■Distance: 7¼ miles/11.5km ■Time: 5-7 hours ■Grade:
CHOSEN BY… DAVID MARSH
Beinn Ghobhlach lies on a finger of land sandwiched between the two sea lochs of Loch Broom and Little Loch Broom in the Northwest Highlands. The peninsula’s largest settlement is Scoraig which is noteworthy for being entirely off-grid. With no road access, it’s only accessible by boat or the excellent coastal footpath from Badrallach, part of which is used on this walk. Beinn Ghobhlach, whose name means the ‘forked peak’ in Gaelic, is the peninsula’s highest point and, being surrounded by water on three sides, has sensational sea views. Although it dominates the landscape, it’s only 2083 feet (635m) in height and so is neither a Munro nor a Corbett. Consequently, its slopes are seldom trodden and predominantly pathless, resulting in sections that are hard going. But that will seem a price worth paying when you first lay eyes upon the magnificent panorama from the summit ridge.
1 Start
Take the path that starts from the end of the public road, signed for Scoraig. After an initial climb, stay on this excellent, predominantly level path with its views of Little Loch Broom until, after 1.9km, the path bends to the R and descends slightly on pitched stones to cross a small burn.
2 1¼ miles/1.9km
Turn R off the path and climb pathlessly beside the burn, continuing on up steep slopes in a grassy hollow after the burn has petered out. At top, Beinn Ghobhlach comes into view across Loch na h-Uidhe. Descend to the loch and pass round its R side, on a neck of
