Craig Weldon finds heaven in the Highlands
“HEAVEN is a place on earth,” sang Belinda Carlisle. And if you climb RoisBheinn on a fine winter’s day, you will probably be able to work out where it is.
Rois-Bheinn is a Corbett in one of Scotland’s most under-appreciated areas. Not Skye, whose hot spots are overrun by tourists, or the North Coast 500, whose success means some tortuous roads in the north-west will have to be upgraded. This is Moidart, part of a 45x30-mile lozenge of land south of the A830 still only lightly touched by tourism or outdoorsy types.
Heaven requires a bit of work: there’s hoof-churned fields to wade through first, and a relentless climb up steep, tussocky ground.
These bogs are hard going in descent, especially if, like us, you stay high for sunset and are coming down in the dark. But if you are confident making your way off the hill by torchlight, the payoff is more than worth it.
There is a classic route over three magnificent Corbetts in a circuit from Inverailort; but snowy conditions and a lack of daylight demanded less ambitious plans, and we decided on just one hill. From Roshven Farm, Rois-Bheinn and An Stac appear as twin white pyramids, rising nearly 3000ft from sea level. At this lower level the ground was not frozen, and gaiters plunged deep into the morass before we became established on drier ground slightly higher up. Rum’s shark-toothed outline appeared before we reached the snowline. As we climbed higher we saw into the shadowed glens and snowbound corries of Moidart, the Skye Cuillin floating white across the sea like a distant mirage, and Castle Tioram appearing in a gap towards Ardnamurchan. Our progress was slow, the decision to tackle just one hill justified as we paused to enjoy the incredibly scenic surroundings.
Higher up, Rois-Bheinn’s western top rounded out to a dome of snow, pristine except for an intriguing trail of an animal that appeared to have bum-slid for a distance! We wondered who it was – a fox?
The day was advancing, and we reached the summit at 3pm, Lochaber a battlement of gleaming white peaks. An Stac cast a triangular shadow over Morar, snow glowing in shadowed corries, a golden ball of sun giving its benediction to our traverse back to the western top. We hurried to make the most of the afterglow.
Below the snowline it darkened quickly, until we seem to lose our bearings when still 150m up. The torches came out, and we followed a forest fence back down to a track.
But we had tasted a little slice of heaven, carved out of a sunny winter’s day.
Start/Finish
Top of Ettrick valley (postcode TD7 5JD)
GR: NT189092
You can ignore signpost ‘Ettrick Head Horseshoe’, which is a shorter version omitting Bodesbeck Law. Follow road back down-valley 1km to cross stream; take track on L up to R of stream. Track turns up NE onto Black Knowe Head. Turn L to track bend, then small path NW up Bell Craig.
Follow ridgeline fence and quad bike path SW to Bodesbeck Law. Fence down SE, keep R of fence through damp saddle. Follow fence then wall by Point 568m, White Shank, Smidhope Law to Capel Fell.
Fence down SE to cross S Upland Way in wide saddle. Keep R of fence up SE then E to Wind Fell. Ridgeline fence NE to Ettrick Pen.
Fence down NE for 300m. At fence bend turn down spur (S of E), to R of new trees, aiming for sheepfold just above forest edge. At track just above sheepfold, turn down R to Over Phawhope bothy.
Track continues, passing below Potburn, back to walk start.