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With Anne away to Whithaugh Park with Selkirk High School, it was a perfect opportunity to accept Marjory and Roger's invitation (or maybe I invited myself!) to join them for a week in a cottage at Inverie on Knoydart.
What a wonderful journey!
Set off from Selkirk at 7am, and travelled via Peebles and Whitburn to avoid the rush hour on the Edinburgh by-pass. Stopped at Tyndrum for coffee and scone at 10am. Excellent views of the hills as I drove north:
Beinn Dorain and Ben Mhanach (right)
Buachaille Etive Mor (below)
Continued through Glen Coe and Fort William, then west on "the road to the isles" - newly upgraded to double track all the way to Mallaig.
Wonderful views of Skye for Morar
Reached Mallaig at 12.30, and managed to find free long stay parking round the south side of the harbour. Had some lunch and met up with Marjory & Roger.
Mallaig was busy and hot!
We bought our boat tickets, and loaded up our gear and food on to the "Western Isles" (right) for the trip to Inverie.
Meanwhile, we watched a seal swimming tamely in the harbour just at the end of the pier (below). No need to spend cash on a "wildlife trip"!
At 2.15pm (approximately!), we set sail for Inverie, with the boat's rear deck stacked high with cases, rucsacs, crates and boxes!
Perfect day for the sail - calm seas, beautiful views. Is this really Scotland?
Approaching Inverie (below). L to R: Ladhar Bheinn, Sgurr Coire Choinnichean, Luinne Bheinn, Meall Buidhe
After heaving our belongings up on to the pier, we accepted a lift along the bumpy road to our well-appointed cottage. We were glad of the shade of the tree in the garden - rare, surely in Knoydart, to seek shade!
Once the sun was a bit lower in the sky, we ventured out of the shade for a walk along to the road end, and a view of the hills.
The evening sun sparkled off the sea as we looked out to Rum on the horizon (below):
Good forecast for tomorrow, so made up sandwiches, packed our rucsacs, and headed off for an early night ...
(posted 11/06/10)
We spent Easter 2009 on the Isle of Man. No Munros, but enjoyed some good walks and cycling. So, the 2009 Munro season didn't get underway until some sunny weather arrived in May.
13th May 2009
Once again, the Linn o' Dee car park provided a location for an overnighter in the car (after a day at meetings in Edinburgh). Good composting toilets there, too, so no need to dive off into the woods!
Another one for the bike! 7.40am. After brewing up some coffee, I set off (as I had done on 9th May 2008) up the good track to White Bridge, but this time continued south then west to just short of Geldie Lodge (left) - a distance of around 12 or 13km, with a climb of around 140m.
Here, the Geldie Burn barred any further cycling. Now, how to cross the wide burn. No obvious stepping stones, so - boots off, and wade. Cold, cold water! Anyway, soon across, warm socks back on, and set off on foot up the short walk to the ruins of Geldie Lodge. 9.30am and a beautiful blue sky overhead.
Followed a good stalkers' path around the north flank of Sgarsoch Bheag, climbing gradually, then struck off south west across boggy moorland, crossed the Allt a' Chaorainn, then headed up steep grassy slopes toward Carn an Fhidhleir. My lack of fitness made me wonder if I would ever get to the top! However, as always, determination and dogged plodding eventually led to easier slopes and a wide plateau, topped by a cairn against which to rest! (right) Munro 221.
Superb views to the north, west and southwest. A cold wind, though. After a 20 minute rest, I felt a bit more like climbing the 2nd Munro of the year, An Sgarsoch.
This meant following the southeast "ridge", crossing a few short snow fields, and dropping down to a boggy col at 700m, then a steep grassy / stony slope to the summit, and another (bigger) cairn!
Who is this with the wild hair?
So, Munro 222 achieved. 62 to go!
From the summit, it was an easy descent on short heathery slopes back to Geldie Lodge. This time I found some stepping stones, so no need for cold feet. With the wind at my back, and mostly downhill, the cycle back to Linn o' Dee took only 1 hour - an excellent way to finish the day.
25km cycle. 15km walk, 920m climb, 9 hours
(posted 10/06/10)
After heaving our belongings up on to the pier, we accepted a lift along the bumpy road to our well-appointed cottage. We were glad of the shade of the tree in the garden - rare, surely in Knoydart, to seek shade!
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