I'm planning on crossing the bridge south of Luipmaldrig at NH 306481 and heading east towards Gleann Goibhre. I have read advice that walking the south side of the reservoir was "much easier than expected" and "the day from hell". Also that a more southerly route, avoiding the shore, south of Carn a Bhainne and Meall Cosach was "slow but straightforward" and "not to be repeated".

Could this be dependent on the weather/height of the reservoir?

Anyone care to contribute to the discussion? And/or to advise on crossing the Allt na Criche?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Vanessa

Phil designed a route like this a few years back then promptly ducked out of it to have half his innards removed. The things these ultra-light boys do to save a few grams...

The upshot was that I had to walk it alone. The section you are talking about was an absolute joy. The first thing to note is that the reservoir 'starts', as you head east, much later than shown on the map so for these few km the going will be easier than anticipated. Pete Goddard went this way and will be able to confirm this.

I did not realise this at the time, so, in an effort to avoid walking what i thought would be alongside an unpleasant reservoir scar, I headed south up the Allt Coire Chairbe and then headed east, roughly along the 350m contour, along with Rolf from Holland and Nik from Belgium. This is my sort of ground. I adored it, bouncing from one springy peat mound to the next. I'm not so sure that Rolf and Nik enjoyed it as much. The scenery hereabouts is top draw - especially so as you look back up Glen Orrin to the west. I can't find the hills you refer to - are they on the 1:25k maps? If so - Naughty Girl!!! :-)

We followed the little stream down, at about easting 342, which was a bit of a clamber down the side of a steep little gorge - not particularly obvious on the 1:50k map - not so much fun in foul weather, I would have thought, but a good clamber in fine weather.

We camped alongside Pete Goddard in a lovely sheltered spot between the confluence and reservoir. The start of the footpath (Eastings 355 to 364) to the concrete bothy next to the pipeline track (at the start of Glen Goibhre) doesn't exist to start with, but then it's a little beauty.

The Corriehallie Forest is quite spectacular country.
Do go there, and marvel at its magnificence!

These links might help:

TO ORRIN RESERVOIR
MONDAY: TO BEAULY

Thanks, Alan. I will look at what you suggest, explain better my hills (on Landranger, of course!) with GRs, and come back with any questions.

You and Phil are a pair - he has bits removed and you have bits added. Does your total combined weight remain the same? :)

Meanwhile bed calls. The Laphroaig (shared with son as I'm currently in the Deepest South) is empty and we have small ones to get to school in the morning. Life is hard.

Vanessa -

I had a great time tripping along ht eshore of the Orrin Reservoir when it was low after a dry winter, and I had a billiard-table like greensward which was an absolute joy to cross.

The river crossing you mention presented no difficulty. There was plenty of water in it, but it presented no difficulty.

If you SHOULD have he misfortune to encounter it in spate, however points to note are:-

(1) going "up and around" is not a HUGE additional mileage

(2) it is 6km long and drains a tital area of approximately 8 km. As soon as ht erain stops it will not take long for the water level to recede again. So you can sit it out if needs be

(3) anyone going this way gfoes through Inverness; and there are good roads which you can divert onto in order to make up time (they're not great walking, but they do make up time) if you have to sit it out as in 2 rather than going "up and around" as in 1.

There will be others going this way too, so you can be sure of company, and somebody to pull you out / roll around on the floor laughing if you should slip and fall into the ewet stuff ...

Hello Vanessa
I went this way in 2010 and it had not been a particularly dry winter to my recollection.
I see the hills you mention on my Anquet 1:50,000, and, like Jeremy I kept north of these along the shoreline. It was plashy in places but quite easy walking.

I was dreading the Allt na Criche as I walk solo and river crossings are my betes noires. However I can't precisely recall where I crossed nor what the crossing was like. This in itself is significant. If I'd had a problem - I would have remembered. I seem to think I crossed almost at the point where the river meets the reservoir without having to walk miles up and down gibbering and urging myself on.
So I think you will find it OK and a lovely walk.
All the best

Thank you, Alan, Jeremy and Joy (also PG and HW for the PMs). I now feel fully advised and will be heading along the river/reservoir till after crossing the Allt na Criche. I'm glad my hills appear on your map, Joy!

I suspect I may be walking alone. Due to the Torridon YH being full Thursday 12th and my preference for a dry night before starting, I will either be travelling down on Friday morning and starting in the afternoon (nice high camp by the lochan at the top of Coire Lair?) or staying in the YH Friday night and starting Saturday morning. Either way I am planning a fairly steady first few days and may not get to Beauly till Tuesday or Wednesday.

You may not be on your own, Vanessa, as Phil and I are starting at Dornie, but then heading north for a couple of days. Phil likes heading north at the start of his Challenges. He hates the idea of lurching eastwards too soon.

We aim to walk Glen Orrin from its headwaters on An Sidhean (for Sunday lunch and a post prandial snooze in the warm sunshine) so we may well bump into each other. We won't be rushing this section as it is just too perfect.

I have now found your hills on my RouteBuddy maps - I ought to get new paper maps as my Sheet 26 is a 1996 vintage; That will be 20 years old on the Challenge... Still - it was good enough then. They still haven't updated the missing footpaths, I note - just added a few place names, wind farms and loads of shooters roads.

The view from Carn a' Bhainne is fabulous. It's the third picture on the first link I gave, with Rolf at the RHS.

Vanessa,

Have done the route from Luipmaldrig to Orrin twice, the first in 1996 when I recall it being a bit of a nightmare from a little east of the bridge as far as the w end of the reservoir with frequent areas of saturated bog and frequent diversions around very large areas of standing water plus large areas of knee deep heather. The water level that year was low and I managed to walk along the boulder-strewn beach(?) littered with otter(?)tracks but it was very slow going indeed. I managed to cross the Allt na Criche without any difficulty and with steam -driven map and compass managed to locate the old path at roughly NH354484 then onwards to pitch beside the pipeline E of the concrete hydro building.

I did the same route again in 2007 and the leg between the bridge and the reservoir had "changed" as it was then a very pleasant, often grassy, but still requiring minor water diversions, jaunt to the reservoir end. That year the water level was exceptionally low and it was posible the see the remains of field dykes, and what looked like building remains. This time I stayed a little higher up the hillside along the reservoir but it was still exceptionally slow going. Again no problems with the Allt na Criche but even with GPS this time I was unable to locate the old path and simply headed up towards the saddle between Creag Bhainne and Creagna-h-Iolai where the path coming in from the left at 463484 was easily found and which becomes an obvious but very sodden path all the way to the old hydro building which was open on both of the visits.

Ian Shiel once told me that he had once crossed the R. Orrin at its arrival point into the reservoir after walking the N bank from the bothy.

Hope this helps abit,

Colin