Altanour Overnighter

The weather was too good, and the fuses too short to stay in Aberdeen over the weekend. Mike was in agreement, and the forecast was great, so kit had been gathered for an overnight visit to Altanour Lodge in Glen Ey (maplink). I’d been there before, and love Glen Ey.

I started packing on Friday night, and looked out extra kit for Mike. I’d picked up a “Tiger Paws” tent from Argos, as I felt guilty about lending him my old, huge New Illanos tent. I’m not a morning person, so was concerned about forgetting to look out essentials for him, so a sofa filled with gear. With my new Osprey Exos 58 litre (large, so 61 litre) pack, he also got my Atmos 50 litre pack. Saturday morning arrived, and the Atmos was packed with chosen gear, and we were off.

An uneventful trip out, with a pit-stop in Braemar, got us to Inverey at noon. Packs, suncream, and brimmed caps were the order of the day.

And so we walked for 3 hours. We saw an adder, birds (brown), birds (black and white), birds (seagull), birds (shadowy), rabbits (big), rabbits (small), slugs, sheep (humming), slug (sunning), deer (red), deer (Gilliamesque), beetles (don’t use it’s stage name), ducks (swimming), curlew (curling).

Mike spotted some shells on the track. .22 he reckoned.

We arrive at the lodge, but there’s a family camped at the good pitch, so we slot into a wee gulley. After pitching, we get some kip in the shade. Mike later finds that he’s sleeping in his tent the wrong way, which accounts for his claustrophobic feeling. The evening passes with tea, cooking, deer-spotting, chocolate and malt.

In the morning, we break the tents down and head back to Inverey after the 16km round trip.

We stop at Braemar and Aboyne. On the way back to Aberdeen, we pass 3 road-side fires being attended by the Fire Brigade. Perhaps related, some steam traction engines are pulled up at the roadside, a couple are beside a vehicle with blue flashing lights.

Birlinn

One of the books I got in the excellent Ullapool Book Shop yesterday was the "Kingdom of the Isles:Scotland’s Western Seaboard, 1100–1336" by R. Andrew McDonald. I noticed that, once more, it was a book from the publishers, Birlinn. Rather appropriately, it features a birlinn on the cover, as seen on the right of the carving.

Sholto of Scheltrum Miniatures has been modelling some birlinn, and some of us at the club are talking about a "Lord of the Isles” campaign. It should be fun, and give us clansmen a bit of personal background to research.

Navy lark

Navy lark, originally uploaded by dimacleod.

Left hand down a bit, mr philips. And we're off. Or so i assume. I pulled my sleeping bag, in quilt mode back over my head and dozed off. Waking as we hit some choppy patches and submerging again beneath a blanket of feathers.

Holiday Snaps

47 miles of holiday walking, and some after words and clips of the weather.

And the promised photo of Mr McNeish from a 1995 TGO magazine.

ListerWorld

I'll reply here to Mike's post across on "Puppy's World" about the BBC "Natural World" program last night about Paul Lister's Alladale development. I've mentioned it a few times here in the past, so isn't new news (posts). I'll state here that I haven't watched the programme yet. I'm waiting for a more relaxing time, as I have heard/read interviews about this in the past and the stance taken by the developers winds me up.

But I wish people wouldn't keep using the Outdoor Access Code, and Land Reform Act as a hammer to knock developers. Would there be objections if the land was flat? Or there wasn't a Munro in the vicinity? But then we have Blair Drummond safari park, and zoos in Scotland already and no-one is suggesting that access laws are used to allow people to walk freely into the enclosures. Of course not. Are there any rights of way being removed? I haven't heard of any, but I could be wrong.

I have objections to the development, but other people have arguments in favour. There have been a number of high level planning 'debates' (totally the wrong word for these arguments) in Scotland recently. It would seem that no-one is happy with the planning laws. But they are the laws that we have, and people should not be allowed to sidestep them. That is what we have state authorities for - to make sure that people from the lowest to the highest in the land all obey the laws. I think I managed to keep a straight face writing that bit!

I'd love to go hiking amongst native woodlands rather than the bland industrially-minded plantations. Deer kept on the move by the threat of a wolf pack would probably benefit the native plants. Bears are different, and when one escaped in Scotland in the 1980's (or was it the 70's?), an intensive search was mounted to catch it. This is what we have licensing and official approvals for - to make sure that everything is up to standards before dangerous animals are released into such a large area (where this differs from smaller safari parks and zoos). I'm sure the insurance companies and backers also demand no less.

If, in future, there are hiking and camping tours through land clear of bears and nasties, I'd pay a fee for that privilege - to hear the wolves howl in the distance, and see the elk plod across the hillside. Just so long as there was no grizzly ripping my tent open and making off with half my face attached to its claws.

I'll second Mike's comment "Right i am off to get the flak jacket and tin helmet and find a big deep hole to hide in".

If you missed the programme and want to watch it, you'll find it in the BBC iPlayer - don't tell me what happens.

Road Trip: Skye

Due to bad weather, road trip diverted to Skye. Took some photos of beautiful hills on the way here, but had to focus on driving. Appropriately, "the 39 steps" is on tv, and the hero is heading across Scotland. The static caravan is rocking in the high wind. Woosh. But that's ootside the hoose.

