Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe

Nearest town:
Ullapool (23km SSW)
OS reference:
NC24051464
OS sheet:
15
Latitude:
58° 5' 9.25 N
Longitude:
4° 59' 5.03 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The southern cairn... as with its magnificent northern neighbour o’er the hill, note the large stones within suggestive of previous internal structure.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 5, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The southern cairn... looking approx west to Cnoc an Leathaid Bhig.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 5, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The obscure southern cairn.... looking approx east.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 5, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Parting shot of the northern monument.... to paraphrase Morrissey, some cairns are bigger than others. But few can be so exquisitely placed in the landscape, so thanks to thelonious for highlighting this one. According to Assynt’s ‘Hidden Lives’ project there are two possible crannogs within the loch. Well, there’s form in the area with what looks like a certain one at Loch Borralan.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 1, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Summit of the northern cairn... must admit it looked as if no-one has yet decided to have a look inside.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 1, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Northern cairn.. note the substantial blocks of stone here.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 1, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Popping back over the crest of the ridge the southern cairn lies below surveying its landscape.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The summit of the northern cairn features some pretty large stones... are we seriously saying this was not once probably chambered?

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

My rucksack highlights the substantial size of this northern beauty.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The cairn I actually came to see, lying across the ridge to the north. Loch Awe provides the stunning water feature.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Southern cairn. In retrospect not really sure why I decided to approach from the south and ford the Ledbeg River.... but if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have stumbled across this beauty. There is no reason to look here otherwise.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Southern cairn: much smaller than its northern neighbour ‘over the hill’, I’d nevertheless make this a primary visit.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014
Image of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Southern cairn: not maked on the map (or by Canmore) this lies more-or-less south of the main cairn upon the opposite flank of the ridge. A nice bonus.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014

Articles

Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 10, 2015

Having neglected to push on to this excellent little height during a visit to the Cam Loch chambered cairn last year, thelonious’s images were subsequently pivotal in ensuring I didn’t compound the error this time around. Well it is said, is it not, that only a fool repeats his/her mistakes? OK, sometimes life’s a bit more complicated than that, but I guess the general principle is sound enough.

Having spent the morning at the well placed Carrachan Dubh chambered cairn I’m – farcically in retrospect, given the quality of the site – actually in two minds whether to stop off at all.... or press on toward the night’s stop within Glen Etive, an admittedly quite considerable drive away. As it is my recollection of the aforementioned pictures wins the day, duly parking within the gaping entrance to the Lyne Quarry upon the A837, that is a little distance south of the Lyne chambered cairn. Here the low, grassy ridge of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe rises a relatively short distance away to the approx north-west. It looks an easy ask, to be fair, but of course – this being North-west Scotland – it is not, the intervening ground riven by bog and potentially ankle breaking leats. Aren’t they just? Oh, not to mention the sinuous course of the Ledbeg River which somehow evaded inclusion within my deliberations. As it happens this oversight has a wondrous, unforeseen outcome... but there you are.

Reaching the river I (obviously) realise my error and, luckily, discover that it is possible to cross dry-shod, thanks to the lack of recent rainfall, by balancing upon naturally deposited ‘stepping stones’.... only to encounter a second line of defence in the form of an unclimbable deer fence. No doubt even more so if you happen to be a deer. Nevertheless this obstacle is, in turn, overcome – or more accurately ‘undercome’ – by crawling beneath it at the confluence with the Allt Bad a’ Ghille Dhuibh. So, aside from falling almost headfirst into a hidden leat (thankfully no damage results, except to my somewhat effected nonchalant demeanour), I manage to ascend the southern flank of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe without further incident until I more-or-less literally stumble upon the remains of what appears to be a large round cairn. Surely this can’t be right.... the monument I’ve come to see apparently overlooks Loch Awe to the north? There is nothing depicted upon the map (and subsequently no entry upon Canmore) but I’ve seen enough prehistoric cairns now to know a clear example when I see one, at least within the acceptable parameters of ‘reasonable doubt’. The location is classic, the interior featuring a number of larger stones suggestive of previous internal structure, the circumference well defined. What else could it be? Yeah, I’m convinced that here we have a smaller southern companion mirroring the position of the great northern monument. Speaking of which...

Upon cresting the ridge, there it is. A large, round cairn, apparently ‘unopened’, set some way below the summit and featuring as just one facet – albeit a fundamental one – of a quite exquisite view looking north across Loch Awe. One might even term it ‘monumental’. Or perhaps not. According to Audrey Henshall the cairn measures – or at least did in 1963 – “7ft to 8ft high and... 63ft N-S by 70ft transversely”. Descending for a closer look it is apparent that a number of large stones occupy the cairn’s summit, slabs that might be deemed out of place if the existence of a concealed chamber wasn’t a real possibility. As I sit back and try to take it all in... an impossibility, but it’s fun attempting... the morning’s low cloud begins to peel away from the upper reaches of the surrounding hills revealing the grey summit of Canisp rising to the north-west beyond Cnoc an Leathaid Bhuidhe, a view to complement the magnificent vista across Loch Awe. Incidentally a couple of small islets within the loch’s northern waters are cited as possible crannogs by Assynt’s ‘Hidden Lives Project’:
her.highland.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MHG13053

It would be feasible – I think – to descend directly to the A837 from the cairn and so avoid having to ford the Ledbeg River, reaching tarmac near the entrance drive to Lyne farm. Or more to the point, vice versa. However I decide to return whence I came to have a further look at the southern monument. Hey, two for the price of one. Can’t argue with that.

Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe

thelonious
thelonious May 21, 2012

18/05/2012 – After visiting the two cairns near Cam Loch we headed over Cnoc an Leathaid Bhig then descended east to this cairn overlooking Loch Awe. This is a good one. Great condition and a good place to put a cairn with a fine view of the big hills north. Well worth a visit. After a while we headed east to A835 and the next Chambered cairn near the bridge.

Sites within 20km of Cnoc Bad Na Cleithe

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