17th May 2019
Rest Day at Clachan Farm
Removing packaging from our posted food drops was becoming a familiar routine, this was our second. After having put all our clothes through a wash and successfully drying them in the garden, Marie, our host, kindly gave us a lift into Ullapool where we spent an intensive hour eating some scallops at the Seafood Shack, buying yet more oatcakes and cheese from West Coast Deli, a bottle from the An Tealach beer shop and a couple of cards from the bookshop. Ullapool remains a great asset to the West Coast.
A new complication with the stove unfolded today after conversations with Peter who is coming to meet us at Oykel Bridge with a replacement stove. An issue with new Coleman (Orange label) canisters has been buzzing around Internet forums for a while but passed me by. The problem being that these, apparently identical, gas canisters have a slight difference and don’t work on many stoves but they are the ones I have inadvertently ordered for each of our food drops!
The sun shone on Lochbroom and we ate another fine meal made by Marie.
18th May 2019
Knockdamph Bothy
In the last two days we have sat having breakfast and looking up beyond Inverlael Forest and a path leading skyward. This was our route this morning. We found a shortcut through the forest marked on the 1:25,000 maps which saved us 2km, this was a delightfully efficient climbing track, cleared by a local mountain biker who we met when we popped out on the top forest road.
Before long we were looking back at our B&B that had been our home for two days and, as the farm disappeared from sight, the track at our feet faded to dry bog. We dutifully stuck to the 520m contour as we skirted the hillside before dropping into the wide expanse of Glen Dochary and a well needed lunch stop in a cluster of old ruins.
The rain was light and persistent but we were now on a path which wound it’s way down a beautiful gorge where the river falls over faults in the limestone and creates deep inviting pools.
Knockdamph Bothy was empty when we arrived, we set about lighting a fire from the remains of wood and kindling we could find before being joined by two others who had just started the second half of the Cape Wrath Trail.
The cloud descended and, for the first time, our hill view was removed.
Distance: 20.9km
Ascent: 241m
19th May 2019
Oykel Bridge Bunkhouse
Our stove finally packed up this morning, after many attempts and the loss of most of the hair on my hands I considered it time to give up trying to keep it alight. The couple sharing the Bothy kindly let us use their stove with our fuel so we managed breakfast. The track to Oykel was fast and easy, we had a long stop at the Schoolhouse at Duag Bridge,
this is a well renovated Bothy and an ideal vantage point for Seana Bhraigh, a remote Munro, so we decided on a return visit in the future. This school was used until 1930’s, where students brought a bit of peat as well as their books each day in winter and when the rivers were in spate some of them ingeniously used stilts for crossing! Oykel Bridge hotel has stayed “old style” while other establishments have modernised, it still serves the fishing clientele but the low water levels was causing considerable consternation in the bar in the evening. They did, however, make an amazing venison curry!
Distance: 13.6km
Ascent: 254m
20th May 2019
Loch Ailsh wild camp
I put a light to the new Alpkit stove, that Peter had brought for me and a fabulous roar emanated. This is a sensation we had not experienced for nearly three weeks so it was with great excitement that we set off with our new appliance. Peter and June accompanied us for a couple of hours up the Oykel river and we sat and ate lunch at a fisherman’s hut before parting.
With a very poor forecast and expecting heavy rain by 6pm we stopped and pitched at about 3pm but subsequently enjoyed a sunny evening beside the Loch. Each boil of water took just over three minutes instead of thirty and I was able to leave the stove without fear of it randomly extinguishing and filling the air with un-burnt gas.
Distance: 13.8km
Ascent: 270m
21st May 2019
Inchnadamph B&B
We pressed on up the salmon rich River Oykel all the way to it’s source. Skirting Loch Ailsh, we passed a grand but empty Ben More Lodge, dark clouds loomed over the bealach on our route and today was the first time we walked in consistent rain. A good scattering of orchids was about the only bright thing we saw today and we had to take great care with every foot placement. We spent the day alone as the number of others on this part of the trail seems to have dwindled, perhaps they are all doing alternatives to avoid some navigational difficulties.
After trackless rough ground to the bealach, we were given a grand view of the majestic peaks of Canisp, Suilven and Quinag. Rising out of generally low lying land, these hills all fall below 3000 feet and so are overlooked by Munroists. We finally joined one of the tracks exiting Ben More Assynt which we walked out on last year and down to “The Byre” which is a self catering style B&B and ideal for us to dry out and relax as the rain persisted against the velux windows of our loft space accommodation.
Distance: 18.4km
Ascent: 438m
22nd May 2019
Glencoul Bothy
People in Shetland would probably describe today as “blashy”, we togged up after breakfast and set out in rain that continued on and off (mostly on) all day. Our track wound it’s way into the cloud with hundreds of orchids and dozens of frogs enjoying the wet weather. We looked at each swollen stream with nervous trepidation because the river supplying Loch Coul is known to be awkward when in spate. Two ghostly shadows disappeared into the cloud ahead of us but it was some hours before we saw anyone. A group of 3 Frenchmen passed us while we paused to check the route, we passed them a little later and as we continued one came running after exclaiming that we had gone the wrong way.
We explained that their route was to the top of on of the UK’s longest waterfalls and would be a dead end. They followed us and after overtaking again found a good point to cross the river so returned the favour. “The Eas a Chual Aluinn” cascades from a 200m cliff before dispersing in a delta of mini falls into the Glen below, it makes the falls of Glomach look like a dripping tap and this is perhaps the only time one might be glad that there has been so much rain!
Glencoul Bothy was very busy, the Frenchmen were cooking food and another group were lighting a fire with some damp wood but within half an hour they were all packing up and leaving for the next bothy at Glendhu. This is a better vantage point to get to Rhiconnich in one day but true to form we will be doing it in about 3 days!!
We shared the Bothy with a young couple and their dog, a good fire helped to partially dry our wet clothing and we chatted about life and journeys.
Distance: 18km
Ascent: 675m
23rd May 2019
Kylesku Hotel
No living thing in their right mind came out today, the orchids were there because they had to be and the frogs kept well under cover so the only fools out there were those walking the Cape Wrath Trail and slugs!
I don’t think I have seen consistent rain like this in May in Scotland, all rivers were swollen to foaming, peaty-white torrents and simple fords in the track became traumatic experiences. As we approached the head of Loch Gleann Dubh we prayed that the bridge was still there as the consequences of it not would be unthinkable. We stopped at Glendhu Bothy for some lunch and respite, the previous occupants had left a embers in the fire so Sue soon had a flame.
The final stage was a 4x4 track on which we thought we could relax, but the extent of the rain required wading through water from gushing waterfalls so it all began to feel quite soggy! When we finally arrived at Kylesku Hotel we were dripping from every thread, our room had a separate bathroom so it was there that we dismantled ourselves so as not to cause too much damage to the room. The couple at Glencoul Bothy had decided to quit due to the weather and the constant and continuing rain led to some strategic alterations to our future route. The alternatives would be partly on road in order to avoid endless bog and potentially impassable rivers.
We had discovered the Kylesku in 2015 when we cycled the coast of Britain and so on our return we promised ourselves a good meal, so after a large amount of seafood and some alcohol, we retired to the same room we had four years ago
Distance: 18km
Ascent: 588m
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