18th May

After the eventful and scenic journey along the unnamed ‘F’ road that leads from Lochinver to the south through Inverkirkaig, one meets up with the road that leads east-west to Achiltbuie, jump off point for the Summer Isles. Turn left (east) at this junction and after approximately 3.5 miles one arrives at a car park on the shores of Loch Lurgainn. This is the start point for the walk up Stac Pollaidh.

In my original blog on the day I did this walk I expounded on getting old. Suffice to say that this walk had me worried. I had still not fully recovered from my day at Sandwood Bay (physically and emotionally) and, despite my easy exertions of the previous day, I fretted over the 1700 feet elevation gain up the Stac. I need not have worried. Chugging away at my usual Rocky Mountain hiking pace of ‘glacially slow but erosionally steady’, I ascended without real hardship.

From the parking lot, cross the road and soon pass through a kissing gate from where the rocky path rises steeply. This first section can be muddy. After 10 minutes or so pass through another gate and continue up the remorseless incline noting the ever improving views of Cul Beag and Loch Lurgainn and later, Cul Mor.

 There are some beautifully cross bedded boulders of Torridonian Sandstone spread all across these hillsides. 

Rounding the right side of the Stac keep an eye out for the split where one pathway (the left one) continues its ascent to the ridge and the main path continues to circle the mountain, hugging the contours more closely.

The day was fine, the clouds were scudding across the sky and the wind was modest to downright blowy and cold at times. There was even a half hearted attempt at snow when I got closer to the ridge line but it downgraded itself to an all too brief hail shower and then faded altogether. At various times I had my Rab outer shell all zipped up over my microlight down jacket and at other times it just had to come off only for the wind to start up again and force me to put it back on again. That’s the way the day went. It took me less than 2 hours to reach the summit ridge and that included copious stops for photography.

The ridge was sparsely populated and the near solitude was wonderful. The highlight of the walk is to arrive at the ridge and then wander along the rugged and fantastic outcrops of eerie rock formations searching for a way up to the summit. I didn’t attempt the real summit due to the need to scramble over some sections and my back just was not up to it on that particular day. I don’t think there is any scrambling that a reasonably fit person could not manage comfortably. 

The summit ridge with rock cairn and outcrops

Looking down from the summit ridge to the valley and Loch Lurgainn

People scrambling over a boulder that bars the way to the real summit

The views are tremendous of course and one can see all the way to the Summer Isles in good weather (which I had that day!). I had a pleasant lunch of left over breakfast croissants and water and then made my way slowly back down to the contour path. I then followed the path all the way around until it met the upward path just beyond a gate. From the north side of the Stac there are grand views of Suilven and Cul Mor.

Suilven from the north side of Stac Pollaidh

Cul Mor from the same place

The 'Stac' from the contour path at south-west

The total length of this walk was in the order of 4 miles and it took me about 4 hours but with lots of stops. If I was a fitness fanatic I could probably do it in less than 2 hours but who would not want to ‘stop and smell the roses’ just a little?

Stac Pollaidh and Fence