This was hyped as “The best roadside crag in Scotland” and then somewhat put in its place in the selected climbs guide with: “it’s nae bad, but… “. Anyway, for a “roadside crag” it took a lot of finding!

To save you the extended bracken bashing, here are some slightly more precise coordinates N58.4213 W4.9842. From the parking (about 200m north of the Rhiconich junction in front of a house and next to a dilapidated yellow skip) cross the road and head due north up the heathery bank aiming for the col between two rocky lumps (no sign of any path). After about 400m you will see a line of small crags, and the buttress you are after is at the right hand end of these – you are seeing it in profile immediately behind Helen in the photo below.

Here’s what it looks like when you do find it

– we did a couple of decent routes: Short but sweet, HVS, up the gangway right of the diagonal chimney and up the wall above, and Moral Turpentine, E1, just right again following a thin slanting crack and holly-filled off-width (character building!)

Both routes are described in 2 pitches but can be done in one, and there’s a handy situ thread and maillon to get you easily down.

Having started out as another glorious day, the afternoon brought a bit of clag and mizzle so we called a halt to proceedings – there’s an E2 and an E3 that might be worth going back for.

No swimming this evening, but we did find another great van spot