Ben Loyal: more than a magnificent view
Travelling anticlockwise around the North Coast 500, we sweep down into Tongue with a monstrous lump of rock framing the road ahead. Ben Loyal dominates the approach so completely that telling guests it stands 764 metres high hardly seems to do it justice, particularly if cloud has hidden the tops and left us wondering how much more mountain there might be. It is known as the Queen of Scottish Mountains, although the most imposing view I have seen was with snow and ice clinging to its rocky heights, looking as though something from The Lord of the Rings had found its way into Sutherland. Even without that winter clothing, it is a mountain I find difficult to pass without stopping.
The old ferry car park beside the causeway gives you the familiar view across the Kyle of Tongue, but I prefer the outlook from the Braes of Tongue or the road towards Melness. From those different angles, you begin to appreciate how many rocky summits contribute to the outline that first caught your attention on the drive into the village. There is something of a crown about them, which makes the queenly title understandable, although the highest point is called An Caisteal, Gaelic for “the castle”. Looking at that great block of rock, I wouldn’t argue with either description, and you can spend a very pleasant few minutes admiring the architecture without committing yourself to climbing it.
If you do want to go up, however, allow a substantial part of the day and come prepared for considerably more than a leg stretch. The northern approach starts near Ribigill, following a track before the ground becomes boggy and the ascent steeper, with burn crossings, stretches without a clear path and some scrambling among the summit rocks. Around six hours is a reasonable guide in summer conditions, although your pace, route and the weather can all extend that. The views across the kyle and the surrounding country of mountains and scattered lochs explain the attraction, but being lower than a Munro offers little reassurance about the effort involved. Suitable equipment, navigation skills and a careful look at the forecast matter here.
That ground also gives a wartime rescue story a significance you might miss while taking photographs beside the causeway. After an aircraft crashed into Ben Loyal in 1943, a local shepherd and doctor went up to help the sole survivor, who was injured and unable to make his own way to safety. Looking towards those heights, I find myself thinking about what that involved for the men going up as well as the man waiting for them. In the audio blogcast, we explore that remarkable rescue alongside the experience of walking Ben Loyal, taking a closer look at the mountain that makes such an impression from the road.
To learn more, listen to the blogcast or book one of our North Coast Explorer private tours.