Ben Hiant

2 May 2012

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Ben Hiant, 528m/1,731', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 47, NM 537632

I have a list of hills that I have always wanted to climb but have never got round to doing, possibly because of a pre-occupation with Munros and Corbetts when I was younger and fitter. Not surprisingly, most of these wanted hills are in the west, so weather has also played a part as it would be a sin to climb them on a claggy, wet day.

Ben Hiant is a long way away, even from Ardgour it is the best part of 40 miles, much of it on a single track road. It didn't help that Highland Council were resurfacing the bit from just past Salen to Kilchoan so there were some delays but how come this Council can do this sort of work on a single track, dead end road when in East Dunbartonshire the most we get is a few stones thrown in a pothole from time to time? Something wrong somewhere!

Anyway it was another brilliant day and I was in no hurry. This is the first view of the hill from the side of Loch Sunart.....

and this is it from above the beach at Camas nan Geall.....

I parked in an old quarry close to the highest point of the road; the hill path started immediately opposite. The first part of the walk was up straightforward grassy slopes and soon the Small Isles came into view to the north, Rum with Eigg in front and Skye to the right.....

Soon I was on a narrower part of the ridge and I could see south to the Sound of Mull with Ben More  to the right.....

Beyond this, the hill steepened considerably and I could see that there were rocky sections with the cairn situated right at the edge of big drops. Hmmm, all Ben's hills to date have been of the broad, grassy variety and he does tend to range about hillsides a bit without thought for obstacles and dangers.....

Anyway we pressed on; the path avoided most of the rocky bits and Ben stuck to it and close to me. His hill sense is obviously better than I thought. Here he is at the top: what was all the fuss about?......

It was a summit to linger on, there was no wind and it was warm. I could see the Outer Hebrides on the horizon, closer to hand this is the view to the mountains of Mull.....

and the Cuillin of Rum with the Sgurr of Eigg in the foreground (another hill on my wee list).....

and down to Kilchoan and the western part of Ardnamurchan.....

I must have spent about half an hour at the top before reluctantly dragging myself away and reversing the upward route. Again Ben stuck close to me and avoided leaping about rocks. After the walk, I carried on to Kilchoan where there was an excellent community run tearoom. This is another view of Ben Hiant from the ferry pier.....

and I couldn't resist stopping to take another picture of the Small Isles on the way back.....

A great wee hill, well worth the effort of getting there!