Walks | North-West
Poca Buidhe
Start: A832, about 5 miles south of Gairloch, by the green sheds known as the Red Stables
Description: Route on stalkers paths to a bothy at the end of a scenic Loch
OS Map: #19, Gairloch & Ullapool
Multimap: Online Map
A long walk on rough stalker's paths deep into the heart of the Flowerdale Forest. From the path you get excellent views of Baosbheinn The Mountain of the Wizard, the mountain which dominates Gairloch. The stream just north of Loch na h-Oidhche can be difficult to cross when in spate, so take a spare pair of socks and wear stout, waterproof walking boots! The path itself is well made and clear.
The path is quite clear on the other side of the road from the car park, following the side of the hills away into the distance. It path rises and falls as it follows the burn, the Abhainn a'Gharbh Choire, then dips down to a river which crosses the path. This is the river which can cause so many problems on this walk - if the river is in spate, it is almost impossible to cross without getting wet. Cross the river and continue along the path, which runs along the east shore of Loch na h-Oidhche to the bothy at Poca Buidhe. From here there are excellent views of the Torridonian mountains, as well as Baosbheinn. If you feel adventurous, then you can attempt an ascent of Baosbheinn from here (the alternative route being from Shieldaig).
This will make your walk around 6 hours long, so leave early if you intend to climb the hill! Views from the top take in all round - South to Torridon, West to the Islands, East to Beinn Eighe and Slioch and North to Gairloch and the Fisherfield mountains.
The series of lochans to the west of Baosbheinn have lately been under threat due a proposed hydro scheme, that would also have filled part of the area with water.