Applecross (Culduie), Inverness (NW), scotland

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The Culdie area is scattered with small terraces and free standing blocks. The rock is a superb super-fine grained Torridonian Sandstone which is easy on the skin. Just south of Culduie there is a fissure, called Slochd na Beinn, named by one of the locals the Valley-of-the-Kings. the scope for development here spreads all the way along the hill. The rock is old and weathered, so caution is required in places. Before Pulling on any problems it may be worth testing to see how hollow the rock sounds. This is especially so on the wall problems where the erosive patterns seem to create hollow flakes, but all the problems that are recorded here were done are on sound rock, especially the free standing boulders of the Sphinx and Sarcophagus. Approach Culduie is 3 miles south of Applecross village. Drive through Culdie and carry on for another half mile and park just before a bridge. Walk SE towards the entrance of the valley, and the Sphinx boulder will come into site, it is an obvious free standing rock 100m before the valley. The majority of the bouldering is on the left hand side of the valley. From the Sphinx, cross the wall, then head up the left flank to arrive on the terrace above the large crag.