The hill on the middle of the moor with fantastic views.....Stob na Cruaiche

Hill: Stob na Cruaiche (Stub of the heap) (A’Chruach) (The heap)

Type: Fiona

Height: 739m

After some internal debate I decided to make this a linear bike/hike rather than a ridge circular. The main factor was that the weather was due to worsen, heavy rain, just after lunchtime and I had minimal wet gear with me.

Parked up at Rannoch Station with more blue sky above than expected. My 1^st issue was getting the bike through the gate at the railway. More than wide enough for a walker but very tight for a heavy MTB. Eventually I won the battle but spoiled the start.

The cycle was only 2 miles but even this involved a couple of wrong turns before I reached the timber lorries turning spot.

Bike was tied to a tree in clear view of anyone coming along the track but little other option. Then walked back past the turning circle where I found the ATV track.

It was a steep wee start but for a kilometre or so it is a wet boggy quagmire with much sideways jumping to stay on some dry bits. It has been reinforced in the past with wood slats and planking but much of that has been broken/eroded.

However it did not take long to break the treeline and get out onto the moor and onto a ‘slightly better’ ATV track, note the wording.

I was aware that the ATV had a deviation on my right and that this should not be missed or it was a long slog through pathless peat bogs.

A couple of times I thought I had spotted it but they soon turned back to the main track just avoiding more bog.

Finally another faint track went right which I followed and this time it was the real deal. The gradient was now super good, a long slow ascent. Of course the track was lost and then re-found but overall it was good going, soft underfoot, a nice change.

I had my eye on a single point that looked like a summit trig. Motivation works differently for everybody but the way my mind works I was happy to focus on this as the summit even though I knew it certainly wasn’t. But it worked until I reached it, which of course was not a trig but a slim pointed rock, and then had to refocus on another target.

The ATV track largely evaded the peat hags which was a good thing as the few encountered were deep trenches.

Plus this route which mainly headed west gave great views ahead of the remote water potted landscape of Rannoch moor along with the spectacular Black Mount and Glencoe Munros, more wow moments.

The final section twisted and turned where I was now on a steeper gradient to the summit but all in all still great going.

Before long the trig was reached. Yet another occasion where a relatively infrequently walked hill provides fantastic views due to its stand alone position.

The viewpoint has to cover at least 30 Munros as well as everything else.

Orchy/Glencoe/Nevis/Corrour/Alder

Missed by many a bagger but that is their loss, this stand alone peak is a top notch viewing point.

A simple return by the same route. The terrain was too rough for me to consider an alternative tramp. I still enjoyed great views over Rannoch Moor.

Getting lower down the Lochs of Rannoch, Eigheach & Laidon came into view shimmering in the harsh light. The weather was changing as I watched clouds on my left swiftly running past depositing rain/sleet but not on me today.

Even the muddy track in the woods seemed more straightforward than the ascent.

Bike still attached to the tree so all that was left was the short cycle and another battle with the kissing gate. During the struggle I thought that I was going to have to remove the front wheel at one point to get it through, the joys.

Because of the hills remoteness I was very surprised by the lack of birdlife in both the forest and on the moor. Even the Pipits and Skylark seen were less than the fingers on one hand. Plover & Grouse one spot each. Zero raptors or corvids, when was the last time I did not see a Raven on a remote moor, not often.

The sun had come back out with warmth so wandered to the station tearoom to find that they would not serve me if I wanted to sit outdoors, I would have to use the take away facilities, tourism in Scotland!!

Ascent: 570m

Distance: 14.5km

Time: 3.32

Wildlife: Coal Tit; Great Tit; Red Grouse; Meadow Pipit; Skylark; Golden Plover;

Some say the best viewpoint on Mull, I wouldn't disagree, it was magnificent.....Ben Buie Mull

Hill: Ben Buie (Yellow mountain)

Type: Fiona

Height: 717m

It was time to add to my Mull collection. The SMC book promotes this hills route from Loch Buie but when I bagged Cruach Choireadail I had a good view of the hill from the other side and spotted a possible route from Glen More. My research indicated that the route from Loch Buie had a track for much of the way but also that it was a very steep ascent. 

From Glen More the ramble is pathless but after a steep start it is much more undulating. The elevation climbed works out roughly the same for both routes so as Glen More had been my original choice I stuck with that.

View from the car

After three stormy days the weather had calmed so much that it was blue skies above when I parked up. Don't mistake blue skies for warmth!

