Friday 2nd November 2018. An ascent of Creag Mhor Thollaidh 342m/100m, Flowerdale, Highland, Scotland. 4.8km, with 330m of ascent. 2 hours 0min.

East of Gairloch in the North-West Highlands, skirted on three sides by the A832 road, lies a wild area of lochs, lochans and low rugged mountains known as Flowerdale, after the principal glen in the area. Although the highest hills are not much over 400 metres in altitude, they are ancient gnarled hills of cliff and crag, mainly composed of Lewisian gneiss, the most ancient rock in Scotland, laid down in the Pre-Cambrian Period more than a billion years ago.

I have explored this area on a number of previous occasions and always return. It is of so much interest.

I parked the car in a small parking area off the road two kilometres south of the village of Poolewe, from where a stony path headed south to the Tollie Burn, crossed by a wooden bridge. After a gate in the deer fence, the trail headed up a narrow rocky glen beside the Allt an Leth-chreige, in spate after recent rain. The day was a fine one of late autumn sunshine, with no more rain expected before dusk.

To the east, the glen was confined by the cliffs and crags of Creag Mhor Thollaidh. I was looking for a grassy rake that would take me safely up between the crags to the summit ridge, as described by others who had climbed it before me. Unfortunately I chose too early, heading up a very steep boggy gully that left me puffing with heart pounding. I got to the top, with the summit only some 300 metres to the south. I arrived on the north top, below which I discovered the wide grass rake that I had been searching for. The summit lay beyond, after a short stiff ascent.

The climb had been worth it for the wide vista that was my reward for reaching the large cairn on the summit. To the north, the view extended over Loch Ewe to the Outer Hebrides; to the west the Trotternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye; to the south the mighty mountains of Torridon; to the east the Fisherfield wilderness.

I headed down reluctantly. The view was so fine. The grassy rake was wide and boggy, but proved a much easier route to the glen and path below. It took me 45 minutes from summit to car.