Wester Ross May 2013 - Around Gruinard Bay

Mellon Udrigle beach

We visited this lovely beach, on the west side of Gruinard Bay with views out to the Summer Isles, An Teallach and the mountains of Assynt and Coigach, three times during our week in the area.

Sunday 19th May 

After a leisurely start, we headed north along the bay to Mellon Udrigle. Here, we explored the sandy beach and did a short walk to the headland at Rubha Beag. Parked near the beach. A campsite, some chalets.

Hazy over the hills, though a brighter, much warmer day then so far, the cloud lifting over the hills from about midday, revealing An Teallach, Beinn Ghobhlach and the Assynt-Coigach hills. Breeze along coast kept away any bugs and stopped it feeling too muggy. Got several sketches done while we were out, as well as a couple of postcard size watercolours of Gruinard Bay viewed from the cottage.

Shells on the beach

A very rocky coast, comprised of Torridonian Sandstone.  A few granite and gneiss boulders. Some shelly areas of beach and dune bedding along the small stream coming out of the sand dunes. On the cliff on the south side of the beach, an unknown artist had been at work - seriously at work, building a pod of dolphins, complete with fins, from the sandstone boulders. Also a turtle, and an eel a bit further up the hill.

Did our walk above the cliffs on the north side of the beach, climbing up three hills with cairns, round to Rubha Beag and the inlet on the north side. A bit boggy in places with sphagnum moss, but were able to avoid the worst of it. Interesting rock formations with jointing and swirly pattern in places. Could see the Summer Isles to the northwest. By early afternoon, An Teallach was clear. To the northwest, the Assynt Hills, including Stac Polliadh and the very faint whaleback profile of Suilven.

Wednesday 22nd May

My sketch of the sandstone sculptures (unknown artist)

Another trip here during the afternoon, after going to Firemore Cove in the morning and our second visit to the Mountain Cafe in Gairloch. Sketched the dolphin sculptures, artist unknown. Perhaps they lived in one of chalets on the southern side of the beach. Views with striking lighting of An Teallach. Oyster catchers chasing seagulls. A gannet.

Friday 24th May

The author on the beach, Friday evening

A short visit in the evening, after dinner. We had our best view over the mountains yet. We could see north beyond Suilven to Arkle and Foinaven. The sun was now quite low, behind the beach in the northwest, yet there was still plenty of light (gone 8pm). We reflected on our holiday, thankful we'd made it up here inspite of everything else (during the second half of last year).

"A lot has happened since we were last up in Scotland, but you've bounced back and it's gone really well.", Munros Man reflected as we left the beach. The take home message,  even if the long journey home still needs work.

Here's to the next trip :))

Back at the cottage, the full moon rose out of low cloud, 10.15pm, after sun had set. Still lots of twilight. It never really gets dark in northern Scotland at this time of year.

Inverianvie burn and Little Gruinard beach

Inverianvie Burn - sketch of the split rock

Friday 24th May

Came to this part of Gruinard Bay on Friday morning. First we revisited a walk we did when we were up here in 2005, along the steep valley of the Inverianvie burn which flows into Gruinard Bay, under the road and across  Little Gruinard Beach. The cloud was slow to clear, so the morning was cool. It brightened up later in the day, while we were on the beach. We walked as far was the upper waterfalls, where the path became more craggy and petered out. When we returned back down the valley to the beach around midday, the tide was going out, revealing the wide sweep of sand and channels formed by the Inverianvie burn and smaller rivulets. Boulders of gneiss on the shore. Gather, too, there are raised beaches around Gruinard Bay - the green area just to the south of this beach, across the burn, possibly. These were formed when during a period of higher relative sea level at the end of the last ice age. The land has subsequently rebounded with the weight of ice lifted, exposing the beaches high and dry a few metres above the present beach level. We explored the main beach and coves on the north side of the burn, though much of the sand was wet sands, due to rivulets trickling out of the rocks. A sneaky rivulet near the middle of the bay, heard trickling out of a slope of big boulders and emerging onto the sand at the base of the slope. From the cove on the north side, views of Gruinard Island, aka Anthrax Island. During WW2, military scientists contaminated the island with a highly virulent strain of anthrax bacteria. Thankfully and sensibly, this form of bio-warfare wasn't taken any further, but the island remained contaminated with anthrax spores for decades to come. It wasn't until the early 1990s, following decontamination, that the island was declared fit enough to be returned to its owners / heirs by the UK government. More about the whole grisly business at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruinard_Island

Gneiss boulders at Little Gruinard Beach

Laide

Postcard sketch of the view over Gruinard Bay looking east from Laide, early morning , 19th May.

Our base was in this area, on the west side of the bay. In between coming back from Little Gruinard and a last look at Mellon Udrigle at the end of our week (Friday 24th May), I came down to the this bouldery beach. The tide was now in. Gannets offshore. On shore, two oyster catcher perched on a rock, looking out to sea; and a ringed plover. By now the cloud had cleared, revealing the montain tops, including An Teallach.