Bidean Bad na h-Iolaire trail head at Blarmachfoldach.
Lower part of route to Bidean Bad na h-Iolaire.
| Bidean Bad na h-Iolaire
from Blarmachfoldach Bidean Bad na h-Iolaire |
| Estimated net time | 1½-2 hours | ||
| Difficulty | No difficulties. | ||
| Drinking water | No access to running water. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage throughout the route, except around trail head. | ||
| Parking | Room for one or two cars along the road at trail head. | ||
| Start height | 157 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 450 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 5.5 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
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| Route photo |
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Assuming your starting point is the big round about on road A82 just west of the rail-way station in Fort William. Drive 800 metres (0.5 mi) south on A82, to a round about, and turn left onto "Lundavra Road". Drive this road 4.9 km (3.0 mi) and park on the right hand side of the road just after a house, and just after the road starts to descend.
Start your hike by walking 130 metres back along the road you drove. Turn right through a gate and walk uphill on the left hand side of a fence. At 235 metres cross the fence perpendicular to you direction and find a path running along the ridge. This path slowly fades away above 450 metres, but the route north-east to the summit is quite obvious. The summit is marked by a small pile of stones.
Descend by reversing your ascent route.
Erling, Håvard and me had driven from Portree to Fort William on this miserable Saturday, and after having checked in to our self-catering lodge outside Fort William I wanted to go for a hike. To my surprise, and pleasure, both my friends wanted to come along, and we had a fairly nice hike up the grass clad south south-west ridge of Bidean Bad na h-Iolaire. It was good to get some fresh air, and we were a bit lucky in that the rain stopped just before we started our hike.
After the hike we stopped in Fort William to do some extensive shopping, all of which Erling turned into a very delicious meal a couple of hours later.