GrahamsCàrn na h-Easgainn
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Distance/Ascent7.6km. 343m
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Estimated time2h 30mins
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ParkingShortly after leaving the A9, turn left to the obvious parking spaces.
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5 January 2023
I had to drive down to Inverness from Dornoch to drop my son off for a 07:30 bus, so I thought that as I had to get up early anyway and spend money on petrol, I had might as well bag a hill in the process. A quick bit of research suggested that Càrn na h-Easgainn was both the nearest and the easiest.
The forecast was fine in the morning but rain/sleet in the afternoon.
I was interested to see that a couple of the cafes near the bus station opened at 0700, but I was parked in a drop-off zone and moved the car and visited Starbucks for a coffee and bacon roll. The coffee was OK but it was the most pathetic bacon roll I have ever seen! One very small rasher of bacon and no butter! I will not bother with Starbucks again. What a rip-off!
I headed south and turned off the A9 for Lynebeg and drove up the lane past a few houses to the parking place below. The eastern skies were beautiful (red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning!) and using the top of a gate post, I was able to stop down for a good depth of field and have a resulting slow shutter speed without bothering to assemble my tripod.
The forecast was fine in the morning but rain/sleet in the afternoon.
I was interested to see that a couple of the cafes near the bus station opened at 0700, but I was parked in a drop-off zone and moved the car and visited Starbucks for a coffee and bacon roll. The coffee was OK but it was the most pathetic bacon roll I have ever seen! One very small rasher of bacon and no butter! I will not bother with Starbucks again. What a rip-off!
I headed south and turned off the A9 for Lynebeg and drove up the lane past a few houses to the parking place below. The eastern skies were beautiful (red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning!) and using the top of a gate post, I was able to stop down for a good depth of field and have a resulting slow shutter speed without bothering to assemble my tripod.
While doing this a man approached me and asked me to park down the bottom of the lane. He was very polite and was keen to explain that while my parking was not a problem, other people would see my car parked there and park up along side such that 3 or 4 cars could be a problem. I understood this and parked down nearer to the A9 where there is ample parking. It only took 5 minutes back to this location, so I advise walkers not to park opposite the houses or beyond the cattle grid and keep the locals happy.
The route was clear throughout, over the cattle grid, up past a nicely carved bench (see below), across a ford and continue up the track to within spitting distance of the summit trig point.
Looking back down the track towards Loch Moy
Looking back down the track towards Loch Moy
Summit selfie - tripod and 12 second shutter delay used
I took a short detour to the shooting hut before heading back down. I first passed two senior gentlemen who talked about places that I am familiar with and exchanged a few stories. They both wore yeti gaiters; the first I had seen for many a year! We discussed their benefits and disadvantages etc. When I meet gentlemen like these, we connect as we share similar experiences. We discussed the metrication of the Grahams and the revision of the hill lists. One of the gentleman did Knights Peak days before it was removed as a Munro top. One of them asked me if I had considered completing the Grahams (can't bring myself to call them Fionas). With only six Corbetts remaining, of course I had!
This was my 61st so I have made some progress without really trying!
Then I passed a young couple before continuing to the car
I photographed this bench on the way up but there was not really enough light without either using the tripod for a long exposure or the flash, so I decided to try to get a better shot on the way down.
This was my 61st so I have made some progress without really trying!
Then I passed a young couple before continuing to the car
I photographed this bench on the way up but there was not really enough light without either using the tripod for a long exposure or the flash, so I decided to try to get a better shot on the way down.
I thought I would stop off for a bit of lunch, so I stopped at the Gateway Cafe at Daviot. The food was excellent! Who needs Starbucks? Also the cafe has a wonderful mural of a Hen Harrier with a plaque explaining the story behind the painting.
Below: Baked potato with haggis and Brie
Below: Baked potato with haggis and Brie
The hen harrier, Thistle
Cropped from a much larger image, before converting to black and white and sharpening.