With a very promising forecast for the weekend on the horizon, we headed north to Glencoe to take on Beinn a’ Bheithir via the Schoolhouse Ridge. I left Giffnock at 6am, feeling surprisingly alive after a night in Montieths. I picked up Britton and we made very good progress to Glencoe, arriving much earlier than planned. We stopped at the Red Squirrel campsite to pick up Carys and Emily, before continuing on to the start point at the Co‑op in Ballachulish.
The Scramble
With boots on and suncream applied, we headed up the road to the track that leads to the ridge beside the local primary school. Britton decided that the scramble was not for him and cut off the path early to take the safer route. Carys, Emily and I continued on to the scramble. With dry rock and no wind, it made for a very straightforward climb. It’s always enjoyable to include a bit of scrambling on a hillwalk, even if it is relatively short‑lived.
Carys and Emily at the start of the scramble.
Another action shot!
Emily after the crux.
Hard part done, time to reach the top of Munro number one and have a break!
Reaching the Summit of Sgòrr Dhearg
We reached the Munro top of Sgòrr Dhearg after around two hours of walking and scrambling. Britton had been waiting a while, so came down to join us. We had a quick Haribo strawberry break and got some team photos, before continuing along the path towards the second summit.
Team picture with the Knoydart peninsula in the background.
Team picture with the Glencoe hills and Loch Leven in the background.
Lunch on Sgòrr Dhònuill
It took us no time at all to reach the second summit. After the first Munro, the walking was easy, with no more scrambling required. We stopped for lunch and spent a long time relaxing and taking in the views. It is truly rare to get a day when you can sit on the summit and stay warm in the hills. We were joined by a very friendly springer spaniel who made several attempts to steal our lunches!!
No luck stealing Carys’ lunch!
No luck stealing my lunch either!
A meme picture before heading back down.
Disaster struck for Carys on the descent when she rolled her ankle, leaving it very swollen. Other than that, we followed what felt like a never‑ending path down before continuing along the A828 back into Ballachulish. We dropped the girls back at the campsite and then headed back down the road.
We ended up back in Montieths for a few beers, although it was short‑lived as we were both very tired. We grabbed a Joy Bowl, Britton gave us a quick tour of his new flat, and then we headed home.
Sunday wild swim
To round off a fantastic weekend of great weather, Owain and I went for a swim in White Loch. It was absolutely freezing, but the rush afterwards made it well worth it. Fingers crossed this is a sign of what’s to come for the rest of the summer.
It was quite cold!