Drive along the Ullapool road until you join the main A835 at Drumrunie. Turn left, and in about three miles, close to the entrance (on the right) to the Knockan Nature Trail, park the car on the verge and pick up the stalkers path by an Inverpolly National Nature Reserve notice/map board. After a short distance, you pass through, or over a gate, follow the path gradually uphill. The going is excellent and you pass the Loch nan Ealachan below you to the right. The view ahead opens up with Suilven and Canisp seen across the sinuous Loch Veyatie.

After a mile and a half or so, the path peters out somewhat unexpectedly, but a line of cairns lead steeply uphill to the left to end, again, somewhat unexpectedly, on the plateau of Meallan Diomhain. Ahead rise the two principle summits of Cul Mor, Sron Gharbh (2786 ft) on the right and the slightly lower Creag Nan Calman on the left. However, the route from here is less straightforward and involves some descent before the mountain proper is reached. Make your way left towards the col between the peaks, but before you reach it strike up the scree avoiding the crags. This is demoralising because the summit is hidden by the convexity of the slope, but the effort is more than rewarded when you are on the narrow summit ridge with views northwards over Suilven and Canisp to Quinaig and Foinaven, with Ben Mor Assynt dominant in the north east, the Outer Isles glimpsed beyond Stac Pollaidh and the Rubha Mor peninsula to the west and to the south west, the sharp wedge of Cul Beag with the Coigach hills behind. The north face of the mountain drops precipitously into Coire Gorm, the main ridge spreading round it like a horseshoe. Descent to the plateau and strike west to the Col to reach the ridge, which rises, steeply to Creag Nan Calman – which is not as far off as it looks, and the summit of which is easily reached though more exposed than Srn Gharbh. Descend again to the Col and make your way back, by the route in which you came up.

DISTANCE: 9 miles

GOING: Easy in the early stages, steep and rough if the summits are to be reached.

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