Deep in the forest.....Mount Eagle

5 October 2012.

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Mount Eagle, 256m/841', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 26, NH 649590

I was driving up to Inverness for a few days; usually I stop somewhere on the way to let Ben have a walk. On this occasion, however, I decided to carry on for a few miles beyond Inverness and climb Mount Eagle, which is the highest point on the Black Isle and a Marilyn as well.  95% of the "climb" is a gentle forest walk with an ascent of only around 50m; just right after a lengthy drive. I hadn't been here before but the start was easy to find, being at the foot of the Black Isle transmitter mast.....

There was a small car park at the opposite side of the road and the tracks were good and obviously well used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The radio transmitter, originally built to establish a commercial TV service in the area, came into operation in 1961. It rises to a height of 800' and, although in the middle of a forest, can be seen from many miles away.

The trees were fairly well spaced out and it was a nice walk.....

I was aiming for some more masts and buildings deep in the forest and followed the tracks to them.....

 I knew from the map that the trig was about a hundred yards north of the buildings and the pictures that I had seen of it showed that the summit area had been cleared. However, it had also been replanted and the new trees were now starting to get big. To complicate things still further, the gorse bushes at this time of year were quite high. This is what we were faced with (spot Ben looking as well).....

With a bit of a struggle, I headed in the direction that the trig should be, with no great hope of finding it. But...ah! there it is, just visible and no more.....

The few yards around the trig were a bit clearer.....

and if I stood on tip toe there was also the semblance of a view, north to Ben Wyvis....
.

At the trig, I noticed that there was a faint path leading back in the direction of the buildings so of course I took it. For anyone else doing this hill it starts at the north east corner of the buildings. However, the trees are growing in around it and it might not be there in a few years time, when getting to the trig could be a major undertaking. So the moral of the story is if you are going to climb Mount Eagle, then do it soon! And find the path from the buildings to the trig, maybe if enough people use it it will be passable for a while yet.