Friday 2 September - Morrone

As usual at this time of year, Braemar was bustling with visitors arriving for Saturday's Gathering, the games field a hive of activity as final preparations were made and sunshine had replaced the rain clouds over Morrone.

The fact that the route was familiar, the ascent having become a sort of annual event, did not detract in any way from our enjoyment. High up very heavy rain for half an hour or so meant wearing full waterproofs but that gave me a chance to test my new Montane Air Jacket made from Pertex Shield AP. When the rain passed I opened it up to find my mid layer wet at the front. I hope the wetness inside was as a result of my initial delay in fully zipping up the jacket because I'm sure it wasn't condensation.[Edit - it wasn't because of the initial delay, as two subsequent wearings showed. Awful jacket as far as 'waterproofness' is concerned]. We shall see, but the AquaGuard zips don't look as well sealed when closed than the ones on my ME Morpheus. I hope I've not made a mistake in not sticking with ME jackets which have never let me down. Somewhat perversely, I'm now hoping for a wet day to settle the question - any doubts and the jacket is going back.

We took the bulldozed track and left the windy summit, identifying various distant hills as we went. Lochnagar was luxuriating in sunshine while An Socach, Beinn Iutharn Mhor and the like lay under dark skies. Ptarmigan darted about and startled grouse occasionally exploded from the heather.

This is all wonderful country. It's good to be back.

Photo: From the lower slopes of Morrone towards
Braemar.


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Thursday 1 September - A year skips by

I can't believe it's 'Braemar time' again. But here we are having travelled up yesterday past fields of wheat, oats and barely, the rolling hills beyond Blairgowrie and through the starker hills of Glenshee.

As usual we stopped in the ski centre car park for a coffee, the weather dull with some rain in the air though it had eased now we were in Aberdeenshire!

We had a leisurely drive down Glen Clunie with Braemar Gathering parking signs in place for the benefit of those arriving on Saturday for 'The Games'.  Clunie Water was, unsurprisingly, low, the hillsides dry. 

It's a bright morning and for our first walk we are off up Morrone for the umpteenth time. I expect we will find signs of preparations for tomorrow's  the hill race.



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Some Isle of Rum photographs

I've not had time to post about our trip to Rum in May/June so here are some photograph at smugmug

You can watch as a slideshow by clicking the solid arrowhead  (or whatever the technical name is)
at the top right of the page once the gallery is opened.

iPhone 6s Plus pictures

Here on Sir Hugh's blog a 'lively debate' took place on the merits of the iPhone 6 or 6s's camera. AlanR then posted some iPhone pictures on his blog to demonstrate the quality of photographs which can be taken using the iPhone 6 - and very good they are too.


Over the summer I've used my recently acquired iPhone 6s Plus to snap the odd shot when I've not had my camera to hand so here is a selection. None have been edited and they were taken in a fairly casual manner.

Judge for yourselves!

St Andrews harbour

Telford's Bridge, Dunkeld

Mallaig harbour

Rum

Lord of the Glens leaves Armadale

Zoomed slightly

30 May - Rum

An Sgurr as we approach Eigg on our way to Rum. More later when (if) the signal improves.

Friday 27 May - Meall Onfhaidh 681m Graham

We asked permission to park the motorcaravan by a cottage since the small car park at Fassfern had a height barrier. These are now quite common in the Highlands, partly to prevent 'travellers' from setting up camp but also to stop some motorcaravanners, too mean to pay for a site, staying overnight. As usual, the few ruin things for the many.

The initial part of the walk up Gleann Suileag through native woodland provided a pleasing interlude with a cuckoo for company, before the bulldozed roads materialised. Construction of a hydro scheme is underway. A lorry trundled its way up a newly established highway in a cloud of dust to what looked like a site car park. Say the words 'hydro' or 'wind' and anything goes in Scotland.

We pushed on to Glen Sulaig bothy and up the path to the Allt Fionn Doire for a stop and some tea below Meall a' Phubuill. A straightforward but steepening ascent then took us onto the broad south-east ridge and fine walking on crisp moss to the summit. Gulvain was grey on this sunless day, the first of the trip, and the Nevis range never lost its cloud cover.

We returned the same way eventually stopping back in the glen at a convenient seat by the An t-Suileag for more refreshments, only to be driven away by the midges.

Thoughts have now turned to Rum so Lynne is busy buying a few supplies in The Fort. All being well we sail on Monday.




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Hols

Stopped here for a few days. Sunset on lower slopes of Ben Nevis.

BBC Scotland 'Landward ' programme

To mark the 150th Anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth, Lynne is taking part in three events in Perthshire this year: an event in July at the Birnam Arts Centre when she will read 'The Tale o Peter Kinnen', her Scots translation of 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' and in September she will give a talk based on her book 'Beatrix Potter's Scotland - her Perthshire inspiration", also at Birnam Arts.

