Читать книгу Walking the Corbetts Vol 2 North of the Great Glen онлайн
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Scallastle River in Coire Mor, Dun da Ghaoithe
The white-tailed eagle, commonly known as the sea eagle, is the largest and heaviest bird of prey in the British Isles, with a wingspan of 2.5m. Its diet includes fish, birds, carrion and small mammals. Until the late 19th century the white-tailed eagle was common in the N and W of Scotland. However, persecution during Victorian times led to the eagle being exterminated as a British breeding species by 1916. A re-introduction programme on the island of Rum from 1975–1985 has been so successful that the population has spread, and by 2011 15 pairs were nesting around Mull’s coastline. The white-tailed eagle attracts thousands of tourists to Mull each year and facilities have been developed to help them see the birds, generating millions of pounds for the local economy. www.white-tailed-sea-eagle.co.uk
Follow the track from the car park, ignoring a left-hand turn, until you reach the Scallastle River (55m, 69610 37160) with its impressive waterfalls. Cross the bridge, turn left and continue until the track recrosses the burn (110m, 69530 36720). Leave the track just before the bridge turning right up a faint, boggy path along the right-hand side of the burn to a gate in the deer fence (45min, 155m, 69370 36470). Continue up rough pasture along the right-hand side of the burn. When you reach a small tributary on the right (270m, 68760 36190), by two large erratic boulders, head NW up the hillside onto the Maol nan Damh ridge and gradually veer WSW towards Dun da Ghaoithe. After crossing some easy rock bands, the ridge steepens and reaches a short but difficult rock band, which can be easily crossed at a small gap (at 650m, 67430 36420). The final 100m of climb is up a mixture of scree and grass to reach the top rock band. The author climbed this in bad weather and found it uncomfortably steep and slippery. It is the sort of broken crag which probably has an easy way through, but only if you can see it clearly from below. After passing through this rock band it is easy going to the summit of Dun da Ghaoithe (2hr 30min, 766m, 67260 36210).