Day 234: Clachtoll to Drumbeg
Distance: 16.44 miles
Ascent: 2482 feet
Weather: Sunny Spells, with A couple of SHowers
Accommodation: Wild camp Near Drumbeg
The weather must have thought I was goading it yesterday with my comment about sleeping through it because bloomin heck the wind got very strong and the rain very heavy last night to the point that even though I was sheltered and my tent fine the noise definitely woke me up and I struggled to get back to sleep.
I set of on the road northwards and after a couple of miles I turned left on a road that would eventually take me up to Stoer Lighthouse. There was a building near the turning, The Assynt Crofters Trust, which interestingly had a plaque up explaining how the local crofters were the first in Scotland to manage to buyout the foreign owner and acquire the land back and use it as they wanted and have some more economic certainty.
There was a massive rainstorm that was coming in and I thought it would be a direct hit, but it seemed to grip onto the mainland and I was fine apart from a brief light shower on my peninsula. I walked all the way out to the lighthouse which was lovely and like many others it appears you can hire it as a holiday let.
From the lighthouse I sort of had two options, go off piste albeit on an easyish route following the top of the lower cliffs, or head a tiny bit inland and uphill on a track to a mast and then from there off piste to a track on the other side. In the end as it was sunny I went for the track up to the mast as thought the view would be good and the route difference was minimal.
From the mast the ground was very boggy on the off piste section to the other track but once on the vague track, which slowly became more defined I reached a village called Culkien. from here I followed sheep tracks along the front of the hills all the way to Clashnessie which though off piste made for lovely walking with sun and great views. Clashnessie was my original finish point for today but with the extension yesterday I would be going another 6 miles further on to Drumbeg. The beach at Clashnessie was absolutely stunning and would have been a good place for pitching.
The road that left Clashnessie was incredible clinging precariously to the bottom of the rock faces right by the sea before climbing up into the hills and following the edge of several lochs. When it reached Drumbeg I decided to grab a snack and tea in the secret garden which is part of Assynt Aromas Candle Shop. The cake was really delicious, and the guy very kindly gave it to me complimentary. Not due to this but as it is quite quirky and delicious do stop if you are ever passing, it will not be what you are expecting.
I found a great pitch spot not far from Drumbeg, which was flat, dry, sheltered and with great views. Once the tent was up I popped back into Drumbeg Stores to get a few supplies and they also kindly allowed me to charge my devices which were running out.
A day I had thought would be a wash out but actually was sunny most of the time, and the scenery as always around here was stunning.
NB - As I thought it would be a wash out my camera was packed in the rucksack.
