Following on from our Old Man of Stoer fun the previous day we met up with Brian and Sam for an ascent of Am Bhuachaille (The Sheppard).Driving to Sheigra in the far north of Scotland we start the walk in at 12pm. The low tide is late afternoon allowing for a nice leisurely start.
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| Our bivvy spot on route |
The approach to the Sheppard is two hours on flat ground amongst wild and remote scenery until the obligatory sketchy decent down the cliff to the base. This probably the worst of the three old men in terms of the cliff descent. A crumbling, sandy gulley, it takes us a good 25 mins to descend. It is therefore important to arrive at the cliff top a good three hours prior to low tide as the boulder hop approach under huge towering cliffs can also take 30 minutes or so (and is all underwater once the tide is back in).
 | | The top of the descent gulley |
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 | | Working her way down |
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| Sam on the Tidal Boulder Hop |
The stack itself is separated from the land by a channel of 8-10 meters roughly and is surprisingly sheltered from the large swell. That said when we finally made it to the platform ready to de-robe and jump in, the wind was buffering 25mph and the prospect of the crossing looked very uninviting. All our kit was stuffed into dry bags. Rack, one rope and warm clothes, all made the bag weigh a ton (each party had their own bag). I couldn't understand how this was going to float.
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 | Okay here we go!
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 | There goes Brian
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So here I stood in nothing but a pair of briefs, being buffeted by a strong northerly, dry bag in hand, looking across at the stack. Waves were crashing over it and the channel swim looked like a completely stupid idea. Pilar looked even more worried. "Okay, think we're bailing". I yell. However, I remember we are carrying a rope that the other team would also need to descend (a 50m abseil requiring two ropes). "Oh crap, okay then guess we are in". Jumping in to cold moving water with a 25kg dry bag your hand and violently thrashing about to get to the other side is a memorable experience.
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 | The swim back. More tame
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 | Getting out- Not easy
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Getting out isn't exactly easy. Sharp barnacles that are like razors cut the skin whilst you get thrown about by the swell. However we made it. Sam was showing the way with his client and without his knowledge of the situation we would have bailed out. Once out, it is get dry and warm ASAP! I put on leggings, base layer and climbing clothes followed by a jacket and windbreaker. It just about kept the shivers away as the wind was stripping way what heat we had.
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| Pilar loving the route |
The route was climbed in three pitches. The first only 4a and although steep, I waisted no time on protection, not placing a single piece. The rock is not of the same quality as the Stoer however, the jugs are huge and it's all quite straightforward.
 | | Sam at Belay 1 |
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 | | Brian mildly hypothermic |
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 | | Me leading off |
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 | | No gear put in whatsoever |
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We start to warm up and by the time we summit we are feeling quite comfortable. The summit is weirdly not windy (which we couldn't understand).
 | | Pilar in my jacket |
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 | | Obligatory summit shot |
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 | | Me starting my descent |
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 | | Pilar lowering |
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The feelings of remoteness on a sea stack summit can only be enjoyed for a few minutes as we still have the descent, the swim, and the boulder hop to contend with before the tide comes in. The swim on the way back seemed milder. The tide out fully the channel is narrower and once done we clearly have plenty of time so we get warm, enjoy the moment, take a few shots and start the boulder hop, cliff ascent and beautiful walk out.
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| New friends. |
The next couple of days Pilar and I spent at Sheigra enjoying the superb Gneiss crags and Geos. The rock is perfect the sea mesmerizingly wild. A place to come back to!
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 | Sheigra seas. Wild!
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 | | Pilar eying up the routes |
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 | Me on Juggernaut E1
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 | | Pilar on perfect Gneiss |
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We still had a week on our Scottish holiday and drove up to Ben Hope, the most northerly Munro, for an ascent of the North Ridge (S1). We changed our plans from doing Browns Ridge (a grade 3 scramble) due to a very late start and the threat of heavy rain. The rain did hold off frustratingly and our route up the north ridge was an equally long outing and we regretted our decision to bail. Still we were pleased not to have simply hiked up the tourist path. Quite a slog in the end but worth it for being the only people on the hill.
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 | | North Ridge |
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 | | Ben Hope - way up north! |
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From Ben Hope we headed east exploring the sea cliffs and crags on the East coast. Like the awesome Latheronwheel. Steep climbing in the mid grades that whilst can feel a little samey, is high quality climbing. We had checked it out one May years ago when exploring the region however it was covered in birds an guano. It seems late summer is a delight climbing here. And the sea is like a mill pond in comparison to the Wild Atlantic. At least when we were there.
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 | | Classic Latheronwheel |
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 | | Fun Steepness |
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Some conglomerate bolt clipping at Moy Rock and Lock Fleet followed.....
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 | Steep pebble pulling
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 | Me at Moy, Steep bolted Conglomerate
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 | Loch Fleet. More conglomerate
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And Logi Head - chilled sea cliff cragging that is steeper and harder to climb than it looks.
And the ever-awesome Creag Dubh - simply brilliant climbing, one of the UK's best road-side crags........
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 | Pleasant Logi Head. Worth a visit
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 | Pilar at Logi.
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 | | Creag Dubh. always great |
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 | Me on Strapadicktaemi E1
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We finished on the superb hike of The Horns of Alligin (S1) in Torridon with atmospheric conditions. Starting the hike in thick gloom and rain we optimistically stuck with it and were rewarded with a fantastic dry hike with very few others on the hill.
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 | Beinn Eighe
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 | Wonderful Scenes on Alligin
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 | | Atmospheric views |
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 | | Incredible |
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Scotland is a fantastic country with so much variety for the outdoor enthusiast. Working around the weather and midges is part of the game and only seems to enhance the experience. Regardless of the weather there's always something to do, rock to climb or at least a hill to march up. I'll keep coming back.
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Scotland!
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Our trip
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