My pal Ben and I loved three days of Corbett bagging  within the far north-west of Scotland. Day one we walked a double Corbett route of Arkle and Meall Horn; the following day we tackled Foinaven from the north; then on day three, we walked Ben Hee. We had been lucky with good climate though the clouds endured at summit degree over Foinaven.

Arkle & Meall Horn

Parking to the south of Arkle and Meall Horn simply off the singletrack A383 street at Achfary  – between Lairg and Laxford Bridge – and on the southern shore of Loch Stack, we started the stroll on a good monitor. For those who fancy a brief cycle, the monitor is right for a mountain bike or a gravel bike. 

Whilst we began the stroll, we might see the gorgeous define of Arkle forward, with the steep southwesterly slopes of quartzite rising excessive past the loch.

At first, the monitor stays near the shore of Loch Stack earlier than veering off. We handed a good looking home with a backyard of hens, then a derelict cottage. At a fork within the tack, we headed left and thru a really nice woodlands of tall pines. 

On the fringe of the pinewoods there are two enormous boulders that type a kind of gateway. We stood and appeared on the boulders and questioned how that they had been created. 

By means of the timber, the tracks begins to climb after which continues to ascend at various gradients. After crossing a stream, we noticed a tiny cairn on the left of the monitor that marks a trod that we adopted on to the mountain slope.

The going is steep however not ridiculously so and now and again we stopped to look again on the view behind. I really like the panorama in Sutherland and we had been handled to a vista that included the Quinag trio of summits.  

We got here throughout two purple deer stags who appeared amazingly unbothered by our presence.

There’s a flatter part greater up on the bealach of Arkle and Meall Aonghais. The slope was broad and rocky as we climbed in the direction of Arkle’s jap summit. We might see out second Corbett of the day, Meall Horn, clearly throughout the glen now. Foinaven was shrouded in cloud at this level.

With the cloud coming and happening Arkle, too, we reached a cairn marking a 758m summit. To achieve the very best level on the ridge, we descended on a rocky slope after which climbed once more on to a fantastic curve of ridge. It is a magnificent ridge and is rivalled within the space solely by Foinaven.

There’s a brief and slim part that I’d been worrying about nevertheless it barely registered on my “worry of publicity” radar. I assume I might have stopped to absorb the sudden drops to every aspect, with Loch Stack far under on one aspect and an unlimited bowl of rocks between Arkle and Foinaven on the opposite aspect, however to avoid wasting my worry I saved wanting forward and upwards!

A few of the ridge fashioned an incredible platform of giant flat blocks with small gaps between. It jogged my memory of being a child and avoiding the gaps within the pavement.

The ridge widens greater up and shortly we reached the true summit of Arkle at 787m.

After stopping for one thing to eat and to benefit from the  sweeping views, we retraced our route again in the direction of the glen. Aiming to remain as excessive as doable, we took a northerly route by way of the glen, crossed a monitor after which headed for the summit of Meall Horn.

I’d climbed Meall Horn final 12 months in wind and rain, so it was good to see the mountain in higher climate. In any case, it was Ben’s first time on this Corbett and it made sense to do a two Corbett day.

Corbett 2: Meall Horn 

There’s nothing a lot to report concerning the ascent of Meall Horn, besides to say it’s largely off-trod and fairly steep. We hiked via heather, grass and a few boggy stretches to achieve the vast ridge and the better stroll to the summit at 777m.

By now, it was approaching early night and the sky was nonetheless brilliant, though with constructing cloud.  It was heat and as we made our means south-westerly from the height, we loved the glow of the night solar now decrease within the sky.

We walked alongside the ridge for some time after which took a extra direct route downhill to rejoin the monitor we had walked alongside in the beginning of the day. 

As regular, the stroll again to the van appeared for much longer than it had in the beginning of the route nevertheless it was a pleasing sufficient hike and on a stunning summer season’s night.

It is a very good stroll of two Corbetts in northern Scotland you probably have good climate. In facyt I like to recommend you allow these for one of the best climate.

Route particulars of Arkle and Meall Horn

Distance: 25.5km

Ascent: 1520m

Route: OS Maps and Strava.

Corbett tally: 119.

• Due to Ben for a few of the images.