A weekend away in Knoydart with 3 Munros

Knoydart is a peninsula on Scotland’s west coast that you can only reach by boat or on foot. There’s no road in from the rest of the mainland. That cut-off feel is part of the charm: wild ridges, empty glens, and three Munros in the area (Ladhar Bheinn, Luinne Bheinn, and Meall Bhuidhe) waiting for anyone willing to make the trip.

My Munro cakewalk friends (mostly from church) and I spent three nights there. We arrived Friday evening and set off Saturday at 7am for Luinne Bheinn and Meall Bhuidhe. The Walkhighlands site quotes 10–12 hours, and we had dinner booked at 8:15pm at The Old Forge (the only pub in Knoydart), so we wanted plenty of buffer.

The forecast had been wet, but God was good to us. Not a drop of rain the whole walk, and we were back by 5:30pm, faster than we expected. We stopped for lunch on top of the first Munro, looking out over the scenery with deer running below. Creation like that really does declare the glory of God.

Each of us packed a cake to share along the way, and I think I ate more cake on this walk than on any other. The climbs were steep and the day was long. 26km in 10.5 hours. We did really well.

On Sunday, we started at 8am to hike Ladhar Bheinn. We all needed a little extra time to rest after the long day before. It was supposed to be cloudy with drizzle later on. The cloud was thick, but even so, we still got to see 8 islands around us when we paused at one of the summits after descending from the top of the Munro. This hike had a lot of up and down, and it made me realise how unfit I was! I’m glad I made it through. We took our time on this one, spending more time enjoying the view, then a slow walk back to the bunkhouse. I think everyone finished the cake they’d brought along the way. :D

Our homemade dinners were delicious (both Friday and Sunday). Everyone helped each other cook, clean, and tidy up. Such a joyful time.

Monday arrived very quickly and we had to leave Knoydart for Edinburgh. I’m very grateful for such a great trip. Praise the Lord. He has been good to us.

Psalms 121:1-2 (NIV) I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.