Get Lost Mountaineering

Beinn Tharsuinn(West of Dornoch Firth) from Alness to Ardgay road

Start/Finish

The sandy car park where B9176 (Alness to Ardgay road) crosses the Strathrory River at about NH 660 776.

Distance/Time

5 km walk + 8 km.       Approx 5 hours.

Peaks

Beinn Tharsuinn, 692 m, NH 606 792.      OS map 21.

Introduction

This is a grassy, peaty Graham with little to commend it apart from the views over the Dornoch and Cromarty Firths as well as to Ben Wyvis.

Route

(1)Follow the track NW from the car park (ignore bend to right near the start) and follow the river on a gravel track to its end. This can be cycled. Walk SW uphill on reasonable terrain to the summit of Torr Leathann. From here, descend NW to bealach then ascend NW to summit trig point of Beinn Tharsuinn, 692 m, which is on a small plateau with a few boulders.

(2) The cleanest descent is to retrace the outward route, possibly traversing Torr Leathan on its N flank.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 23^rd July, 2005 and13th September, 2009.

(b) It is possible to make a more direct ascent by heading W from the end of the track, crossing the stream flowing from the bealach and heading up grassy, heathery slopes (and ferns in Summer) on a reasonably well defined ridge but as the angle eases the ground becomes more boggy and tussocky until the summit plateau is reached. This can be hard going.

(c) An alternative route (not yet walked) could start from further N along the B9176, above the forest at about NH 665 815 where there is a large gate; “Beinn Tharsuinn Wind”. There is a good large scale map on this gate. A track, newer and better than the one above, seems to wind its way to finish somewhere between Beinn an Oighrean and pt 546 at approximately NH 615 815 from where one could walk SW to Beinn Tharsuinn, a distance of about 2½ km, probably over tussocky boggy ground.