As usual, Ruth and I headed to the Highlands for a week’s bagging over Spring Bank Holiday week, focussing mainly on the Northwest Highlands. Also as usual, the trip started with a long, long drive north through the evening, our first destination this year being the comfortable campsite in Cannich – with the damp weather over the first two days of the trip we were particularly glad of the lounge and drying room!

Saturday’s objective, in persistent but very light rain, was Beinn a’ Bha’ach Ard above Glen Strathfarrar. Sunday’s, in persistent heavier rain, was Sgorr na Diollaid, above Glen Cannich. Both proved to be more interesting hills than expected, the former having a pleasant high level traverse between the tops, and the latter having a pair of dramatic rocky tors at the summit, and the relatively short walks suited the conditions.

The next two days were drier and brighter, so we moved a few miles north to tackle two pairs of Corbetts in Strathconon, using the Riverside Campsite in Contin as a base. On Monday, Meallan and Uan and Sgurr a’ Mhuilinn offered attractive ridge-walking and excellent views north to the Fannaichs. Tuesday’s long walk to Bac an Eich and An Sithean was less dramatic in the foreground, but had a real sense of remoteness, with excellent views of the surrounding Munros north and south of Loch Monar. We also enjoyed more distant views of Glen Carron, Torridon and Fisherfield both days.

My full photo album from Glen Strathfarrar, Glen Cannich and Strathconon can be found at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fr57fZkKj3gYX8428

With more good weather forecast for the next couple of days, on Wednesday morning we headed over to the west coast to collect a few dramatic Corbetts in the Fisherfield area. First on our list was Beinn Airigh Charr, a superbly-situated rocky peak near Poolewe, with stunning views south over Loch Maree to Torridon and northeast over Fionn Loch to A’ Mhaighdean. Definitely a contender for my favourite Corbett, and we enjoyed it in perfect conditions, the excellent visibility also giving views of Skye and the Outer Hebrides. To make the most of the day’s fine weather, in the late afternoon we summoned the energy for a second walk, up beside the Ardessie Falls onto Sail Mhor, another fine peak with great views into the heart of Fisherfield Forest and north to Coigach.

Thursday was cloudier and dry for another long walk, this time in to Beinn Dearg Bheag and Beinn Dearg Mor from Gruinard. Although the long track approach was a little tedious, the northwest ridge of Beinn Dearg Bheag proved to be a very enjoyable route of ascent, with easy scrambling in places, dramatic crags and gullies, and some sections of narrow arete. A short traverse down and back up took us to Beinn Dearg Mor, its summit sadly just in the cloud, before the long walk out along Loch na Sealga and back along the track to Gruinard.

The rain returned on Friday for our final, shorter walk in the Fisherfield area, this time up the boggy and much less dramatic Corbett of Creag Rainich above Loch a’ Bhraoin. Not one I’m likely to revisit, although I dare say the low cloud deprived us of good views of the many surrounding Munros!

My full photo album from the Fisherfield Corbetts can be viewed at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wr3B4LXFbErHRXbU7

For the final weekend of the trip, we headed back east to Inverness, where a friend of Ruth’s had kindly offered us accommodation. Gavin also joined us for Saturday’s walk up Carn na Saobhaidhe in the north of the Monadhliath, perhaps the flattest-topped Corbett but not an unpleasant place to spend a bright and clear day. Then on Sunday morning we nipped up Geal Charn, a foothill of the northern Cairngorms, before the long drive back to Kendal and Derby.

Photos from the Monadhliath and Cairngorms: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ek3Uhu7aLkRdUB276

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable week despite mixed weather that was worse than the excellent average we’ve grown used to at this time of the year. I ticked off 13 new Corbetts, taking my total to 198. Only 24 to go, and I’ve pencilled in completion for Spring Bank Holiday weekend 2021, so there’s plenty of time to fit in the required trips to Jura, Harris and the Far North (among other less far-flung places) in the meantime.

As usual, Ruth and I spent the Easter long weekend Corbett-bagging in the Highlands. With Easter being late this year we’d opted mainly to camp, a decision that was well justified by the excellent warm and dry weather throughout!

As I’d been out running with friends on the preceding Wednesday evening, I made an early start on Thursday to drive up to Loch Voil via Ruth’s, arriving around noon with plenty of time for an afternoon walk up the impressively steep and craggy Stob a’ Choin. We then continued north to Tyndrum to set up camp at By The Way for the first two nights. Friday’s walk was the biggest of the trip, taking in the five Corbetts east of the A82 above the pass to Bridge of Orchy in 21 kilometres packed with over 2000m ascent. This is the only place where five Corbetts can readily be bagged in a single walk.

After breaking camp on Saturday we drove around to Glen Lyon for a couple of days. Saturday’s walk took in two rounded hills above Innerwick, Cam Chreag and Beinn Dearg. The former was grassy and the latter heathery, with both offering hazy views south to Ben Lawers and north to Loch Rannoch. With no campsite nearby, we chose a semi-wild camp by the very quiet roadside just below the dam of Loch an Daimh. Sunday’s walk at the very head of the glen proved more interesting, with Meall Buidhe and Sron a’ Choire Chnapanaich offering excellent views of Beinn Heasgarnich, Beinn a’ Chreachain and Loch an Daimh.

For the final night of the trip, we enjoyed the relative luxury of Loch Voil Hostel, the spectacular lochside setting of which was just about worth the slow and very rough four-mile drive along gravel tracks on the south side of the loch to get there! This remote base gave us the opportunity for an unusual but attractive route to Monday’s hill, Beinn Stacath, ascending via Bealach Griseach and returning via the forestry tracks below Coire Odhar.

11 Corbetts over the course of the trip took me to 185 down, 37 to go.

Full, labelled photo album at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/3J71dGw4uHA6ndHs6

I spent another week Corbett-bagging, starting with two solo days around Rannoch and Corrour, then joined by Ruth for two days between Loch Ericht and Drumochter, and three days in the southern Cairngorms. Definitely the snowiest October walking I’ve done, with over a foot at the summit of Lochnagar!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4aPsHFQzt49GjH3s7