Sgor na h-Ulaidh

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This is the most hidden and maybe forgotten of Glencoe hills. The summit cannot be seen from the road but this is maybe it's best feature - from all the other Glencoe mountains the road is all to easily seen.

There is (or maybe was) a handy parking lay-by on the A82 (GR 120564) from where I crossed the road and nipped over a stile. I walked across easy slopes towards some woods which had signs suggesting this wasn't a place to be. I ignored them! The route I had picked was hardly subtle. There was a lengthy walk up Fionn Gleann to the Bealach Fhionnghaill which was in sight almost all the time. However the pools and rocks in the stream bed enhanced the walk and ensured a ready supply of water.

When I reached the Col I turned right hoping I would be able to find a way up the craggy slopes which lead to Stob an Fhurain. Happily it turned out to be fairly straightforward. A decent of 100m and more climbing took me on to the summit of Sgor na h-Ulaidh. I met no-one on my route to Stob an Fhurain, but here walkers teamed - or whatever groups of them do. The view of Bidean was disappointing as the southern flanks on display were steep but grassy. However there were splendid views of Loch Etive and Loch Creran and I duly admired them.

The descent seemed to go on for ever. This particular slope had seen a recent spate of fatal accidents some of which were blamed on modern cut-away heels. I zigzagged my way down so that I could use the sides of the boots, and reflected that wear makes all boot heels cut-away fairly quickly. Once I had finally reached flatter land (it always looked flat just a little further down!) there was what felt a long walk to the farm at Gleann-leac-na-muidhe and on down the hard farm track to the A82 and back to the car.