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Fionchra, Orval & Ard Nev from Kinloch

Start/Finish

Rum bunkhouse.

Distance/Time

20 km.    About 7 - 8 hours.

Peaks

Fionchra, 463 m, NG 339 004.

Orval, 571 m, NM 333 991.

Ard Nev, 556 m, NM 345 987.    OS sheet 39: Rum and Eigg.

Introduction

Rum is the largest of the small isles but has a very small permanent population (about 30 in April 2017). For its size, the facilities are surprisingly good. There is the famous Kinloch Castle, seemingly now in decline but parts are still open at times. The old hostel was the servants rooms in the castle but that is now closed since a brand new bunkhouse was built near the shoreline. The bunkhouse is superb with a lovely large lounge, excellent kitchen, lots of small rooms, drying room and showers. It has central heating and is very well insulated. Bed linen (duvets) are provided with towels available to hire. The bunkhouse is so good that it is frequently booked up so plan well ahead and hope the weather will be kind. There is a shop/post office nearby which has limited opening hours so it is advisable to check this in case food has to be taken in. The ferry from Mallaig takes about 90 minutes depending on which route it takes. The mountains on Rum are Black Cuillin, as on Skye, so the principle rocks are gabbro and basalt. Gabbro is an almost perfect rock to scramble on giving much friction when dry. There are two drawbacks to Rum: the midges are very bad in the summer so go prepared and your compass will not work owing to the magnetic nature of the rock. Orval and Fionchra, whilst being lower than the most popular peaks are no less dramatic and offer stunning views to the Askival range and Canna.

Route

(1) From the bunkhouse, walk to the castle and continue past it to the sign post just before the bridge. Turn left on to the track for Harris and follow this. After a gate in a deer fence, the road becomes smoother. Continue past a waterfall off to the left then past the track for Kilmory (signed). The next two bridges cross deep cut streams (mini gorges) then the track has before reaching the third bridge, after about 6 km from the start, where the track turns left after a long sweeping right bend. Just before this bridge, there is a small cairn, on the right, which is the start of the path to the Bealach a' Bhraigh Bhig. Follow the path which is faint in places and often wet. It leads up to the Bealach a' Bhraigh Bhig. From here, ascend N up steepish grassy slopes to reach a small grassy plateau, where ther eis no cairn, but this is the highest point on Fionchra, 463 m.

(2) Retrace to the bealach then start heading up the N ridge of Orval, bypassing a low crag to its left to gain steep but grassy ground. The best views are to be had by following the W edge which is the top of a cliff then heading S then SW to the large grassy plateau where there is a trig point and a slughtly higher large cairn which is the summit of Orval, 571 m.

(3) From the summit, head roughly E to the edge of the plateau then descend fairly steeply down grass between many small crags to real a broad grassy col. Ascend SE, becoming S, over a first top then reach the small cairn which is the summit of Ard Nev, 556 m.

(4) Continue down the S ridge until just above the col to Ard Mheall then head E towards the main track. When an ATV track is reached, follow it down to the main track and follow that for about 8 km back to Kinloch.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 5^th April, 2017. Rum was also visited about 15 years earlier when the ferry times meant that on the first day only Hallival, Askival and Trallval were climbed. On the second day, Ainshval and Sgurr nan Gillean were climbed with a descent to Harris then a long walk back along the Harris track.