Just noticed one was a young stag, antlers just coming through

Just after donning my rucksack I was looking at the slopes for possible deer/sheep tracks through the lower terrain, which was a mixture of tussocks and boggy ground, when I spotted 4 well camouflaged deer looking down at me. Maybe it will be your tracks I follow as I ramble I thought to myself.

As usual I had just put my camera back in the pocket when a golden eagle appeared flying below the crags of the aptly named Creag na h-lolaire. But sods law whilst getting out my camera it disappeared behind the hill.

After that start I was optimistic for a good wildlife day as I set off amidst the tussocks finding a flattened thin track. Probably both a water course and deer track, certainly wet underfoot.

Lochs coming into view, glad of a breather

The next section is simply a bit of a head down slog. Trying to find the odd helpful track. Good to stop and look around because with the low harsh sunlight the views back were much better. 

The slopes were not too bad initially as I headed up to the first elevation of Maol Tobar Leac an t-Sagairt.

After that effort I had a steeper 100m climb up to the crags hiding Creag na h-lolaire where was pleased to find a gap between the crags, no scrambling required. However the eagle was still not showing.

Creag na h-lolaire ahead

That was the steep section over so from now on it was a series of elevations and descents. Still much huffing and puffing.

The terrain ahead was now very different. I was surprised to see so much stony and rocky ground with small patches of green grass separating the grey stone patches. All the way to the top the stones were a mixture of sizes. It seemed like this was an old quarry where a crusher had been smashing huge stones to smithereens resulting in all these different sized stones.

This section was also dotted with ponds which were alive with mating frogs. Their croaking carried far so I was alerted and wary as I approached them. I spent a bit of time watching them on both the in and out routes, always a special sight.

Looking for goats

The descent felt more than the map suggested before I walked across the poor terrain to next climb to Cnap nan Ghobar. Nice name but nope, no goats were spotted. Although there were plenty of little poop balls which could have been their droppings. It was quite steep at times and the crags although not large had to be given respect. 

Cairn with snow patches

No obvious breaches so a bit of zigzagging before getting to the top and I was happy to see the large cairn ahead of me.

I was about to give it a hug and a kiss when I caught sight of an even larger cairn some way behind. To say the least I was a bit deflated. After all this time I should know better.

Ben Buie summit the rounded cairn in the middle

Once again the descent felt more than it was in reality but it was a slow plod as I made my way the half a kilometre to the real summit which was all of 3 metres higher than where I had stood at the other cairn.

However, moaning aside, the real deal was well worth it as the views were spectacular. I had read that this is considered the best all round view from a summit on Mull, hard to disagree on a day like this.

Sadly the haze slightly took away from the sea views, more atmospheric. The Paps of Jura shimmered in the distance as did Colonsay.

Turning West and looking along Loch Scridain towards Iona, Tiree and Coll could just be see.

Looking away from the sunlight and closer Ben More was very dark, pocketed with snow patches along with a few of Mull’s Fiona's.

Ben Nevis

Beinn Sguilaird twin peaks and Cruachan on the right

Longer views had Ben Nevis and Ben Cruachan. Much more beside all these, yip truly a superb viewpoint.

Starting my descent with Creach Beinn on the right

My return was a backtrack of the ascent. I stopped and looked over to another Fiona, Creach Beinn. The SMC book suggests dropping down from here to the end of Loch Airde Glais and go up the flanks from there. Not a chance that I would do that.

Near the frog ponds a Snipe burst out from some tussocks zig zagging away from me in the direction of Ben More.

Nice view of two of the lochs

I can see my car but much steeper than it looks. Pointed peak another Fiona, BeinnTalaidh

It was not until the descent that I realised just how steep it was from Creag na h-lolaire back to the car. But from up here the three lochs looked looked ideal for a days trout fishing, need to explore that option. There is a Scottish Hill Tracks route (287) from Loch Buie to Salen that incorporates these lochs on the route. If you had two cars it would be a nice one to do from Loch Buie to the start of my walk.

A young immature White Tailed Eagle

And then it appeared out of nowhere, what a sight, a White Tailed Eagle on consecutive days what a bonus.

Those views and wildlife sightings made the rough ground slog well worth it.

Ascent: 696m

Distance: 8.3k

Time: 4.06

Wildlife: Snipe; Red deer; Golden eagle; Meadow Pipit; Raven; Common Frog