This is a perpetually contentious hill. When Andrew Dempster wrote 'The Grahams', he highlighted the 'Closed 1 July to 15 February' sign. This has now gone but there is a proposal to turn the Alladale estate into a reserve for wild non-native animals. I had a long chat with the cheerful keeper of the neighbouring Croick estate. On balance he favoured the proposal. Access to the hill was not amongst his concerns, but he was worried about extra traffic on the narrow Strathcarron lanes, and the possibility of animals escaping and taking his sheep. The latter seems unlikely as there is already a fearsome electric fence with outlying live strands that appears to enclose all the high ground from Carn Alladale to the sub-Graham Top of Carn Beag and back down the ridge to Leitir Riabhach. I understand there are many permissions that still have to be obtained and it is likely to be several years before any creatures are introduced. However, I advise you to bag this one while you can. Just watch out for that fence.
