Ladhar Bheinn from Inverie

One of the three Munros that can be climbed directly from the hamlet of Inverie.

The account of this route is given more fully in the article – Escape from Knoydart – but here’s a summary.

1 – Start the route from The Old Forge and walking towards the pier you’ll find a good forestry track that leads uphill to the right. Follow this, past a recycling point but keeping left and passing a few discreetly built new houses.

2 – The track eases soon after the houses, and continues through the forestry, across a path junction that’s not shown on my map at any rate, and onwards onto open moors. The good track continues along the moors for another km before you turn right at Folach Gate and return into the forest, and follow the track. It soon leaves the forestry for a final time, and leads on to a decent bridge over the Allt Coire Torr an Asgaill and on past the ruins at Folach.

3 – At Folach, the path becomes fainter but easy enough to follow up to Bealach at An Diollaid. It also becomes progressively steeper as you ascend, with the final section leaving you almost tasting the mud in front of your face. However, it’s a straightforward slog that gets you up quickly.

4 – An Diollaid makes a good lunch stop if you’re in no rush, with views ranging from the Cuillin on Skye to the shapely Beinn Sgritheall across Loch Hourn. The path fades in and out for much of the remaining ascent, and it seemed that as soon as we rejoined it that it vanished again. So we decided to use our energies to set off for the skyline instead. Soon the ridge begins to narrow slightly, and you first find yourself with a sharp drop to the left. Once you reach the actual summit ridge, then it becomes nicely exposed on both sides.

5 – The summit ridge starts off at the trig point, but the actual summit is further along the ridge, though you can enjoy the views down towards the azure Barrisdale Bay from any point.

6 – On reaching the end of the ridge, you’ll find a clear but steep path descending
on a roughly south easterly bearing. This is mainly a steep path, but involves a couple of near-scrambles and one bad step that posed more problems on our traverse as we were carrying large packs. The ridge continues to undulate as far as Bealach Coire Dhorrcail, with the ridge providing plenty of interest along the way.

7 – Those who place peak bagging above all else might find the next section pointless, as the peak of Stob a’ Chearcaill falls a few metres short of being a Corbett. Or rather, the previous bealach rises a few metres too high which means it fails to reascend by the magic 152.4m. This is an easy pull up, and the terrain becomes grassier, though still steep beyond.

8 – The descent from the ridge isn’t easy, and could pose some difficulties in mist. You need to contour under the lower eastern top along a narrow track which we followed in the hope it took us down! It certainly does, but not before a final loose and steep section to test you out. It’s now pure off path walking, avoiding bogs and trying to guess the best line towards Mam Barrisdale. If you possibly can, then continuing on to Luinne Bheinn and Meall Buidhe makes for an epic day.

9 – The path down from Mam Barrisdale is an excellent track, crossing many welcome streams on a warm day. Further down it does revert to a muddier, damper trail, but only for a short while and as soon as you reach Loch an Dubh-Lochain you’re almost home and dry. Except for an easy 8km yomp back to Inverie. There are a few junctions to the left along the way, but keep to the north of the Inverie River and you’ll be fine.

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