An essential website for ideas when hiking in the Highlands is walkhighlands. They have lots of walks and reviews of the walks. Some of the reviews have photos and even drone footage! I found this walk on the website.
The summit of Càrn an Fhreiceadain is 878m, which is not high by world standards but in the UK is on the higher side. When I told my hotel host where I was going, she described it as a “Corbett”. In Scotland, but not in other parts of the UK, mountains are described as Munros and Corbetts, and other names, to denote their heights. Munros are over 3000ft (914m) and Corbetts are between 2500ft (762m) and 3000ft.
This was probably the easiest 878m I’ve climbed. The path was good, the ascent and descent were steady, and the weather was generally fine with more sun than rain. At times, I felt I was in a washer/dryer: the windy shower would dampen me and the subsequent sun would dry me. It was ideal rainbow weather. The best rainbow, however, was the one from the hotel after I returned: a double rainbow!
The path was deserted apart from one lone elderly, hardy, hiker. When I caught up with her, she and I walked together for a bit and spoke about the posh bothy we had encountered.
I was lucky enough to spot a mountain hare and two red squirrel. Red squirrels are so elusive that I was particularly happy to see them. I spotted them in quick succession on the final home strait. When I saw a squirrel cross the track road, I thought nothing of it because grey squirrels are common in England. Then I realised that it must be a red squirrel. After it crossed the path, the red squirrel perched itself on a pole and stared at me. This gave me a chance to take a photo even though I didn’t have a zoom lens.
