0:16:50 > 0:16:57.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18These are the ruins of the old lodge by Loch a'Bhraoin
0:17:18 > 0:17:21at the western end of the Fannichs in Wester Ross.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23The loch itself, a number of years ago,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26was the subject of a proposed hydro-electric scheme.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Thankfully, it was never given planning permission.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32I say thankfully because I think it's a fantastic spot,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34a very atmospheric spot.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35It was interesting
0:17:35 > 0:17:38when the developers wrote their environmental report,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41they said that Loch a'Bhraoin was like many other parts
0:17:41 > 0:17:45of the Highlands and is of no special landscape value.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48That really made my blood boil because the writer had obviously
0:17:48 > 0:17:50never crept down here from the high tops
0:17:50 > 0:17:54late in the afternoon in the winter when you're reassured by the sight
0:17:54 > 0:17:57of the loch below you that you're safe again.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00He'd obviously never been here in midsummer
0:18:00 > 0:18:02when the great western sunsets cause the waters of the loch
0:18:02 > 0:18:06to turn from blue to gold to orange.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10It's a fantastic spot and it's the starting point for our walk today.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13We are going to go and climb what I think is the finest
0:18:13 > 0:18:16of all the Fannichs, a mountain by the name of Sgurr nan Clach Geala,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19"the peak of the white stones."
0:18:26 > 0:18:29The name of this loch means "loch of the showers".
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Quite appropriate for today, I think.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46There has been a lot of rain here in the past 48 hours
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and you can see the river.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I've got to cross this further up and as far as I can remember,
0:18:52 > 0:18:53there's no bridge.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I'm just a wee bit worried about it.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01There's a rather grisly legend about some cattle raiders from Lochaber
0:19:01 > 0:19:04who came up here a couple of hundred years ago
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and stole some cattle from Strathmore.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09A man from Ullapool saw them.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12He disguised himself as a beggar and followed them
0:19:12 > 0:19:14until they camped for the night.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16When the cattle raiders were sleeping,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18this beggar man stole into the camp
0:19:18 > 0:19:24and murdered them all, allowing only one man to go and tell the tale.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32This is where we have to cross.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34You can see the marker cairn on the other shore.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Normally, you can walk across here without getting your feet wet
0:19:38 > 0:19:41but not today. Normally, when the water's not too deep,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46I'll just take off my boots, take off my socks, put them in my pocket,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48put my boots back on and wade across.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52Then at least I've got some warm socks to put on at the other side.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Brr!
0:20:12 > 0:20:13That washes the feet a bit.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21I've still got the dry socks.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29It's a bit of a slog! At least we're making height.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39There are nine Munros in the Fannichs and the main thrust of them
0:20:39 > 0:20:42lies from Loch Fannich in the south.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45I have to say it's not the most exciting ridge walk in Scotland.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Things do improve the further west you come
0:20:48 > 0:20:52and they kind of climax in Sgurr nan Clach Geala, the hill behind me,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55the hill that we are climbing today.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57What makes a great hill?
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Is it the fact that the hill is really beautiful in itself
0:21:00 > 0:21:04or is it the fact you get tremendous views of other hills from it?
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I think probably the latter is the case because
0:21:07 > 0:21:10if you're actually on a mountain, you don't actually see its beauty.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13You often have to see the beauty of a mountain from a distance,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15from another mountain.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18The wonderful thing about the Fannichs is, you get up here high
0:21:18 > 0:21:20and you stay high for quite a long time
0:21:20 > 0:21:22and so get these marvellous, marvellous views.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23If you backpack at all,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27there's nothing finer than camping high up here.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30A number of years ago, I camped on this very bealach
0:21:30 > 0:21:32and when I arrived, it was a bit like today.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35There was a lot of mist around when I put my tent up
0:21:35 > 0:21:39and I was just cooking my supper when suddenly the mist just began to rise.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It was as though somebody was just sort of teasing
0:21:42 > 0:21:44the strands of vapour away from the land
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and right across the big gulf in front of me, I could see
0:21:48 > 0:21:51An Teallach just suddenly beginning to appear a little bit at a time.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56The sun was obviously going down behind it, so these strands of mist
0:21:56 > 0:22:01were pink and orange and yellow and it was absolutely beautiful.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04It took about two hours for all these wisps of cloud
0:22:04 > 0:22:08just to be pulled away and expose the grandeur of An Teallach
0:22:08 > 0:22:10and it was like watching television.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13In fact, it was even better, it was marvellous.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23A way down below me, you can probably see the line of the Destitution Road
0:22:23 > 0:22:26running out towards Dundonnell.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31That was built in 1851 during the height of the potato blight.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34It was built by Mackenzie of Gairloch,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38really as a kind of work project for the people roundabout
0:22:38 > 0:22:40to give them some kind of work.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44I suppose you could call it a sort of early day job creation scheme.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Here we are, the summit of Sgurr nan Clach Geala
0:23:06 > 0:23:09or "the peak of the white stones".
0:23:09 > 0:23:15We're at 1,093 metres above sea level here, and that's 3,586 feet.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18I'll tell you, it feels like it. It's absolutely freezing.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Bitterly cold wind and it's very, very wet.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24I'm not going to hang about here too long.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26As you sit back in the comfort of your home,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30spare us a thought as we go into the teeth of the gale
0:23:30 > 0:23:33back down the hillside, thinking about that river crossing
0:23:33 > 0:23:35we've still got to do again. See you next time.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd