17A Healabhal Mhor, Healabhal Bheag and Beinn Bhac-ghlais

These three hill can be done as a round from the car park at Orbost at NG257432 which looks at first sight to be a farmyard. I went left up a track just N of here which turned left alongside the forest (home of pigs), past a trench of dead sheep and headed just N of Healabhal Bheag (Beinnan Lochain on the 25k map). Then along the terrace path to the NE of Beinn na h-Uamha to the col at An Sgurran and up the grassy slope to Healabhal Mhor (whose summit was the boggiest bit of the whole walk). The highest point looks to be just to the W of the cairn.

Retracing my steps to the col at NG222427, Healabhal Bheag is a stiff pull up a smooth grassy slope. The trig point is not the highest point, which is a small knoll at the southern end of the plateau.

Dropping S to Bealach Bhaocasaig it is a straightforward ascent to Beinn Bhac-ghlais. I had planned to descend SE to the forest track at NG250394, but seeing that the forest has been cleared at the seaward end of Gleann Bharcasaig, I instead dropped down NE below the crags following the track of a vehicle to reach a deer fence at NG244415 which needs climbing. The going from here on was quite rough. I dropped down to a wall at NG247418 where forest was on the W side and cleared on the E and picked up the tracks of forestry vehicles which eventually came out at the coastal track at NG253421 which leads back to the car park.

The round of Macleods Tables is described in Pocket Mountains and SMC’s Skye Scrambles with start points from the road to the north, but neither route includes the 3rd Marilyn.

(5 hours 45 mins, 10 miles, 3150’ of ascent)