Walking in Torridon - Walks in the Mountains of Torridon

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Updates

I first started hill walking in the Lake District in my early fifties and came to live in Shieldaig on Loch Torridon in 1983. These notes, describing the easiest and safest ways to reach the tops of the Torridon mountains, were originally intended for friends using our cottage. It seemed that they might be useful to other visitors with hill-walking enthusiasm and experience, visiting Torridon for the first time; the sort of folk who are properly equipped and able to use map and compass who may, for example, have enjoyed climbing Great Gable, Tryfan or The Cobbler by the easier routes, but prefer not to risk their lives or frighten themselves by exposure in precipitous places and narrow ridges.

Poucher’s excellent guide The Scottish Peaks deals with only six of the 31 mountains over 2000 feet in the Torridon region which, for this purpose, I have interpreted widely to include the 200 square miles southwest of Loch Maree and north of the Achnasheen–Achnashellach–Lochcarron road, but including Slioch and its environs (see Overview Map, pages 8–9).

I am upset by steep scree and exposed mountain routes that many others find merely ‘interesting’. In the Wainwright tradition I have explored these mountains alone, looking for the easiest, and not necessarily the shortest, routes to their summits. Unlike most of the Cumbrian and Welsh peaks, the majority of these mountains do not have paths or walkers’ tracks up them, but the many excellent stalkers’ paths take one deep into wild country and often give a flying start to an ascent. But walkers in Torridon have to accustom themselves to free-ranging over heather, grass, rock and marsh. Much of the lower ground is wet but, in my experience, perfectly safe to cross as long as you watch where you put your feet, as mountain walkers should always do. Occasional black peat bogs, with miniature cliffs and sullen countenance, can look menacing, but they are easily circumvented and, in fact, are often quite hard. In wet places just tread on the grass and heather (but not on moss) and you will not sink more than a few inches. Generally when free-ranging the going is much better over 1000 feet and the higher the better, where there is little heather and the grass gets shorter and rock comes to predominate. However, heather is excellent non-slip stuff for descending steep muddy slopes.

Maps

All the routes described are delineated on sections of the Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 maps: 19 (Gairloch & Ullapool), 24 (Raasay & Applecross) and 25 (Glen Carron & Glen Affric), and the appropriate sheet should be carried on every walk. OS Explorer 1:25,000 maps 433 (Torridon – Beinn Eighe & Liathach) and 428 (Kyle of Lochalsh, Plockton & Applecross) also cover the region and are available in laminated form. Harvey’s Superwalker map 1:25,000 Torridon includes Slioch, Beinn Eighe, Liathach and Beinn Alligin. The sketches of some parts of the routes in this book are only intended to add detail not revealed by the maps. All routes described in the text are shown in orange (in many instances these overlie the broken lines indicating stalkers’ paths on the OS maps). Though several routes may appear on the same map each is referred to separately in the text. I have adopted the mountain and place names as printed on the OS 1:50.000 sheets, although there are some inconsistencies. I have also offered approximate phonetic spellings and English translations for certain of the Gaelic names as they arise in the text.

Safety on the hills

Most of the expeditions assume that you have transport, and those which do not require it are indicated and are written as though Shieldaig is the starting point. The ‘climbs’ often involve descending again by the route of your ascent, which builds in a considerable safety factor if you are new to the area and also the comfort and pleasure of returning over familiar territory. This is never boring as the spectacular views are the opposite of what you have enjoyed going up. Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back (write it down on a card), stick to your stated plans and report your return. Should a search party ever have to look for you it is a courtesy to them that they should have some idea where, within 200 square miles, they should start looking. A rescue team in the Lake District once spent 48 hours looking for two girls who turned up in Portsmouth.