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Stopped on A890 to take photo of snow-covered hills.

And got diverted by other things, like the juxtaposition of the light, the cloud and the bothy. I can't help it, I get all celticy and heelan'.

Cows.

A buzzard landing on a very thin branch.

The Skye Bridge. A bridge to Skye. It also comes from Skye. It's like magic. And now it is free. Only because some people refused to pay and took matters to court. Aren't Governments wonderfully democratic.

It's A Family Affair

Despite all the modern games and stuff, some kids just can't help dragging their hands in the water:

Or the old-fashioned, fling yourself down snow-covered hills:

And who could their fun-loving role-model be???

FMAO Loch Broom

Sun rises later on west coast than on east. Stating the bleedin' obvious, i know. Sun then rises behind largest lump of rock and largest cloud formation in sight. I head inside to warmth and a late breakfast.

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Sunrise behind An Teallach.

Sun over Loch Broom.

FMAO Point

With the good-living parents at the kirk, me and my nephew headed down to Point to get some snaps. Half of the panorama shots are his...though all of the splicing is mine (he cunningly had other things to be doing instead of the hard computer graft).

Click on the above picture to get a full-size panorama of the Sutherland hills. The shots were taken near the old Tiumpan Head light house (map link). Assistance on splicing photographs from phong.com/tutorials/photostitch/

One of the hills can be seen in detail after I changed to the 200mm lens. As to its name, not until I get a chance to check my maps and books.

We shifted back to the Braigh for the last shot, before heading home to a cooked breakfast. Maplink - exposure includes the Shiants, and Lochs headlands to the right.

No Alladale bothy

Reading the Mountain Bothies Association newsletter, they report that the Alladale bothy has been taken back by the estate. Any howls heard in the area just now will be from tourists - for that is what hillwalkers are - and not the wolves.

In the slogan that seems to being mentioned by the current Scottish leadership: Scotland is open for business. As is the improved Corrour bothy. It is ready for you to do your business too.

The Gaelic Adventure

Cameron has written a great piece entitled: "Let's preserve the Gaelic".  He was interviewed for Radio Scotland's "Out of Doors" programme (link). Frankly, I feel that preservation isn't enough, and that an audit needs to be carried out to check that placenames have their original meanings. If a place was mis-named by a surveyor, or renamed by the first climber, then should not their original names be used?  Was Sgurr Alasdair always called that? No, so why should that Gaelic name be preserved?

Position originally stated after watching "Tir is Teanga, 21.05.07" (link).

Drummond's book on "Scottish Hill & Mountain Names" is an excellent addition to the library. As Cameron writes:

The people who once lived in these remote parts were the people who gave the hills, the lochs, the glens, their names and if we were to lose those names we would be losing part of our culture.

Why not do it properly, so that the culture is preserved, the real culture. Is Sgurr Alasdair any better than "The Devil's Point"?

BBC Alba links to their Gaelic learners page. Air Splaoid's blog.

Unleash the Hounds

Opinionated rubbish posted in response to Chris Townsend's article "Alladale Again: Bothy Closed, PR Machine Ramped Up"

Well, the landlords are doing it again. Bring it on, and we'll see if Scotland really is a democracy. My great-grandfather was a Pairc raider, spent time in jail for standing up to the landlords. Is this a land fit for heroes, or a place where the law is pochled when money is on the table.

A few jobs (some for locals, or just open to all?) and ignore the tourists that come worldwide to hike in Scotland, bringing money to local communities and not just the estate. Hey ho, the money can go elsewhere, I'll certainly not be visiting after I've bagged the Munro.

I'll second Chris' comments - I'd love to see some more re-introduced species. Unlike some people, for me I like new experiences rather than speed and running. Slow and steady, taking in all I can, enjoying life and enjoying the experience, trying not to pi55 off too many people - okay, no-one that doesn't deserve it anyway. And a quick knee in the nuts of any wolf that gets too close, crying the old Gaelic warcry of "gwan yah bass!"

Loch Glas' station

Oft seen from, but not pictured herself. Webcam link. Map link.

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After that it was simply a matter of driving across to the east coast. Luckily my CF card was almost full by this time else I'd never have got home.

Ben Wyvis as the moon rises.

First shot at taking photo of Moon, and this is what I got. Two images side by side. Tripod with remote control, 4.5 seconds at f/5.6 and 200mm zoom. ISO-100. I used the only filter that I had packed, the polarising one. I'll need to read up on settings before making a proper attempt.

Loch Broom

Once across the Minch, and into safety of Loch Broom, the waves stop smashing against the first floor canteen windows. The sun starts picking out patterns on the sea and i gather my kit and head outside into the cold. My tribal buff worn beany-style, warm montane jacket and camera-bag slung tricorder-like below my green daysack. I involuntarilly start humming the Mickey Mouse Club tune from FMJ as the safety comes off the SLR and i start taking the shots that i have been mentally composing as i have been walking, moth-like to the sunlight.

Gone West, Life is Peaceful Here

In Ullapool early to catch the sunrise.

Ullapool - quiet at that time in the morning.

The ferry can be seen closing the distance.

I found these levers onboard. I wonder if it plays a sea-shanty too?

Point, on Lewis, comes into view.

Sgoth: a traditional Hebridean sailboat in Stornoway harbour. (multimedia)