Weather/Conditions: Not too cold although there was snow left lying around from a heavy hailstorm the previous night. Excellent visibility plus cracking views down Loch Maree to Slioch, over to the Torridonian Mountains to the south and as far as An Teallach to the north. Cloud base was far above the summits and it was mostly a day of blue sky and cumulus.
Accompanying: Dad

Meall an Doirein is not a distinguished peak as such, but is instead the high point of an area of rugged ground between Gairloch and Poolewe. This was my first venture north of the Great Glen and although I'd been to the north often, it was the first time I'd ever gone with the intention of walking.

Dad and I left the self-catering mid morning and walked up the road to where the path began. The day was excellent and the visibility was also pretty outstanding. After passing a couple of gates, I was also surprised to find there were several rivers to ford! That was a little harder than I was expecting, but the path soon rose up from the river and we had easy walking from there.



As we began gaining some height, a sharp and conical peak came into view. It's not a significant hill of any sort, but it attracted our attention. It wasn't Meall an Doirein as we had planned to head to, but it's summit was our first target. The OS maps give it no name but it isn't much more than a north top of Meall an Doirein anyway.

We turned off the path and headed up its side: we arrived at its cairned summit soon after. Dad took some panoramas and then we set off down the other side, heading for Meall an Doirein, which is the high point in the area. It was all off-trail but offered easy walking. We worked a route up to Meall an Doirein with awesome views opening up. It wasn't long before we reached it's summit. Time for panoramas, a quick phone call and food.



The views were magnificent, it was such a positive way to see this landscape for the first time and alpine, snow covered peaks stretched miles to the north and down to the south. At the southern extreme, Skye's Black Cuillin was visible. Everyone should see this kind of place once in their life, made more special for the fact that it is a place so often blighted by bad weather, especially in April. And to think, we caught it first time on such a magnificent day...

We headed into a small corrie beneath Meall an Doirein with intent on getting back to the cottage. The hill wasn't high but the walk had become fairly long already. All that was left was to walk down the rough hillside to the path which would take us (with a couple of river-fords) back to Poolewe.

360° Panoramas

Looking west to east through north from Meall an Doirein NE Top

Skye peaks, inc. Black Cuillin and Trotternish peninsula

Fisherfield Peaks, Loch Maree and Torridonian Mountains from Meall an Doirein