Cnoc an t-Sabhail
Cnoc an t-Sabhail, Easter Ross. (South of Rhanich) - Section 15B.
Height - 380 metres. Map – OS Landranger 21.
Climbed - 29 May 2010. Time taken – 2.25 hours.
Distance – 6.5 kilometres. Height climbed - 245 metres.
Trip Report Details:
The next hill on my list for this day trip to Eater Ross was Cnoc an t-Sabhail. I drove from the B9176 down the Edderton Road, as far as the hamlet of Balleigh where I took the single track road to Rhanich. The end of the public road appeared to be south of the bridge over the Edderton Burn but there was no suitable parking place there so I returned to some waste ground, on the north side of the bridge, where agricultural machinery and waste were left.
I walked south along the road to the vehicle track beyond the bridge over the Edderton Burn and entered a field as the plan was to head along the vehicle track to the foot of Cnoc an t-Sabhail’s north ridge. However this idea was thwarted by two fields of cows and calves hanging around the track and blocking my progress. I left the track, crossed a barbed wire fence, and headed to the edge of the forest.
Here I crossed another barbed wire fence but was now far enough away from the cattle. I decided to make a gradual ascent of Cnoc an t-Sabhail which was initially through a mixture of vegetation including lots of bog cotton. However as height was gained the terrain became soft and mossy with tussocky grass. Even the deer found the terrain difficult to run across when they spotted me.
After a bit of effort and a slog I reached another barbed wire fence followed by a deer fence which I crossed to access the forest. I followed a fire break, which was not shown on my map, as somewhere along it was the highest point of Cnoc an t-Sabhail. I walked along the fire break but it was difficult to say where the highest point was and continued as far as a navigation pole, at a junction of fire breaks. Even here I couldn’t say where exactly the summit was.
I returned to my car by the ascent route. This was the end of my Marilyn bagging in Easter Ross as the rain started just before I reached my vehicle.
Photo taken on walk.