Date: Friday 2nd October 2020
Company: Myself and Ann-Marie
Distance: 32.1km, Ascent: 1035m
Time: 9Hrs 30Mins
On Friday morning, we drove to Glen Affric arriving shortly after sunrise. The weather at the outset of the walk was not as good as anticipated with low cloud covering most of the surrounding hills. Hopefully the weather would improve as the day progressed.
Click here to see a map of the route undertaken
From the car park at the end of the public road we made our way down to the bridge at the east end of Loch Affric. The track beyond now forms part of the Affric-Kintail Way, a 44 mile long distance trail from Drumnadrochit, on Loch Ness, to Morvich in Kintail. This trail can be walked or cycled although the website for the route does advise that sections of the trail are rough and wet underfoot. The route can involve a stay at the remote Alltbeithe Youth Hostel, providing it is not closed e.g. due to Covid-19.
Early morning view from bridge below car park:
After walking just over one kilometre, we stopped to take photographs looking across to Affric Lodge. Loch Affric is one of the most scenic, beautiful glens in Scotland, especially later in autumn when the leaves on the trees turn a wonderful array of colours. I will need to re-visit soon.
Looking across to Affric Lodge:
Looking across to Affric Lodge:
As we followed the route of the Affric-Kintail way we passed numerous Scots Pine. Walking or cycling the track involves numerous short ascents and descents.
Nice trees:
The low cloud began to lift as we progressed along the track but not sufficiently to clear the tops.
Looking across Loch Affric towards Sgurr na Lapaich:
Looking back across Loch Affric:
The west end of Loch Affric is delightful with a beautiful small beach and area of grass that looks ideal for wild camping. If doing so, PLEASE ensure you do not leave anything behind. Take any litter home.
Small beach at the west end of Loch Affric:
Beyond the end of the loch we passed Athnamulloch before reaching Strawberry Cottage. Below Strawberry Cottage we stopped to chat with a number of walkers who had camped out overnight there having ascended Beinn Attow (Fhada) the day previous.
Strawberry Cottage is maintained by the An Teallach Mountaineering Club. Mountaineering Clubs can rent this cottage which provides a great base for some of the remoter hills in the area.
Strawberry Cottage:
From Strawberry Cottage, we continued to follow the Affric-Kintail Way track passing Loch an Fheadain en-route.
Loch an Fheadain:
Soon therafter we arrived at the bridge over the Allt Coire Ghaidheil which has a National Trust for Scotland West Affric sign which pretty-much marks the start of the ascent towards An Socach. There is a nice waterfall at the bridge.
About to leave main track onto path leading to Bealach Coire Ghaidheil:
Waterfall at track junction:
Looking across to Mullach Fraoch-choire from track junction:
After consuming a number of Jelly Babies we had sufficient energy to commence the ascent to Bealach Coire Ghaidheil. The track leading to Bealach Coire Ghaidheil is of mixed quality. In some places, it is a great stalker's track. In other places, it is a wet bogfest.
On the path leading to Bealach Coire Ghaidheil:
906m top of An Socach:
We eventually reached the Bealach Coire Ghaidheil with some relief to escape the wetness underfoot.
906m top of An Socach from Bealach Coire Ghaidheil:
From the bealach, we got great views looking out to remote Beinn Fhionnlaidh, a hill I ascended on 31st August.
Beinn Fhionnlaidh and Carn Eighe (capped in cloud) from Bealach Coire Ghaidheil:
We decided to leave our rucksacks at the bealach walking the final kilometre or so to the summit and back without packs. The ascent to the 906m top is steep but without any difficulties. From the 906m top it was a pleasant walk out to the summit.
An Socach summit from 906m top:
The views from the summit were good but a little disappointing as a number of the surrounding Munro summits were still capped in cloud. The thought of continuing on to also ascend Sgurr nan Ceathramhnan and Mullach na Dheiragain was appealing but this would have turned what would already be a long walk into an epic. Instead we opted to return as planned leaving the other two remote Munros for a future ascent walking in from the west.
The last time I ascended An Socach, I also ascended Sgurr nan Ceathramhnan and Mullach na Dheiragain on the same day but had started and finished the walk from the Alltbeithe Youth Hostel which is currently closed.
View from the summit of An Socach:
Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Carn Eighe and Mam Sodhail from summit of An Socach:
Sgurr nan Ceathramhnan capped in cloud:
Mullach na Dheiragain from summit of An Socach:
Glen Shiel hills from summit of An Socach:
From the summit, we returned via exactly the same route back to the car.
Descent to Bealach Coire Ghaidheil:
In somewhat typical fashion, the weather began to improve as we made our way down the hill. Had we started the walk an hour or so later, we would have had clear views from the summit.
As I had only carried a litre of water, I stopped during the descent to refill my water bottle from a burn, sterilising the water with my Steripen - a cool portable device which uses ultra-violet light to detroy pathogens.
Looking back to An Socach:
On again reaching Strawberry Cottage we stopped for a seat before walking the final five miles back out to the car.
View from bridge below Strawberry Cottage:
Unlike our in-bound walk in the early morning, when we encoutered only the one group of people, we were now passing a number of small groups of people who were walking the Affric-Kintail Way.
Loch na Camaig:
Looking across the west end of Loch Affric towards An Tudair:
The final few kilometres back to the car were a bit of a slog but the views made up for the aching knees and feet.
A nice walk in one of the nicest parts of Scotland.