Carn Breugach, Isle of Kerrera

24 May 2016

Participants: Just me

Where: Carn Breugach, Isle of Kerrera, 189m/620', Sub-2k Marilyn, SIB, Map 49, NM 815278

 

The sunshine had returned! This is a view of Kerrera from McCaigs folly in Oban on the previous evening.....

and it was still sunny and clear in the morning.....
 

 

Time for an island trip! Looking at my records, I was amazed to find that it had been 10 years since I last visited Kerrera. Apart from work on-going to improve the slipways, nothing had changed. The ferry still ran at times that bore little relationship to the published timetable.....
 

 

 

There were Black Guillemots swimming around.....
 

 

Leaving the ferry, I set off southwards on the track that is the islands main road. There was a good view back along the Sound of Kerrera to Oban.....
 

 

I passed a small cluster of houses.....
 

 

Last time I climbed Carn Breugach, I made a direct ascent from close to the ferry. It was a poor route, very steep in places, thick bracken, barbed wire fences, and lots of ups and downs. This time, I did the sensible thing and walked about 2 miles along the track to its highest point before heading for the south ridge which was mainly short grass. This is the view of the hill from the high point of the track (the summit is at the furthest away point from here).....
 

 

The views quickly opened out, this is looking south to Scarba.....

and west to the hills of Mull.....
 

 

The trig was on a prominent knoll......

with great views to Oban.....

  

 

Ben Cruachan was easily recognisable.....
 

 

I could see the low lying Isle of Tiree on the western horizon.....
 

 

Dun da Ghaoithe on Mull.....
 

 

and Scarba again.....
 

 

Cows range freely on the island and there was plenty of evidence that they had visited the summit. Today, however, they were well down the hillside, and  in the area where I would have had to go if I had been following the route I took previously.

 

It was a summit to linger on but eventually I had to drag myself away and return the way that I had come. One more picture of the cliffs of Mull from the track.....

I do love islands.