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Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard from Inchmore, Glen Strathfarrar

Start/Finish

The entrance to Glen Strathfarrar where there is a locked gate, at Inchmore. Park in the obvious rough car park about 40 m before the gate. There are access restrictions for cars but none for pedestrians so this walk can be done on any day of the week or any time of the year.

Distance/Time

15 km.     About 6 – 7 hours.

Peaks

Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard, 862 m, NH 360 434.    OS sheet 26: Inverness & Strathglass

Introduction

This is a tough and rough walk with much pathless terrain. In clear weather, it offers good views to the coast, Ben Wyvis and the hills of Geln Affric, Loch Mullardoch and Glen Strathfarrar,

Route

(1) Walk up the track from Inchmore. Go past Culligran and reach Culligram Power Station. Leave the main track here and take the track going to the right of the underground power station. Follow this as it turns W. Ignore the first track going right but take the second one which has a tiny cairn at its start. This track very soon rejoins the main one but befor eit does there is a greeb track going off right which is also marked with a tiny cairn. Take the green track and follow it until it leaves the trees, mainly silver birch, behind. Soon after, the track splits. Take the left fork. Soon after a path forks off left which could be easily missed so keep your concentration! Follow the path which can be faint in places. It actually goes up on to the S ridge after which there is no obvious path. Continue up the S ridge trying to keep left to avoid as much reascent as possible. The final section is a bit steeper but leads to a stone trig point in a small shelter cairn which is the summit of Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard, 862 m.

(2) Descend N on moderately steep but mainly grassy slopes and ascend to Top 834. Continue, over a shallow dip, to Sgorr a' Phollain, 854 m, then follow a path downSE then ENE up onto the flat Carn na Ghabhalach. From here the path varies between obvious and too faint to follow so head down SSE aiming for Loch na Beiste, the only lochan on that side of Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard. As height is lost the lochan gradually disappears from view so look for a higher feature to aim for. As you get closer there is a large pointed boulder above the lochan. The path should now have reappeared so follow it around the E side of the lochan. Continue and soon reach a gate in a deer fence then cross a small stream. By now you should be in farmland and on a track. Follow this down to the gate opposite the gate cottage at Inchmore.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 24^th May, 2017, and about 15 years earlier.