S Airde Beinn A wee hill on a wet grey day

Woke up this morning in Mull and checked the BBC weather app. No rain this morning it showed, as I listened to the rain hitting the roof!! Checked the XC site which indicated showers all morning, correct.
So a small hill chosen as the good lady joining in.  S Airde Beinn, also known as ‘crater loch’. Only 5 minutes drive from our place so perfect.

Enter here

As described in Walkhighlands route we parked beside the ruined cottage. Geese honked on the opposite Loch Meadhoin, but not a day to be out on the loch fishing, the wind was whipping up the waves.
Earlier in the week it was summer shorts weather, today full raingear on.
Go through the gate and follow the obvious path. It is a small hill and has no difficulty for most. As the last month has been very dry the path was easy to walk but clear evidence that it can be a wet and boggy path.

Follow the path

Head for a fence ahead, go through and up the path following slightly left of centre. The peak is right in front of you. The faint right side track is the descent route but we did not use this, see later. A cuckoo calling lets Mrs B hear her first of the year. Some meadow pipits rise and a raven flies over looking for their nests.

Looking back

A brief climb and you are almost at the top, the water is in sight in the bowl of the volcano. Looking to your left there is a barren landscape but we spot 3 red deer sprinting across the moor, did we spook them?

First view of the crater

We are walking around the lochan in a clockwise direction. The first cairn is at 285m but the left flank is slightly higher at 295. The next cairn at the north is 292m on the OS map.

View from north

Despite it being a grey, wet day the views were teasers of what would be available on a clear day. The full 360 degrees throws up peaks in 3 directions, Ben More definitely, Ben Nevis a possibility. Coll & Tiree another certainty. Tobermory below, a Calmac ferry sailing through heading to Oban.

A hint of the view

Still it is surprising cold in the wind, the constant light rain just not letting up.
We went back over the first hill to get the last views rather than follow the lower path beside the forest edge. We get a close up of a flying cuckoo.
Despite the poor weather it was a good short walk that I would highly recommend particularly in good weather. Minimal difficulty.
Walking only 1.95 miles with a short ascent of 435 feet. Go for it.