Glen Sannox to Glen Rosa

10th September 2009
Hilary, Lorna, Toosh and I started out at the bottom of Glen Sannox and walked up the Glen towards the Saddle. The first photo shows the morning cloud hanging over Suidhe Fhearghas (Fergus's Seat) as we started the walk, past the old salt mines and with the beautiful Cioch na h'Oighe (with the Devil's Punchbowl) on our left. As we got further up the Glen we could hear the rutting calls of the stags, and saw one quite close to us (encouraged, no doubt, by Toosh's impersonations!)
As we neared the crest of the saddle, we needed our hands, knees and Toosh's help to scramble up the chimney. The view from the top is great, as you can see all the way back down Glen Sannox and also down into Glen Rosa, as well as seeing the tops of all the mountains.

Glen Sannox

Thursday 11th June

Hilary, Annie & I walked along Glen Sannox, starting out at the car park between Sannox and Sannox Bridge. Not to be confused with North Glen Sannox (see earlier entry), this beautiful Glen takes you up to the other side of the saddle from Glen Rosa (again, subject of an earlier entry). It was great to approach the mountains from the other side, as we got to see the other mountains, Suidhe Fhearghas (Fergus's Seat) and Cioch na h'Oighe (with the Devil's Punchbowl) that are hidden from Lamlash and Brodick side. The path starts by taking you along a burn and past the old salt mines, before opening up into the Glen itself. As you go further up, you start to see North Goatfell and Mullach Buidhe on the left, and the Witch's Step and the Castles on the right. These two peaks are really distinctive, with the Witch's Step featuring three sharp ponts with a large gap (her step) in between the first two, and the Castles having large granite boulders that look like crumbling turrets on the top. But most impressive is straight in front of you: Cir Mhor, the large comb, which Hilary and Annie descibe as a 'perfect mountain'. I hope the photos do justice to the beauty of this Glen and its mountains; well worth a visit, especially as the ascent is not arduous, ideal for those who want to see the mountains without having to climb too high.

North Glen Sannox

21st March 2009
This was a spur of the moment, 'let's get out of bed and go for a picnic', type walk, fairly short as we took Moss with us. We walked alongside the beautiful waterfalls as far as the second deer fence, looking up at Suidhe Fhearghas when the clouds lifted. The arrival of spring was announced by the appearance of a number of geology students, complete with helmets and clipboards. Their rucksacks may have been bigger than mine, but at least mine contained a packet of hobnobs! (and a sausage for Mossie).