Tag Archives: Scottish Highlands

1: Bridge of Orchy.

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27°C, highest in Glasgow. Better in highlands. 0 cloud or wind.

Very long drive, too long. The M6 was closed between Preston and Lancaster. That pushed all the traffic onto local A roads which immediately stopped.

Normally, on this trip, I go to Glen Coe but it’s too late. Besides, I have an idea for some hills tomorrow, some unfinished business. I’m eyeing up Beinn Dhotaih and some other summits behind.

Friday: some Munros. Started cloudy with summits obscured. 21°C, humid and milky haze. Set off in goood time 08.30. It took an nour toreach the bealach by Beinn Dorian. From here on its off track down the glen in front and turnn north to reach the next bealach. Another turn here and head up the grassy banks of Beinn Achaladair. (1016m). On the approach was the silhouette of a couple from Fife who were very friendly, they even offered me a lift back to the car if I wanted out before Chreachan. I didnt, I have all day and sunset is still late.the summits had cleared and views of distant land was clear, if a little milky. The photos should be good with some post processing.

Beinn a Chreachain was the highlight of the day although short lived as cloud drew in. The stiles of cloud passed on both sides but didn’t release any rain. From here, the desce t has to be north east which does add considerably to the day’s milage. I tried cutting the corner in Gleann Cailliche but am still unsure whether this practice actually saves any energy; the point is to avoid dropping any more height than necessary. Eventually, another track which offers better speed but it’s short lived. There is, for no apparent reason, a turning circle at its end half way up the valley. To get back, here are 2 cols to cross which explains the high climb figure for the day.

Figures: total time 12h 42m, ascent 2047m, decent 2003m,

Heavy thundery showers are promised for Saturday so I’m moving west to the coast tomorrow. The secret to a good trip in Scotland is to escape bad weather by moving to the sea. We’ve had a very hot and dry summer and this could mark the end of it.

Getting dark

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22°C, cleared by lunchtime

It’s dark earlier here. Much darker and sudden. It goes with that heart sinking realisation that a holiday is over. The sun touches down in Scotland at something like 21.10, here it’s half an hour earlier at least. How deflating. What would it be like to live up there in Scotland?

I asked some locals during my camping trip where folks fit screens on their windows to keep the midges out. Their answer was “to be fair, there are not many time you can open your windows in Scotland”. Perhaps the late evening are compensation for the much darker winters. But so what, they have the mountains & glens. I’m still intoxicated by all of that. Is there any way I could do just a year up there to see whether I could do it.

I have been hiking with Rosie in the Highlandsagain. There is a lifetime of holidays in those hills. Such holidays cost barely any more than living here- camping is costs about £5 per night and other needs would cost the same down here. I drove back on Friday thinking over what it is that is so beguiling.

Rannoch Moor in the scotch mist

The bleak Rannoch Moor was thick with Scotch mist. Mountains I knew faintly loomed out of the mist, sometimes with skirts of lacy ragged clouds. There are few roads across that strange landscape- the A82 was straight, but distorted by harsh winters of ice and lengthy snow cover. Tall reflective posts marks the road’s edges- presumably sometimes it’s the only way to know where the road ends and the moor begins.
I stopped a few times to take photos and take in the atmosphere. Soft drizzle penetrates clothes and camera. A few minutes pass and the midges gather, some to cloud around others to bite. They seems to prefer eyelids and neck. You have to move around to evade them, stand still and these slow flying insects catch up with you easily.

As if the landscape is a conscious entity, it draws you in with a spell and wants to swallow you up. It was so hard to tear myself away on Friday.

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mid-break jangles

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19°C, light cloud. CR:26 miles

Mid summer holiday causes a strange feeling. It really does take three weeks to recover fully so that now I have to carefully harness the physical energy that’s liberated. Perhaps soon a trip to the Scottish highlands. With time running out, I have to worry that I’m using this time wisely. The decorating is underway, I like the colours I have chosen and the first layers are showing the effect. I want to use the multi-surface reflections which give richer colours in areas like corners and alcoves. The trick is to use several colours that are very similar. The bounced light takes on the surface colour before illuminating adjacent walls. It works a treat!