Loch Ealaidh to Loch Leathann - 22/11/04

Forgot to mention my troubles with the washing machine from yesterday, which threw a spanner into the works. The washing machine works on a coin operated timer. You have to insert 20p coins, which give you 9 minutes washing time each. Unfortunately (yes, read on), the coins don't always register. Sometimes, you put in 10 of the blighters and they don't register. I seemed to go fine, until the final coin. This would not register, so the machine stopped in the middle of its spin cycle, and I couldn't open the door. This was 3pm on Sunday. In case of problems, you have to go to the village shop next door, which was obviously closed, it being Sunday. On Monday morning I had to wait until 10 o'clock for the manager to turn up. She comes off the bus, so I was missing that as well (next one due at 4pm :-\). This good lady opened the money box and bunged in another 20p. Yippee, it worked. The machine spun for a massive 1½ minutes - and that was all. Inwardly boiling, I transferred the laundry to the dryer and had that working on it for nearly half an hour.

A little miffed, I decided to make the most of the day and headed out at 11.30. Down to road to Tabost and up the moor towards Loch Ealaidh, about 1½ miles south of the road. First marker is the chimney stack, the only item standing from an otherwise disappeared house. Cross the wires there, then hug the contours down the glen to the loch. Continue to hug the contours, taking care not to fall into the lochan. Cross the fencing via the stile (incredible, a stile), cross the stream and head east for a small lochan. It is necessary to circle this along its southern bank, cross two streams then head northeast for Loch Leathann. You need to climb up a 'hill' (50m), then traverse some very wet terrain, sometimes dangerously wet. Jumping between tussocks is a better description. Finally, you end up on high ground (60m), and other lochans come into sight, which I recognised from my first foray into this area. I duly followed the markers on the ground and ended up on a peat road, leading back to the B8060 main road. Sat beside a lochan for a while, enjoying the still weather. It is about 11C today, not much wind and not very cold at all. The clouds are very low, barely above 400 ft. The dead, and by now decomposing, sheep was still lying in the track. Returned to the hostel by about 3.30, in time for a visit to the shop for some groceries.