Ben Hope
“Hill of the inlet/bay”
Route: Out and back from South West
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 3hrs 30
Elevation: 972m / 3041ft
256/283 Munros. “Hill of the inlet/bay”
Ben Hope
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April 2009
I’m never normally a fan of out-and-back walks, preferring much to do a circular even if it means much extra distance. On this occasion though I just wanted a quick and and down so that I could spend the rest of the day exploring NW Sutherland by car.
The main path leads from a carpark just north of Altnacaillich, a few miles south of Hope on the main North Road. The trail follows a reasonably steep course alongside a gill. The gill has lots of little falls and nice pools, I can imagine this makes for a lovely dip on a hot summer’s day. The first third of this ascent put you onto the southern shoulder of Ben Hope which can be quite peaty and boggy, certainly in the damp conditions I was walking in.
The trail curves around to the east before you find yourself back on the western most side of the plateau which begins to rise up towards the summit. On the day of my ascent the cloud lingered in wisps just below the edge which lies to your left. The ascent follows the path into the rocky uppermost parts of the hill whereby you just head in a straightline to the summit. For a Munro I was supprise how quickly I arrived at the summit.
The views can be spectacular up here, although I was in the cloud which would only give me brief windows for a view. Looking along the northcoast you can see the very edge of the mainland Britain, from Cape Wrath to Dunnet Head. Ben Loyal to the east overlooking tongue is a wonderful hill, if not that great in altitude. To the south and west are more of the Sutherland hills, whilst to the south east Helmsdale leads out to the East coast.
It was a wonderful walk but very much a there-and-back stroll. I talked to a friend of mine who had tackled Ben Hope from the North, which provided are challenging little scramble up the steep face after an enduring walk through the boggy plains below. So flexibility exists for a more varied walk but there are better hills for such adventures.