Hill: Carn na Saobhaide
Date: Sunday 30 December 2007
Company: Myself and Beinn 
Distance: c.28km
Time: 8 hours

We left the house at 05:40 this morning to arrive at Coignafearn Old Lodge just before dawn.

Parked in the small car park circa 200m from the Old Lodge:


We set off along the track, following the River Findhorn:


In just under an hour we reached Coignafearn Lodge - much larger than the Old Lodge:


A couple of kilometres further on, I stopped to take a photo looking back through the very scenic valley that we had walked through:


About two hours into the walk we reached Dalbeg, where we had a brief stop:


According to the OS map, there is a footpath which ascends the hill from Dalbeg. This is now incorrect. There is a landrover track which not only follows the Allt Creagach but also the Allt Odhar to within 1.5 miles of the summit of Carn na Saobhaidhe.

Track heading uphill from Dalbeg:


The track soon began to get a bit icy:


Before long we began to get views of the extensive plateau:


On eventually leaving the track, we continued to follow the Allt Odhar to just below the summit. Took a photo looking back at the several kilometres of snowy ground we had just crossed:



Also took a photo of the very flat summit of Carn na Saobhaidhe:


The final kilometre to the summit is pretty much all peat hags. Thankfully they were frozen solid.

Photo of Beinn at summit of Carn na Saobhaidhe:


Stitched photo looking North from summit of Carn na Saobhaidhe:


Photo of solitary windmill:


While sitting at the summit having a bite to eat, I noticed quite a bit of red on the snow. Quickly discovered that Beinn had cut both his front paws. I bandaged them up at the summit and again several times as we started walking back - but the bandages kept coming off. As we retraced our steps on the way back, I grew increasingly concerned at finding circa one mile of bloody paw prints. I knew I had to stop the bleeding. Only thing I could think of was to take off my socks and put them on Beinn - tying them on with a shoelace over his back! This did the trick fine but left me with very sore feet by the time I got back (barefoot inside my boots).

Photo of Beinn in my socks:


Think Beinn may now become a 3-season hillwalker or I need to carry spare socks.