Читать книгу Backpacker's Britain: Northern Scotland. 30 short backpacking routes north of the Great Glen онлайн

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The line of hills on the far side of the glen leads the eye right up to its head. The hills here are some of the rockiest in the Outer Hebrides. Keep a lookout for golden eagles – this is an important territory for them, and it is not unusual to see a pair hunting along the ridges.

Continue to the rise of a knoll then head west across a boggy moor to the east side of Loch Brinneabhal. Red-throated divers regularly nest here, and it is also a good location for dunlin and golden plover on the moorland, and common sandpipers by the shore.

Callanish stone circle on Lewis

Walk around to the south side of the loch from where a rocky slope leads onto the north ridge of Brinneabhal. The top of this low hill at 213m is a good place to view Uig Sands to the north. Leave the top by heading southwest along a vague ridge, passing just north of a little lochan. Continue southwestwards beneath the steep, craggy northern slopes of Mealaisbhal until you reach the gentler northwestern slopes.

Here turn to the southeast up bouldery slopes, then eastwards to a small knoll on the ridge known as Mula Mac Sgiathain. From the knoll a good rocky scramble leads directly southwards to the summit of Mealaisbhal at 574m. (A slightly easier alternative lies to the left, up grassy slopes to a col, then right along the ridge to the top.) A pile of huge boulders marks the highest point.