Category: Scotland
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Tayvallich
A dreich day so didn’t venture far. Tayvallich is a community overlooking the natural harbour of Loch a’ Bhealaich in Knapdale, Argyll. I find the learning of the pronunciation of Gaelic names is a slow process, Tayvallich is Taigh a’ Bhealaich in Gaelic and gives good hints. I just need to remember them. The name…
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Ben Arthur/The Cobbler
At 884m high, Ben Arthur, familiarly known as The Cobbler, is only a Corbett but is a cracking hill. It is one of a group of hills known as the Arrochar Alps: The Cobbler, and the Munros Beinn Narnaim and Beinn Ime. I believe technically The Cobbler refers to the central peak and Ben Arthur…
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Hillend Iron Age Hill Fort
Caerketton Hill is on the north-eastern end of the Pentland Hills outside of Edinburgh. With its dry ski slope, it dominates the view from the Edinburgh bypass. About halfway up is a distinctive knoll that is the site of an Iron Age hill fort. It takes its name from the small hamlet at the foot…
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Loch of the Lowes
More bimbling about the Borders. The Loch of the Lowes lies just up the valley from St. Mary’s Loch. In fact, when the last glacier retreated, there was one big loch, however, over the millennia, the alluvial fan from Crosscleuch Burn has bisected it into the two lochs we see today, joined by the short…
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The ‘Battle of Flodden Field’
Ripening fields of barley give no indication that on 9th September 1513 between 7,000 and 11,000 Scottish soldiers were killed here, including King James IV and most of his important nobles, and between 1000 and 4000 English. To add to the slaughter, it is said that a force of at least 500 French mercenaries, who…
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Dunnet Bay
What do you call a group of imps or fairies? A herd, a flock, perhaps a mischief? Anyway, Dunnet Bay is the landfall of a bridge across the Pentland Firth that the imps employed by the wizard Donald Duibheal Mackay had been told to build. They wove the main rope out of sand, but when…
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Beinn Fhada
In spite of its Munro status, Beinn Fhada has been described as a boring mountain. The name translates as ‘the long hill’, being as long as the whole of its neighbouring Five Sisters ridge. However, the summit plateau, Plaide Mhòr, is significant. It is the largest extent of preglacial land surface surviving in the western Highlands.…
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Peanmeanach
The building with the green roof is Peanmeanach bothy. It was announced earlier this year that the owners, Ardnish Estate have decided us to close it as an open bothy. You will now have to book, pay a fee, and presumably get sent a key through the post. The reason the owners give is increased visitor…
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How Long Is the Coast of Britain?
We took part in a Skype quiz yesterday and one of the questions asked was how long is the coastline of Britain. My first reaction was that this is variable. It surely depends on how small the measurement interval is. Thus, a measurement in a straight line directly to the headland on the far side…
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Sgùrr nan Carnach and Sgùrr Fhuaran from Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe
The Five Sisters of Kintail, on the north side of Glen Shiel, is one of the classic ridge walks in Scotland. As you might have guessed, the Five Sisters refer to five peaks of which two are Munros: Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe (The peak of the dark chest) 1027m Sgùrr na Càrnach (The rocky peak)…