Slieau Ouyr

 Only one more hill crossed off the list

Monday 7^th March 2011

We started from the parking area across the road from the Glen Mona hotel and climbed up the steep stony footpath behind the hotel.  It is possible to follow this footpath all the way to Black Hut on the mountain road, or to turn off into the Laxey valley via Agneash or the path down to the mines.

I didn’t take many photos on this walk – just a series of three to see whether I could pick out the site of Keeill Voirrey on the far side of the Corrany Valley.  It isn't easy to see but I think it is in the top left hand corner of the greenish patch in the centre of the photo.

When we reached a convenient firebreak that had been mowed in the heather, we turned off the footpath and headed for the top of the hill.  But as we approached the top we realised that we had turned off the footpath too soon.  Instead of being on Slieau Lhean, so that we could head east over the top of Slieau Ouyr and bag two peaks, we were on the top of Slieau Ouyr.  It would have taken us too far off course to double back to Slieau Lhean, so we left that hill for another day and carried on towards the Ballaragh Road.

 I am relying on my memory now and I don’t guarantee that it is 100% accurate as I am writing this nearly three years after the hike.  I think we headed east towards an area where the greenway road near The Clarum was being improved and then continued along the minor road to the Ballaragh Road.  After that we followed the minor roads which form part of the Raad ny Foillan until we reached the junction where the coastal footpath branches off to the right, down to the coast at Cornaa.  We carried straight on along the road until it reached the car park near the main road.