A very wet walk but beautiful colours, Meall a Mhuic.....Glen Lyon

Hill: Meall a' Mhuic (Hill of the Pig)

Type: Graham

Height: 745m

If you like waterfalls then this weather has been perfect for them. Indeed those tumbling down in Glen Lyon today were spectacular, there has been a lot of water coming out of the skies recently. Remember not so long ago we were thinking drought!!

1st view

This is one is high up the list of my favourite glens but my concentration today was on the road not the scenery. The water had flooded many sections so deeply that I wondered whether I would be able to return this way. Not surprised to find that I was the only car at the parking (and on return), nobody else daft enough to come out today.

There was only light rain falling when I headed off alongside the swollen Allt Ghallabaich, don't slip here no surviving a plunge into that angry water. 

Thankfully the small bridge was intact as there was no option of crossing via the ford. An estate track took me up a short section, flooded in places but not too bad.

Into the bracken here as no path

Track found

Somehow I missed the cut off and despite back tracking a bit I had to take to the heather and bracken which was hard going and I did not fancy this for the ascent. I found out on the descent that I had only been metres away. Thankfully after about 15 minutes I found it. It was a big help meandering up to roughly the 550m level.

At least I could see my way ahead today, surprising considering the rainfall as the tap had now been fully turned on.

No track now just keep heading up

Now all the way to the top a rough soggy moorland romp through various levels of terrain. Plenty of fresh red deer droppings but hiding somewhere else I spotted the top briefly before the clouds came down. When I viewed this from nearby Beinn Dearg it is a fine pointed hill but from this approach it is much rounder. Not that I was complaining, pointy means steep.

Nae view

Arrived at the small cairn and of course nae views. I was soaked so no hanging about. 

Shielings?

Descended through the gloom, easy to go off course but after a few twists and turns I found the solitary marker post which led me back to the track. Although there are no shielings marked on the map these ruins certainly looked like a small homestead

The rain eased to allow me to enjoy the views of lower section of the descent and the river walk. Apart from my new boots which passed the keep the feet dry test but gave me one blister which meant a hobble for the last quarter mile or so.

Another one for the need to return to see the view column!!

Ascent: 578m

Distance: 8.9km

Time: 2.56

Wildlife: Red Grouse; Pheasant; Meadow Pipit