close before scampering. I reckon this lot are regular visitors at the Inveroran Hotel feeding slots and as such were less afraid of humans.

Lui range behind Orchy Corbetts

Fiona of Beinn Suide on left with Starav hills behind

The views from the top were really good, much better than I expected. There is a full 360deg panorama taking in the Orchy group, Lui group, some Etive hills, Black Mount and more.

Panorama from Etive hills left to Black Mount right

Black Mount range

Worth going over to the far rocks where the views open up into Glen Orchy. From here the descent and reascent to the ridge of Ben Inverleigh did not look too bad but without someone else to prod me on I did not have the motivation so a return by the same route.

Orchy Munros

Orchy & Tyndrum Corbetts

This was no hardship as I had great views of the Black Mount Munros, Loch Tulla and the Orchy Munros what's not to like.

Loch Tulla

Hotel now in view

On the descent I was able to better see the drier ground and even found a good deer trail which lasted longer than expected, of course heading to the hotel, just like me. I returned a bit closer to the tree plantation before finding another faint ATV track which took me back to the hotel. Coming off the main ridge the breeze disappeared and the buzzing stuff were back out to play and I was the only other person in the playground.

Drinker moth

On my way down I spotted a large yellow insect move in the grasses. Delighted to find it was a Drinker moth, female I think, my 1st ever sighting so a real bonus. I was also distracted on a regular basis by very loud vibrations in the grasses which were the large and noisy Golden ringed dragonflies.

Gold ringed dragonfly

One minor nip through my top but I reached the car unscathed. Changed into hot weather clothing, including shorts. Lifted my bag into the car and immediate pain at the back of my leg, you got it, a bloody cleg and it was a good tearing bite, it was very painful.

Apart from that it was a better than expected ramble. Drier terrain and excellent views, no more rain and no bull. Need to go back to that list again and reclassify a few of them.

Ascent: 529m

Distance: 9.9km

Time: 3.34

Wildlife: Golden ringed dragonfly; Meadow Pipit; Small Heath; Wheatear; Drinker moth; Chimney Sweep moth; Goldcrest; Blue tit; Coal tit; Redstart; Chaffinch;