Wednesday, February 10, 2021
We decided to try again to get up a small local hill. The zigzag path up Ullapool Hill was slightly slippery, and then we were crossing moorland towards Maol Chalaisgeig (height 301m above sea level).
The hill felt wild enough today in near freezing conditions, but the seat near the top is a reminder that this is a popular viewpoint in summer.
The little cairn marks the summit, overlooking Loch Achall.
We lingered for a while enjoying the stillness and the views. Greger confidently identified these as hare tracks; thrilling to think we could see mountain hares this close to home!
To the south was a panorama of mountains including the Fannichs, with Sgurr Mor in the centre - a mini Matterhorn.
Dropping back down to the junction of paths, we decided to turn right and walk out to Loch Achall, coming back down the quarry road and so home. This path (we should have remembered from a few days ago) was much worse than the hill. Except in very dry spells, this is a wet path (the site later in the year of frogspawn and newt-mating puddles) and this water had frozen at the beginning of the cold spell. Snow had fallen since, but only a thin layer, so when Greger stepped on it his foot slid away immediately. I did better thanks to some studded rubber harnesses for my boots that he'd bought for me - sort of pretend crampons. They're very difficult to put on, so we did that at home and I had to clatter along on the snow-less road at the beginning and end of the walk - but they were very effective up the hill.
We heard a sound and I stopped, sure it was a bird - and we heard it once again. It was a hollow sound, and was quite possibly water - but although we waited it wasn't heard again. Back at home, I played a clip of Jack snipe singing from the zenocanto website; and Greger agreed that what we'd heard did sound like a shortened version of this. But Jack snipe don't breed in the UK, so would they sing here? Coincidentally, common snipe were reported on the Assynt wildlife site today.
