Tag Archives: Scotland

Memories – Misty, Water-Coloured and Unreliable

Posted on November 21, 2012 by

Even the best and the clearest of mountain memories cannot be relied on . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Climbing, Environment, Glencoe, Hiking, Life, Mountains, Quarrying, Slate quarries, Walking, Writing | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

South of the Border, Down Cheviot Way

Posted on October 23, 2012 by

A walk along the boggy border between Scotland and England . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Death, Environment, Ghosts, Hiking, History, Mountains, Railway goods wagons, Railways, Walking | Tagged , , , | 30 Comments

In Praise of Scotch Pies and Carn á Chlamain

Posted on August 22, 2012 by

A man needs sustenance in the mountains. There is nothing finer than a Scotch pie . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Cookery, Cycling, Food, Highland Clearances, Hiking, Mountains, Scotch pies, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 31 Comments

Beinn Dearg – A Teenage Dream

Posted on August 10, 2012 by

I LIKE Beinn Dearg. It’s a mountain with character way out in the backcountry. And I like the sound it makes when people pronounce its name correctly. It’s like the call of a bird or the noise of a rock … Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Cycling, Drove roads, Environment, Hiking, History, Mountains, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Marching as to War – on Beinn á Ghlo

Posted on July 31, 2012 by

BEINN Á GHLO is a fine massif. It rises above Glen Garry in a series of stony peaks and ridges that swoop into wild country away to the east. There are three Munros in this majestic group of hills – … Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Climbing, Environment, Hiking, History, Mountains, Politics, Ranting, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 26 Comments

First Class Ticket to Glas Tulaichean and Carn an Righ

Posted on July 23, 2012 by

A LAND-ROVER track runs all the way to the summit of Glas Tulaichean. Purists would lash themselves with nettles rather than contemplate such a route. My cherished Scottish Mountaineering Club guidebook suggests an ascent up a neighbouring ridge through tussocky … Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Environment, Hiking, History, Mountains, Walking | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Devils’ Points and Angels’ Peaks

Posted on July 10, 2012 by

Climbing the Devil’s Point, Cairn Toul and the Angel’s Peak – and Queen Victoria and fish suppers . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Climbing, Environment, Hiking, History, Mountains, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments

Carn á Mhaim and the Wondrous Eco-Friendly Toilet

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

Carn á Mhaim is a fine mountain. And there’s a fine rest room, in the middle of nowhere, at its feet . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Caving, Climbing, Environment, Hiking, Life, Mountains, Potholing, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Driesh, Mayar and a Ruin in Glen Clova

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Whisky, ruins, and a climb in the mist up two Munros . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Highland Clearances, Hiking, History, Mountains, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

A Final Voyage

Posted on May 11, 2012 by

YOU can see Scafell Pike – the highest mountain in England – from the forecourt garden of the terraced house in which I spent my early childhood. From the back garden of the bungalow the family moved to when I … Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Chockhead, Climbing, Death, Hiking, HMS Theseus, Korean War, Life, Mountains, Sanquhar, Walking | Tagged , , , | 45 Comments

The Dodds, the Coach Road and the Railway Wagon

Posted on March 14, 2012 by

North of Helvellyn, on the Old Coach Road, and the mysterious railway wagon . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Environment, Ghosts, Hiking, History, Industrial archaeology, Mountains, Railway goods wagons, Railways, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

The Great North Road – Carved by Feet and Hooves

Posted on March 2, 2012 by

I LIVE on an ancient highway. It’s called the Great North Road. For many hundreds of years it’s been the main arterial link between the capital cities of two countries – England and Scotland. It is woven into history, folklore … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Environment, Great North Road, Hiking, History, Industrial archaeology, Life, The Romans, Walking | Tagged , | 30 Comments