Comments on: First Class Ticket to Glas Tulaichean and Carn an Righ

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 20:46:13 +0000

The trouble is, Scott, you could get used to it. All that rich food, good whisky and warm sheets . . . Christ. Where’s that booking form? . . .

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 20:37:26 +0000

Hej Hanna. Thank you very much. And thanks for reblogging it on your new site, which is a great concept.
All the best, Alen

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:46:50 +0000

On each occasion I’ve been given the Dalmunzie “car park welcome and safety net”, I’ve thought it’d be a smashing place for a weekend stay. Much to be said for getting off the hill and wandering straight into a welcoming hotel rather than hopping about in the car park changing yer boots, then driving home!

By: Hanna

Hanna — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:43:56 +0000

Thanks for sharing your funny story. It’s amazing what you can manage to conceive of service and discounts before you are struck by realities. Best wishes Hanna

By: Hanna

Hanna — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:45:42 +0000

Reblogged this on hannaswalk - ok mostly others at the moment.

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:02:25 +0000

Hi Andy. On the strength of that I’ve had a look at the website and I must say I am very impressed. I’m tempted to mention it to the wife. Anyone else who’s interested should click here: http://www.dalmunzie.com/

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:08:12 +0000

I can add that the food at Dalmunzie is quite superb! The chef knows what he’s doing, they bake a variety of excellent breads and the menu is quite upmarket. Highly recommended!

By: McEff

McEff — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 21:43:09 +0000

Ha ha. We’re all on the same side, that’s the main thing John. I would quite enjoy a stay at the Dalmunzie Hotel. From what I saw of it, it looks quite a pleasant place. And the coffee smelt good. I was almost tempted to sneak into the breakfast room with the guests. Golfing’s not my scene though. Wouldn’t know where to start, although my son’s into it. As for the Old Land-Rover Tracks of Scotland, now that one might be a winner. We should be out there taking pictures. Watch this space . . .
Cheers, Alen

By: jcmurray1

jcmurray1 — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:25:02 +0000

Hi Alen, Jings you’ve caused one or two heated discussions on the ups and downs, (sorry), of landrover tracks in the hills. And here was me worried about my occasional rant about Trump’s golf course! I think I’ll steer away from the controversies and tell you instead that I spent a very pleasant weekend at Dalmunzie a few years ago. For reasons too boring to go into, walking wasn’t much on our agenda that weekend although we did follow the railway embankment as far as the old lodge. We even played golf on the adjacent nine hole course that belongs to the estate. The course was designed by Alister MacKenzie apparently whose claim to fame is that he also designed the Augusta course in Georgia where The Masters is played. Anyway another great post so keep up the good work and I love the idea that some day in the future there will be a book published called “The old landrover tracks of Scotland”……………….J

By: McEff

McEff — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:28:07 +0000

Hi Colin. That’s a bloomin’ big day you did from Altanour Lodge. I did the same walk only minus Glas Tulaichean and Carn an Righ a couple of years back. I must have just missed you. Beinn lutharn Mhor is one of my favourite Munros. I can’t remember what the guidebook said, but I certainly wasn’t expecting the thoroughly uplifting walk along the ridge from the summit to the North Top. The ride down Glen Ey at the end of the day was one of the many highlights. Also, Altanour Lodge is a fantastic location for a night’s wild camping ??? one of those places you dream of finding while backpacking but seldom do.
Thanks for the information on Achnasheen. It really is incredible in this day and age that people can get permission for stuff like that.
Cheers, Alen

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:21:11 +0000

Well, Alen, it might well be that a few centuries down the line folks will want the heritage experience with respect to bulldozed tracks, stranger things have happened. But I somewhat doubt it, because these tracks are just sheer vandalism, carried out with no respect for the natural lines of the land. The old drovers’ roads were following contour lines, they were working with the land, not against it. Moreover, I think the special magic of those old roads, as well as of the old lead mines and the like is that folks actually *lived* along or around them. Nothing steadies the mind like standing by an old shieling and thinking about the lives that once were spent there, and of the brutality that swept them aside. Wind farm tracks are just dumped on the hills and used by the guys inspecting the turbines once a month or so. Can’t see what kind of kick one could get by retracing their steps. Shooting tracks are used, as you say, mostly to carry fat blokes up the hills. A couple of autumns ago in one of my regular walks up Gleann Taitneach, I saw a shooting party going up the back of Carn Bhinnein and the clients were indeed seriously fat and could hardly stand up on the steep grass. I doubt there’s much heritage value in that! I also wonder how many centuries will be needed before nature reclaims these deep scars. The NTS did a lot of work to restore the track up Beinn a’ Bhuiridh but still you can see the outlines quite clearly.

Good topic for a post, though, a bit of landscape science fiction!

By: colingriffiths

colingriffiths — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:55:37 +0000

A couple of years ago I was going to use that track to cycle to the summit, but instead I cycled to Altanour Lodge and did a round of Glas Tulaichean, Carn An Righ, Beinn lutharn Mhor and Carn Bhac. They are wonderful hills. Like you, I find myself now enjoying mountain days that are devoid of vertiginous sections more and more. In fact, I see and experience some really good things on the Munro’s that the guidebooks describe in rather dismissive terms!

With respect to that land rover track at Achnasheen, I had a chat with a local farmer who was incensed and very animated about it. He said that the land had been bought by a “young guy” who had now committed a complete “disservice to the whole of Scotland”. On the planning permission it was stated that it was for “agricultural purposes” and it only just avoided cutting across an SSCI site as well. He said that it would have been so easy to have located it on a slightly different line on the hill and so out of sight. He also said that because of it, rules would be made that would tighten up options for folk like himself who were responsible stewards of the land. It most certainly is an eyesore.