Today though, we are at Dalguise House near Dunkeld where Lynne is being interviewed for the above programme talking about Beatrix's holidays at Dalguise and the influence this had on her life.

Dalguise House

The countryside around Dalguise

Others parts of the programme are taking place at Eastwood House, Dunkeld, where the picture letters that became The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher were written.

We should have been on holiday this week enjoying this stupendous weather but have delayed until next week. We did manage a superb day on Tuesday doing our final Graham in the Amulree area starting from Glen Quaich by Loch Freuchie - but more of that later.

Now enjoying coffee and cake in the sun at Birnam Arts.

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St Andrews (Mobile Test)

Glorious day in St Andrews with North Sea breakers crashing on the beach. Looks like extensive snow cover on the Angus hills.

Tuesday 19 April Mor Bheinn (Graham) 640m NN716211 Map 57 and Ben Halton 621m Graham Top

The day started well. It was as beautiful a spring morning as you could hope for and yet again the kirk car park in Glen Artney was deserted.

A large pile of neeps was piled by the steadings at Dalchruin, no doubt for the ewes waiting to lamb in the fields opposite. It was cool in the shade of the trees by the Water of Ruchill, but once across the bridge we were in warm sunshine as we took to the pastures and long rough grasses.

The initial slopes of Mor Bheinn

Southwards across the glen the fine rounded hills of the Graham Uamh Bheag along with three Donalds were noted for another day's circuit. A large wind farm lies on the south slopes of Beinn Odhar, the blades being visible from hills on this side of the glen once some height has been gained. This is the awful Braes of Doune Windfarm.

Uamh Bheag hills

A new barbed wire fence with no stile that we could find had to be climbed but once over, a gate allowed us through the deer fence. Here the route takes an atv track uphill but we opted to use the the quarry track for a short while before beginning our climb.

Once on the slopes, banks of celandines and primroses brightened up the bleached grasses which covered deep moss. It was like walking through soft snow and made for heavy going. 

We were looking forward to getting off this stuff and onto the ridge but instead we found ourselves surrounded by slopes of  long heather which went on forever it seemed. Perhaps we should have kept further west nearer the deer fence, but we'd expected to quickly emerge onto high ground with our way clear ahead and with good views to keep us company. Instead we found hollows, peat hags, deep heather and rocky outcrops. There was little sense of progress as we ploughed upwards. 

The photographs don't really capture the nature of the terrain (nor did our out of date OS map) but we agreed that we'd seldom encountered so much toilsome ground on on a hill before. Attempts to find alternative routes usually took us on tedious detours.

Ben Halton

Then at last a lovely lochan and Ben Halton appeared, raising both smiles and spirits. A short detour on a pleasant path led to its cairn and views down to Comrie, to Ben Vorlich and to a previously climbed Graham, Beinn Dearg. It was just the place for a cuppa. 'We'll halt on Ben Halton'

Ben Halton with view to Beinn Dearg and Ben Vorlich

Mor Bheinn, its white trig pillar visible, looked distant beyond an intervening long drop. In fact it was only around 130m loss of height followed by 150m ascent but it was probably going to be more of the same - heather, holes and mire on the descent, then peat hags to negotiate before the final pull to the trig point.

Mor Bheinn from near Ben Halton

Off we went and once in the broad col another deer fence had to be climbed, fortunately by a stile. Then another fence. What's with all these fences?  Various 'animal tracks' as the guide called them, led round and over little outcrops, then suddenly we emerged by the trig point. A welcome sight. Happy 80th birthday to you!

Loch Earn and St Fillans lay below us and it was wonderful to have an open view at last.

Loch Earn and St Fillans

Descending by a broken ridge and picking up narrow paths we aimed for a grassy rake.

The grassy rake on the right

The rake gave an easy, if wet, way up and back to the lochans - an altogether much more pleasant return journey.

It was hot lower down by the quarry track and we relaxed for a while, finishing off our remaining food and tea. Then it was over the barbed wire fence again. We watched a beautiful red kite for a while as it sailed above us. Wonderful.

Back at Dalchruin, the shepherd was out on his quad bike, collie aboard, checking his ewes and lambs, one newly born. If ever a scene spoke of spring, it was this one.

Glen Artney is becoming a favourite place and worth exploring further but we won't be venturing in here:

Note: I can't offer any explanation as to why we felt as we did about Mor Bheinn. After all, it's not as if we are unfamiliar with Scottish hills! Best not to analyse perhaps. Anyway, in retrospect it wasn't all that bad...