Annat, Loch an Eoin and Bealach na Lice - Daniel and Clare's photos (12th December 2012) Yet more dimensions to the light show - a grand finale.

Yesterday we stayed by the shore, captivated by the sound and sight of ice, fiery then patterned skies, otters, forest and the favourite profiles, white-topped, all round. Unbelievably, today promised yet more clear, cold weather: in fact it turned out even with an extra spectacle or two... But we were keen to see Liathach in full glory along its length from the front, so it was time to do some legwork.

The loch remained solid. We walked the shore road from Corrie to Fasag, and round to Annat, as the first hint of dawn grew. Talking routes and times, we decided eventually to head towards Loch an Eoin and see how things went. That way we should at least get some good views of Liathach even if the weather turned later in the day. Meall Dearg was a possible continuation, perhaps even down to Lochan Neimhe and the Ling Path. In the end, we got to the Bealach na Lice. This felt like a good objective, with its suddenly new views to Sgurr Ruadh, Fuar Tholl and across Glen Carron. We came back the same way, getting off the hill in almost complete darkness.

The walk from Annat there and back isn't long, and there's a very good path all the way, but it's a fair road from Lochside, so we probably walked 14 or 15 miles in all: for us, that's not bad, particularly in midwinter. We couldn't have done it without spikes on the path, much of which was sheet ice. Almost no free-ranging today, but that didn't matter: today wasn't only about light and long views, but they were so absorbing, the immediate environment was a light complement to it, somehow. Actually, there was plenty of interest on the path itself...

This was our last full day before the weather turned, and we had a train to catch. We'll be very lucky to experience again what we experienced today; certainly on so few visits to the Highlands, even fewer in winter, that we can make. We will always be grateful for these memories and hope that you enjoy some of the images we want to share.

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Walking to Annat::
12th December: first light: the sea still frozen over	Walking along the main road from the Torridon junction to Annat: sunrise colours in the northwest sky? Rather hazy - the light not too promising...	...But when we got to Annat we saw this; morning light on Beinn Alligin, reflected on one of the few parts of the loch not frozen	...and Mullach an Rathain also coming into the early sun
			Before reaching the path, we noticed again this house
The route to Loch an Eoin::
The path starts through a small section of forest, then the views soon open out: this is the Mullach, with Sgorr a'Chadail on the left	Ice imprints? Or ice ghosts? Clearly these are frost patterns, but all the ice has gone, leaving lines of coarser (light) grains on the finer stuff underneath		A little further on, looking up Glen Torridon: Beinn Eighe is the rightmost snowy ridge; Seana Mheallan on the right
The path crosses many large glacier-smoothed slabs of Torridonian sandstone. Sometimes these go on for 20 yards or more. This subtle wave patttern in the rock is one of many features in the slabs. It doesn't look like glacial work: possibly ripple marks, but these would likely have been overlaid or eroded out now? So possibly it is an expression of the original strata in the rock.			These horizontal lines are glacial scratches (striae)
Beinn Eighe and the eastern half of Liathach beginning to show better: on the left the end of the jagged Am Fasarinen, leading to the sweeping curve of the southeast spine of Liathach's summit, Spidean a' Choire Lèith. On the right is Sgùrr nan Fhir Duibhe of Beinn Eighe.		The same view in context	Small-scale strata in the sandstone, given shape by erosion on the path
Seana Mheallan starting to take centre stage, though still just "waking up". This was one of the few places where we could see at once, right of Seana Mheallan, Sgùrr Dubh, Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine and Beinn Liath Mhor. Fasag just out of shadow on the left.	Ice continued to engage us: the lines on this small pool are sharp and geometric horizontally, but in the vertical, the undulations are smooth	The path climbs steadily and veers southwards towards this view of Maol Chean-Dearg: the hill behind, to its right, is An Ruadh-Stac.	Looking back, sun, snow, blue skies. That cloud never took the sun away from us, but it did create even stronger contrasts later in the day...
...although a closer look at that view shows it to be quite pronounced - Beinn Eighe's Spidean Coire nan Clach (left) and Sgùrr Ban (centre) now also very clear. This is (snow-covered) quartzite territory, with the low sun picking out Seana Mheallan's very different (Torridonian) structure in the foreground.		Lochan Neimhe, with Strath nam Poll Dubha showing the frost hollow effect	Ice on the path
A huge slab, just east of the path. Here the boulders seemed to be lined up near the edge (though the perspective here exaggerates the effect)	Looking east from the same area to Meall Dearg	The stepping stones over what becomes the Allt Beithe (via Loch an Uillt-bheithe), the outflow from Loch an Eoin. The burn was low and we found it easier to paddle than use the stones! Beinn na h'Eaglaise in the background.
More patterns in the sandstone	Loch an Uillt-bheithe
Icicles the other side of the stepping stones	Beinn na h'Eaglaise, and Lochan Domhain	Ceann Garbh Beinn na h'Eaglaise	The Fannaichs
Loch an Eoin::
Arrival at Loch an Eoin - looking across to Maol Chean-Dearg	..with its substantial islands. The dip in the skyline on the left is Coire Gorm - Bealach na Lice is just off to the left		Beinn Damh from Loch an Eoin
More reflections on ice, with backlighting: Beinn Damh (left), and Beinn na h'Eaglaise		Ice on Loch an Eoin	..and on the path nearby
Bealach na Lice::
On the path to the Bealach: looking back to Loch an Eoin	Nearly at the Bealach: looking forward...	...to Sgorr Ruadh (left and centre) and Fuar Tholl (right). We needed to drop down the other side a little for these views	Looking across Glen Carron to the hills of Achnashellach and West Monar Forests. Sgùrr Feartaig (left), with Sgùrr na Conbhaire behind, Beinn Tarsuinn and Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhòr (centre), and Beinn Dronaig, the long snowy ridge of Creag a' Chaorainn rising slightly to the east (left) in front of them
Fuar Tholl	The less familiar side of the Maol Chean-Dearg, seen from the bealach		The top of the bealach - as often happens, feeling wider and wilder here.
Heading back now towards Loch an Eoin, Beinn Alligin re-appeared dramatically:	Afternoon light round Loch an Eoin		Looking back to the bealach
Returning from Loch an Eoin: the day fades but its contrasts and colours deepen:
Mullach an Rathain re-appears, low sun giving shadow and character, any loss of power more than made up for by the darkness of the sky behind	Beinn Alligin and Liathach's lower, west, end, Sgorr a' Chadail	The rest of Liathach's ridge, with Loch Uillt-bheithe	..now joined by Beinn Eighe: we're back at the stepping stones now
Definitely a hint of pink in the shadow on snow	Last view of Maol Chean-Dearg - the sun still appearing to be just below its right hand side	The Fannaichs, looking "warmer" and much less shadowy now,	..and soon pinker
Back at the big slab...	Mullach an Rathain	Spidean a' Choire Lèith	Sgùrr Dubh on the right, but the distant Fannaichs steal the show
Beinn Eighe also caught some sunset, though	Soon the Fannaichs became more ghostly again, as they had been in the morning	Reddish haze on the horizon, mimicing the colours just there at the opposite end of the day	Finally back at the road - the colour still there
Back at Fasag, someone's garden reminded us that Christmas was only a couple of weeks away		Although we still had a little way to go, it seems appropriate to end this page with a picture of Jo's place - even after it had shut for the night, looking bright and welcoming

(Text and photos by Daniel and Clare Gordon. March 2013).

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