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Beinn Enaiglair & Meall Doire Faid from Braemore Junction

Start/Finish

Car park at Braemore Junction where the Gairloch road leaves the Ullapool road. It is a large car park.

Distance/Time

12 km walk.     About 6 hours

Peaks

Beinn Enaiglair, 890 m, NH 225 805.

Meall Doire Faid, 730 m, NH 221 792.      OS map 20: Beinn Dearg

Introduction

These are very accessible hills but there are no obvious paths to their actual summits. Both hills offer good views to the Beinn Dearg range which is very close and also, across the main road, to the Fannaichs, Fisherfield and An Teallach.

Route

(1) Follow the path sign at the end of the car park and soon reach a gate leading to a path behind the forest. Follow the path to the bridge by Home Loch. Turn right and follow the track until a small cairn indicates a right fork onto a path. Further on, take another right fork. The path now leads up into the gap between the two hills, passing some waterfalls. The actual col is just after a small lochan on the right but the path drifts left onto the Beinn Enaiglair side and climbs a little higher after passing crags on the left of the col. Follow the path until past the crags and worst of the heather then strike uphill aiming for the crest picking as grassy a route as possible up the moderately steep slopes. Once on the crest, go left and follow the ridge up to a flat area where a medium cairn marks the summit of Beinn Enaiglair, 890 m.

(2) Return to the col then head straight up. The lower crags can be bypassed on the left then cut back right. The higher crags are to the left of the summit so cross a short boulder field to reach the foot of the steep grassy ramp to their right and pick a way up this to the crest. Turn right and soon reach the medium cairn which is the summit of Meall Doire Faid, 730 m.

(3) It is possible to descend directly to the SSW to intercept the outward path but the descent will be slow and pathless. It is probably just as quick and certainly easier to return to the col and retrace the outward route from there via Home Loch.

Notes

(a) This route was walked on 6^th July, 2017, and about 20 years earlier.

(b) If you don't mind the driving, Dingwall Camping and Caravanning Club site is well placed for access to Glen Affric, Loch Mullardoch, Glen Strathfarrar, Strathconon, Ben Wyvis, Achnasheen, Kinlochewe. Fannaichs, Loch Glascarnoch, Beinn Dearg range and lower hills on the coast. The site is virtually midge free. It pays to be a member otherwise there are surcharges. There is an over 50's discount outside of the High Season. Electrical hook ups are possible for campers. Dingwall has a 24 hour Tesco. The start is about 40 miles from Dingwall. Ullapool is a nearer base but less midge free for summer camping.