I have researched these routes carefully, but features change over the years and I apologise for any unintentional errors. If you find anything wrong, please inform the publisher. Some of the high places in Torridon are vast complicated wildernesses so do not attempt ascents in bad weather or when there are bad forecasts. Should low cloud begin to threaten on your way up, a few well-chosen compass bearings, taken directly and noted down on a scrap of paper, can prove very helpful in the event of a subsequent mist-out. This can also draw attention to the appearance of key landmarks as they will appear on your way down. Always write down the time at which you take these bearings in these circumstances. I always carry a heavy-duty survival bag, first aid, emergency rations, torch, whistle, compasses, watch and maps and some spare warm clothing, winter and summer. Fortunately, water is plentiful in the Highlands and the sheep keep low, so streams are generally safe to drink from.

One particular warning is appropriate. A number of burns and rivers, which are easy to cross in dry weather, may become difficult or even dangerous in spate (after heavy rain or melting snows), when even walking hundreds of yards up or down stream may fail to resolve the problem. In these conditions be prepared to wade. Never wade in bare feet but carry spare socks in your rucksack if you prefer walking with dry feet. Two heavy-duty polythene bags tied above the knees will help keep your feet dry, if you can be bothered to carry them. Rugged types simply wade and walk with wet feet for the rest of the day. Where streams are steep and torrential, it may be better to call it a day.

Access

In Scotland there has long been a general presumption of access to all land unless there is a very good reason for the public to be excluded. The Land Reform Act 2003 confirmed this presumption, and since 2005 walkers in Scotland have a statutory right of access to all land, except for areas such as railway land, quarries, harbours, airfields and defence land where the public are excluded by law. Access rights extend to all beaches and foreshores. In practice the significant exceptions are land immediately around private houses, and fields of growing crops (but the edges of fields are included in access rights).

Walkers should act responsibly when exercising their right of access, and follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code published by Scottish Natural Heritage and available at www.outdooraccess-scotland.com. For example you should avoid walking across growing crops or croftland when there is a route around it and obey advisory signs asking you to avoid certain areas at certain times for land management, safety or conservation reasons. Particular care should be taken during the deer-stalking season, which typically runs from 1 July to 20 October (note that this is the maximum extent of the season: on individual estates it typically runs from mid August, and many estates will specify a start date appreciably later than 1 July), and the grouse-shooting season which runs from 12 August to 10 December. During these times it is best to check with the relevant estates (see Appendix 1); hill walkers will be limited to a small number of specific paths and ridges. Note that local signs should specify the exact date on which stalking is taking place, that stalking is not carried out on Sundays, and even during stalking there can be no access restricton on any rights of way: the through routes on the Coulin Estate and Achneshellach, for example, are rights of way. Note too that hills managed by Scottish Natural Heritage, the National Trust for Scotland and the Forestry Commission are open to walkers year-round.

Access rights extend to wild camping where small numbers of people are using lightweight tents and staying for no more than three or four nights in any one spot (away from roads and buildings). Leave no signs of having been there by carrying out refuse and removing all traces of your pitch. Wherever possible use a stove rather than light an open fire, but if you have to do the latter keep it small, under control and supervised at all times. If you find something to burn such as old woody heather root, ensure that your fire is sufficiently isolated so as to preclude a major fire. Fires should never be lit in a prolonged dry period, in woods or forests or on peaty ground. Always make sure to remove all traces before moving on.

When to go

Walking in the mountains of Torridon can be good in winter as the west coast climate is not generally harsh, but be aware that winds can be very strong at times, and the wind chill factor high. Fresh snow is a delight to tread, but beware of cornices on the ridges. An ice-axe should be carried and crampons make snow walking easier. However, it should be borne in mind that snow slopes, particularly at higher altitudes, may become glacial with a surface of hard ice, when even quite gentle slopes can be extremely dangerous if lying above crags. Such icy snowfields may persist on the northern aspects of the mountains into May and June. What may look like small patches from road level are often surprisingly extensive at 3000 feet and may be difficult or dangerous obstacles when frozen hard. Summer and winter weather in the Highlands is always beautiful with blue skies predominating, to which assertion the numerous Highland calendars bear constant witness. The weather only turns foul when there are visitors.