I was out at Muir Cottage for the Burns Supper which is always a very social event. A few ales were sunk on Friday night, and the weather outside Saturday wasn’t inspiring a big day out – plus we needed to be back for the main event of the meal and the entertainment. I concocted an easy route for another member who also shares an interest in historic places of the mountains. We set off after a relaxed breakfast on bikes heading west from the Linn o’Dee.

We parked up the bikes after a short ride, right near the track in a srocky nook that is probably an old quarry. We headed into the rocky nook that is the Allt Creag Phadruig. With plenty rain and snow melt, the stream was quite full which makes for a nice waterfall photo, but does mean a bit more care required rock-hopping upward, particularly as the rocks here are angular and often moss covered.

I pointed out the small remnant of an old illicit whisky still, then as we left the confines of the gully we found another ruin, which doesn’t appear to have any entry in any historic databases or on the map for that matter.

We made for Carn an Ic Duibhe and amongst some rocky outcrops found another anomaly – a small shelter of sorts at 0481 9034 (also unmapped on OS, though I’ve now added it to openstreetmap)

Now up in the snow, we headed for Caochan Bheithe, guessing that there’s be a bit of a snow wall there to dig a small lunch shelter into.

The southern fork did have enough snow so I got out the shovel and dug a couple scrapes though it was reasonably sheltered.

As we got higher the visibility decreased, and thoughts of extending the route to Sgor Mor were abandoned, we’d be facing into the wind and barely able to see much. We decided to descend and make our way back to the bikes, and not exhaust ourselves before the meal.

We intercepted the upper Allt nan Leum Easain, followed it down through a maze of boggy ground then were distracted by a rocky outcrop west of it.

The lower stream has a double channel, one without water but still a deep runnel. Presumably at some historic point the water favoured the east channel. I had a short wander up for another waterfall shot, then it was back on the bikes to Muir Cottage.

A short day out at 15k, but we found a few interesting bits n bobs despite the low visibility at times. Our appetites were suitably primed for the evening meal.

It was good to get back in good time, get a pot of tea on the go, and get the soaked clothes into the drying room which was filling rapidly as others came in from their days out.

The only “wildlife” spotted today – a selection for the evening – these beasties have a limited environmental range of 3 degrees, either in the fridge or in the glass.