Loch Leosaid, Loch Chliostair, Tiorga Mor, Feadan Dirigil, Loch Reasort and Cleiseabhal Loop

This is a long, committing hill circuit in North Harris that links lonely lochs, rough glens and one of the island’s finest viewpoints before looping back beside the Chliostair hydro works. At around 29 km / 18 miles with roughly 1,700m / 5,575ft of ascent, it is much bigger than the standard outing to Tiorga Mòr alone, and although the rating may be estimated as medium, the scale, remoteness and terrain push it toward a strenuous mountain day for most hikers. Expect long stretches of pathless ground, bog, wet rock, steep ridge climbing, and slow progress even in good weather. The nearest practical trailhead is the start of the power-station track on the B887 at Gleann Chliostair, west of Tarbert on the Isle of Harris. A commonly used reference point is near the Chliostair power station access road, grid ref NB052077. (walkhighlands.co.uk)

The opening kilometres are deceptively straightforward. From the roadside by the power-station track, the route follows the access road and then rougher estate track toward Loch Leosaid, a freshwater loch sitting below the western Harris hills. This first section gives quick access into wild country, but it should not be mistaken for easy walking: once beyond the track, the route becomes much more serious. The standard line toward Tiorga Mòr leaves the bridge over the Abhainn Leosaid and crosses flat, boggy ground where old mapped paths have faded or vanished, with ruined shielings higher in the glen marking the transition into older pastoral ground. Walkhighlands notes that some footbridges shown on mapping here are not present, so careful route-finding is important and HiiKER is especially useful for checking your line through the glen. (walkhighlands.co.uk)

As the loop works deeper into Gleann Leosaid and around the lochs named in the route, the character of the landscape becomes classic Harris: peat moor, scattered rock, lochan chains, and steep-sided hills rising abruptly from the water. Loch Leosaid and Loch Chliostair are tied directly to the Chliostair Hydro-Electric Scheme, with water moving from Loch Aiseabhat and Loch Chliostair before descending toward Loch Leòsaid and the power station below. The dam at Loch Chliostair is historically notable as Britain’s first arch dam, part of the mid-20th-century hydro development that reshaped parts of the Highlands and Islands. That gives this walk an unusual mix of ancient and modern landscape history: old shieling country and crofting ground alongside one of Scotland’s notable hydro-engineering sites. (en.wikipedia.org)

Terrain and route character

The climb toward Tiorga Mòr is usually the defining mountain section. Tiorga Mòr stands 679m / 2,228ft and is described by Walkhighlands as the most westerly of the main Harris hills, with a steep lower ridge, narrowing higher ground, and expansive views over the west coast and offshore islands. On the standard circuit, the ascent from the bealach above Gleann Leosaid is steep but non-technical in dry summer conditions, with crags generally avoidable. The ridge can feel airy in poor visibility or strong wind, and the rock becomes slick after rain. (walkhighlands.co.uk