Glen Tanar and Clachan Yell

A lovely late autumn day for a walk in Glen Tanar and up the hill called Clachan Yell:

trees

ruin

more leaves

lunch break

The clachan (stone) on Clachan Yell

view from the top

tree

boat house

Walks

First up a walk along Glen Ernan near Strathdon.

Lynardoch

Upmarket bothy and loch

Can I come in?

pretty rock

Also a quick jaunt up Ben Newe

evening sky

extra long legs

selfie!

Glenbuchat castle

Then a 14 mile excursion to see the Ailnack Gorge, Scotland's largest glacial meltwater channel formed 20,000 years ago. 600ft wide, 300ft deep and 6 miles long.

At Ca du Ford on the Ailnack Water

Looking down at the gorge

The gorge

another selfie

avenue of trees

Coll

With the weather looking fair and a few days free I set off for the Isle of Coll.

Looking north from ferry

Rum and Muck come into view

Towards Mull from Coll

Pint at the Isle of Coll hotel

Community Centre and Bunkhouse

Main Street in the evening

Gate

Camping in the walled garden in the south of the island

Collection on Friday? - will be tricky!

Wildflowers abound and I heard the corncrakes

Feall Bay

Feall beach

Shadowman was there!

Traigh nan Siolag in the far south

Crossapol Bay

info board

on top of Ben Hogh (highest point at 106m)

how did they do that?

ruins

Walking and reading

Loch Awe on the way home

Rum

Off we went on Friday evening, a drive up to Mallaig and a broken night's sleep in the backpacker's hostel. An early start:

 

Then the ferry across.

A two and a half hour hike with all the gear round to Dibidil. The peaks of Askival and Hallival looking down on us:

Then a quick lunch and just the essentials for the climb up Sgurr nan Gillean, Eigg across the water and the bothy far below:

At the summit 764m up:

Sorley with Ainshval and Askival in the background:

Jamie on the ridge to Ainshval 781m:

A well-earned drink back at Dibidil where we met up with some crazy walkers who had done all the tops from Kinloch with their full packs (including some coal!) and arrived after dark:

What a night in a bothy can do to you:

Glorious sunrise the next morning:

Then we walked the 12 miles of rough going round the coast via Papadil:

 and Harris:

to reach Guirdil:

 

Another night spent here in the lee of Bloodstone Hill and more strange goings on:

This time a lovely sunset over Canna:

Shadowman was on hand of course:

 And his strange companion:

Then back to Kinloch and a slap-up lunch at the village hall. Phonebox still there: