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  • Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond from Ben Vorlich. 4pm, 10/02/81

    Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond from Ben Vorlich. 4pm, 10/02/81

  • Loch Long from Beinn Narnain. 6pm, 22/03/81

    Loch Long from Beinn Narnain. 6pm, 22/03/81

  • On Beinn Dubhchraig, the Force 10 about to meet its match.3pm, 12/12/81~ With the moon nearly full and the weather fair, a summit camp on the Saturday night seemed like a good idea. A few hours of sleep on Beinn Dubhchraig then up around midnight and traverse Beinn Oss to the regal Beinn Laoigh - was the plan. What matter the forecast, what matter the grossly lurid sunrise I could see through the back window of the bus taking me up the A82, what matter the plume of windblown snow spinning off the summit of Beinn Bhuidhe - ah, the follies, the follies of youth . . . I was wakened about 8 pm by a sudden violent shaking of the tent ( a sturdy Vango Force 10, with A-frame and ridgepole), and a reluctant peek outside showed the view all gone and a maelstrom of snow, falling or rising or both. The many remaining hours of darkness were grim beyond recalling, sleepless, counting the snapping guys, crawling out a one point for some running repairs when I feared for the flysheet. Dawn brought no respite, but I'd had more than enough, and bundling things together fled down to Tyndrum, where a long wait for the first southbound Sunday bus was mercifully cut short by the kind offer of a lift back to Glasgow (Howard Ashton, stalwart of the MBA, if you read this, I think you were one of the other passengers). Camped on top of Dubhchraig??? Testing a tent or something? No, just being bloody stupid .

    On Beinn Dubhchraig, the Force 10 about to meet its match.3pm, 12/12/81~ With the moon nearly full and the weather fair, a summit camp on the Saturday night seemed like a good idea. A few hours of sleep on Beinn Dubhchraig then up around midnight and traverse Beinn Oss to the regal Beinn Laoigh - was the plan. What matter the forecast, what matter the grossly lurid sunrise I could see through the back window of the bus taking me up the A82, what matter the plume of windblown snow spinning off the summit of Beinn Bhuidhe - ah, the follies, the follies of youth . . . I was wakened about 8 pm by a sudden violent shaking of the tent ( a sturdy Vango Force 10, with A-frame and ridgepole), and a reluctant peek outside showed the view all gone and a maelstrom of snow, falling or rising or both. The many remaining hours of darkness were grim beyond recalling, sleepless, counting the snapping guys, crawling out a one point for some running repairs when I feared for the flysheet. Dawn brought no respite, but I'd had more than enough, and bundling things together fled down to Tyndrum, where a long wait for the first southbound Sunday bus was mercifully cut short by the kind offer of a lift back to Glasgow (Howard Ashton, stalwart of the MBA, if you read this, I think you were one of the other passengers). Camped on top of Dubhchraig??? Testing a tent or something? No, just being bloody stupid .

  • Beinn Dubhchraig, calm before the storm. 3.30pm, 12/12/81

    Beinn Dubhchraig, calm before the storm. 3.30pm, 12/12/81

  • Winter dusk on Loch Lomond, from Beinn Dubhchraig. 3.45pm, 12/12/81

    Winter dusk on Loch Lomond, from Beinn Dubhchraig. 3.45pm, 12/12/81

  • Beinn Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig.3pm, 09/01/82~ January 1982. A good winter continues. It began mild and wet at the New Year, but then became very cold from the 5th to the 15th with some record low temperatures. December's cold air was never far away, and with anticyclones in place over Greenland and Scandinavia a cold front moved south, pushed down by northeasterlies, with cold air slowly reintroduced from the 3rd, preceded by heavy rain. Between the 5th and 8th over 100 mm of rain fell on the Southern Uplands and Pennines. As the ground was frozen, it just ran off. As a result there was severe flooding in the York district when the River Ouse broke its banks after rising to 5m above normal. Ice floes became jammed under bridges. The flood waters then froze over. On the morning of the 5th there was over 40 cm of level snow at Braemar. There was more snow in the north on the 7th; and -23C at Braemar; the next day Grantown-on-Spey fell to -26.8C. The battle between very cold and mild air in the south led to blizzards; the Midlands and Wales had 30-50 cm of snow on the 8-9th with easterly gales. Many places were cut off (e.g. Torquay and Weymouth). Some drifts were 20' high. Lasting 36 hours, this was one of the most severe blizzards of the century across the Southwest and Midlands. Then with clear skies, light winds, and snow cover, Braemar fell to -27.2C (equal British record for the lowest reading) on the morning of the 10th, and logged several other very low minima that month. The maximum on the 10th was only -19.1C: a record low maximum for Britain; with a freshening easterly wind even Weymouth did not rise above -4C that day. The following day the minimum was -26.3C. There were some other very low temperatures in Scotland on the morning of the 11th, including -26.6C at Bowhill, and -26.2 at West Linton, both in the Borders. The English record was also set early in the morning of the 10th (beating that just made in December 1981!): -26.1C at Harper Adams College, just outside Newport (Shrops.). http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~taharley/britweather.htm~ So it would seem the weather was even more interesting than I remember - ice floes in the Ouse - but it surely was cold. The weekend was forecast to stay fine, and when I learned that there was to be a lunar eclipse on the Saturday evening clearly some fine plan had to be made. As I was working on Saturday morning it could be nothing elaborate or distant, and I settled on Glen Falloch and a stroll up an Caisteal with a tent and some warm gear.I set off from near Keilator farm about 1.30pm, with a sense of keen anticipation.

    Beinn Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig.3pm, 09/01/82~ January 1982. A good winter continues. It began mild and wet at the New Year, but then became very cold from the 5th to the 15th with some record low temperatures. December's cold air was never far away, and with anticyclones in place over Greenland and Scandinavia a cold front moved south, pushed down by northeasterlies, with cold air slowly reintroduced from the 3rd, preceded by heavy rain. Between the 5th and 8th over 100 mm of rain fell on the Southern Uplands and Pennines. As the ground was frozen, it just ran off. As a result there was severe flooding in the York district when the River Ouse broke its banks after rising to 5m above normal. Ice floes became jammed under bridges. The flood waters then froze over. On the morning of the 5th there was over 40 cm of level snow at Braemar. There was more snow in the north on the 7th; and -23C at Braemar; the next day Grantown-on-Spey fell to -26.8C. The battle between very cold and mild air in the south led to blizzards; the Midlands and Wales had 30-50 cm of snow on the 8-9th with easterly gales. Many places were cut off (e.g. Torquay and Weymouth). Some drifts were 20' high. Lasting 36 hours, this was one of the most severe blizzards of the century across the Southwest and Midlands. Then with clear skies, light winds, and snow cover, Braemar fell to -27.2C (equal British record for the lowest reading) on the morning of the 10th, and logged several other very low minima that month. The maximum on the 10th was only -19.1C: a record low maximum for Britain; with a freshening easterly wind even Weymouth did not rise above -4C that day. The following day the minimum was -26.3C. There were some other very low temperatures in Scotland on the morning of the 11th, including -26.6C at Bowhill, and -26.2 at West Linton, both in the Borders. The English record was also set early in the morning of the 10th (beating that just made in December 1981!): -26.1C at Harper Adams College, just outside Newport (Shrops.). http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~taharley/britweather.htm~ So it would seem the weather was even more interesting than I remember - ice floes in the Ouse - but it surely was cold. The weekend was forecast to stay fine, and when I learned that there was to be a lunar eclipse on the Saturday evening clearly some fine plan had to be made. As I was working on Saturday morning it could be nothing elaborate or distant, and I settled on Glen Falloch and a stroll up an Caisteal with a tent and some warm gear.I set off from near Keilator farm about 1.30pm, with a sense of keen anticipation.

  • Last rays of sun on the northern slopes of an Caisteal. 3.40pm

    Last rays of sun on the northern slopes of an Caisteal. 3.40pm

  • I walk off into the sunset. 3.40pm

    I walk off into the sunset. 3.40pm

  • Moonrise between Ben More and Stobinian. 4.30pm

    Moonrise between Ben More and Stobinian. 4.30pm

  • Camp set up. 6pm ~ It was almost perfectly still, with just a whisper of an easterly breeze, and a camp right on the summit would have been quite feasible, but the mental scars from Beinn Dubhchraig a month before had not entirely healed so I pitched the Vango on a stamped-out platform a little way down to the west. I didn’t possess a sleeping bag fit for these conditions, but a 3-season down bag combined with a fibre-pile liner that I’d bought for summer bivvying proved perfectly adequate. Not trusting a gas stove to perform in this extreme cold I took a paraffin Primus (good old Optimus no.00 - still use it occasionally, for the memories) whose eager roaring was a great comfort, and which was ideal for melting ice chipped off from the confections adorning every boulder. The eclipse began a bit after 6pm and an hour later was total, the moon dimming to the colour of dried blood, the wide sparkling landscape quenched and cowering, and my spirit cowered and shrank with it. This atavistic reaction was quite unexpected, since I had been looking forward to the spectacle. Primitive awe and dread of eclipses was all too easy to understand, and I retreated to the tent to be consoled by the cheery Primus and to cook a meal. By the time it was finished the poor mauled moon had almost recovered from its ordeal and was flooding the world with its light again.

    Camp set up. 6pm ~ It was almost perfectly still, with just a whisper of an easterly breeze, and a camp right on the summit would have been quite feasible, but the mental scars from Beinn Dubhchraig a month before had not entirely healed so I pitched the Vango on a stamped-out platform a little way down to the west. I didn’t possess a sleeping bag fit for these conditions, but a 3-season down bag combined with a fibre-pile liner that I’d bought for summer bivvying proved perfectly adequate. Not trusting a gas stove to perform in this extreme cold I took a paraffin Primus (good old Optimus no.00 - still use it occasionally, for the memories) whose eager roaring was a great comfort, and which was ideal for melting ice chipped off from the confections adorning every boulder. The eclipse began a bit after 6pm and an hour later was total, the moon dimming to the colour of dried blood, the wide sparkling landscape quenched and cowering, and my spirit cowered and shrank with it. This atavistic reaction was quite unexpected, since I had been looking forward to the spectacle. Primitive awe and dread of eclipses was all too easy to understand, and I retreated to the tent to be consoled by the cheery Primus and to cook a meal. By the time it was finished the poor mauled moon had almost recovered from its ordeal and was flooding the world with its light again.

  • Moonlit view NW. 10pm

    Moonlit view NW. 10pm

  • Cruachan and the Beinn Laoigh group.11pm~ A full moon among snow mountains will normally provide visibility of 25 miles, says W H Murray in Undiscovered Scotland, but this is an understatement - Ben More of Mull, a little over 52 miles away, was quite clearly visible, more clearly than in this photo where it is a shadowy presence on the far left. The Cruachan summit is 20 miles distant.

    Cruachan and the Beinn Laoigh group.11pm~ A full moon among snow mountains will normally provide visibility of 25 miles, says W H Murray in Undiscovered Scotland, but this is an understatement - Ben More of Mull, a little over 52 miles away, was quite clearly visible, more clearly than in this photo where it is a shadowy presence on the far left. The Cruachan summit is 20 miles distant.

  • Beinn Laoigh, moonset and sunrise. 8.50am

    Beinn Laoigh, moonset and sunrise. 8.50am

  • Laoigh, Oss, and Dubhchraig 9am

    Laoigh, Oss, and Dubhchraig 9am

  • It was quite nippy. 9.10am ~ As noted in the preamble, the temperature reached -27.2°C at Braemar that morning, rising only to -19.1° during the day. I suspect that in Glen Falloch the -20s were achieved, but I couldn't persuade my own thermometer to go below -16°, with the coldest air draining down into the glen.

    It was quite nippy. 9.10am ~ As noted in the preamble, the temperature reached -27.2°C at Braemar that morning, rising only to -19.1° during the day. I suspect that in Glen Falloch the -20s were achieved, but I couldn't persuade my own thermometer to go below -16°, with the coldest air draining down into the glen.

  • Southwestwards over Beinn Chabhair to the Arrochar Alps. 9.15am

    Southwestwards over Beinn Chabhair to the Arrochar Alps. 9.15am

  • Ben More and Stobinian. 9.30am.

    Ben More and Stobinian. 9.30am.

  • Last view from the summit before packing up. 9.30am

    Last view from the summit before packing up. 9.30am

  • Ben Lomond from the south ridge of an Caisteal. 10.30am

    Ben Lomond from the south ridge of an Caisteal. 10.30am

  • On Beinn a'Chroin, looking east, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a'Chroin in the distance. mid-day ~ After more than 16 hours on an Caisteal it was time for a change of view. In deep untrodden snow, crusted where the sun had reached and powder where it hadn't, it wasn't easy going but I was in no hurry, and the extraordinary conditions were there to be savoured. By the time I had ploughed my way over to a'Chroin's east top, something - what? sensory overload? surfeit of splendour? sadness that no-one else had been there to witness what I had witnessed? - had left me emotionally drained, a reaction as unexpected as my shrinking from the lovely dreadful eclipse. And I grew wistful, in the certainty that I would never experience a night like that again.

    On Beinn a'Chroin, looking east, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a'Chroin in the distance. mid-day ~ After more than 16 hours on an Caisteal it was time for a change of view. In deep untrodden snow, crusted where the sun had reached and powder where it hadn't, it wasn't easy going but I was in no hurry, and the extraordinary conditions were there to be savoured. By the time I had ploughed my way over to a'Chroin's east top, something - what? sensory overload? surfeit of splendour? sadness that no-one else had been there to witness what I had witnessed? - had left me emotionally drained, a reaction as unexpected as my shrinking from the lovely dreadful eclipse. And I grew wistful, in the certainty that I would never experience a night like that again.

  • NW-N panorama from Beinn a'Chroin (east top).1pmA ridge runs north from this top down into the Coire Earba, and I assume that this is how I got back to Keilator, but I have no recollection of this. What I do remember is that my old air-cooled VW T2 started as readily as ever, but the downside of having no coolant to freeze is that there is no coolant to heat the interior, and I was scraping ice off the inside of the windscreen all the way back to Glasgow.

    NW-N panorama from Beinn a'Chroin (east top).1pmA ridge runs north from this top down into the Coire Earba, and I assume that this is how I got back to Keilator, but I have no recollection of this. What I do remember is that my old air-cooled VW T2 started as readily as ever, but the downside of having no coolant to freeze is that there is no coolant to heat the interior, and I was scraping ice off the inside of the windscreen all the way back to Glasgow.

  • Chroin pano with summits identified (view at original size, 6600 x 2200 pixels).

    Chroin pano with summits identified (view at original size, 6600 x 2200 pixels).

  • Beinn Dorain. 19/2/83

    Beinn Dorain. 19/2/83

  • Arrochar Alps from Ben Lomond. 10am, 14/11/83 ~ Contemplative moment, my 1st Munro completion. I had wanted to end the quest as it began (6/11/78), alone, on a November day borrowed from late summer.

    Arrochar Alps from Ben Lomond. 10am, 14/11/83 ~ Contemplative moment, my 1st Munro completion. I had wanted to end the quest as it began (6/11/78), alone, on a November day borrowed from late summer.

  • Beinn Ime from Beinn Narnain. 4pm, 8/1/84

    Beinn Ime from Beinn Narnain. 4pm, 8/1/84

  • Beinn an Dothaidh and Beinn Dorain by moonlight. 8pm, 16/03/84

    Beinn an Dothaidh and Beinn Dorain by moonlight. 8pm, 16/03/84

  • Dawn on the Blackmount, from Victoria Bridge. 6.30am, 17/03/85

    Dawn on the Blackmount, from Victoria Bridge. 6.30am, 17/03/85

  • Early sun on the Blackmount. 7.20am, 17/03/85

    Early sun on the Blackmount. 7.20am, 17/03/85

  • Stob Ghabhar from Stob a' Choir' Odhair. 9am, 17/03/84

    Stob Ghabhar from Stob a' Choir' Odhair. 9am, 17/03/84

  • Looking SW towards Cruachan, from Stob Ghabhar. 10.45am, 17/03/85

    Looking SW towards Cruachan, from Stob Ghabhar. 10.45am, 17/03/85

  • On the north ridge of Stob Coir' an Albannaich, looking NW towards the Bidean. 4pm, 17/03/85

    On the north ridge of Stob Coir' an Albannaich, looking NW towards the Bidean. 4pm, 17/03/85

  • Descending Stob Coir' an Albannaich, looking east. 5pm, 17/03/85

    Descending Stob Coir' an Albannaich, looking east. 5pm, 17/03/85

  • Beinn an Dothaidh and Beinn Dorain, beyond Loch Dochart. 6pm, 17/03/85

    Beinn an Dothaidh and Beinn Dorain, beyond Loch Dochart. 6pm, 17/03/85

  • Untitled photo
  • Untitled photo
  • Tyndrum, with Beinn Odhar. 11am, 30/04/79 ~ When it was a one-horse town. It now has at least a horse and a donkey.

    Tyndrum, with Beinn Odhar. 11am, 30/04/79 ~ When it was a one-horse town. It now has at least a horse and a donkey.

  • An early bivvy on Stob Daimh of Cruachan. 8pm, 02/06/79 ~ Those orange plastic bivvy sacks had the virtue of cheapness, but little else to commend them.

    An early bivvy on Stob Daimh of Cruachan. 8pm, 02/06/79 ~ Those orange plastic bivvy sacks had the virtue of cheapness, but little else to commend them.

  • Stob Dearg from Glen Etive, a bit below Coupall Bridge. 3pm, 01/03/80 ~ Early days, in a Vango Force 10, and as if that wasn't heavy enough I often lugged about (on public transport) not one but two medium-format cameras, with several pounds of glass, in that huge rigid case. I soon learned.

    Stob Dearg from Glen Etive, a bit below Coupall Bridge. 3pm, 01/03/80 ~ Early days, in a Vango Force 10, and as if that wasn't heavy enough I often lugged about (on public transport) not one but two medium-format cameras, with several pounds of glass, in that huge rigid case. I soon learned.

  • South ridge of Stobinian. 2pm, 30/03/80 ~ An anticlockwise circuit of Cruach Ardrain, Tulaichean, Stobinian and Ben More. In these conditions that was a big enough day, made practicable by camping in the upper reaches of the glen, where I was able to spend a second night before heading for the early train at Crianlarich. In the afternoon sun the west flank of Stobinian was an uneasy place, little sloughs of snow sliding past constantly, and me taking such steps as I could to avoid launching something bigger.

    South ridge of Stobinian. 2pm, 30/03/80 ~ An anticlockwise circuit of Cruach Ardrain, Tulaichean, Stobinian and Ben More. In these conditions that was a big enough day, made practicable by camping in the upper reaches of the glen, where I was able to spend a second night before heading for the early train at Crianlarich. In the afternoon sun the west flank of Stobinian was an uneasy place, little sloughs of snow sliding past constantly, and me taking such steps as I could to avoid launching something bigger.

  • The Vango in the Benmore Glen. 6pm, 30/03/80

    The Vango in the Benmore Glen. 6pm, 30/03/80

  • Stuchd an Lochain. 9am, 28/3/82

    Stuchd an Lochain. 9am, 28/3/82

  • Ben Starav from Glen Etive. 8am, 20/3/82 ~ . . . with the Clockwork Orange, my 1975 T2.

    Ben Starav from Glen Etive. 8am, 20/3/82 ~ . . . with the Clockwork Orange, my 1975 T2.

  • Glen Etive from Starav. 10am, 19/2/83

    Glen Etive from Starav. 10am, 19/2/83

  • East to south-east pano from Starav. 11.30am, 19/02/83

    East to south-east pano from Starav. 11.30am, 19/02/83

  • On Starav, looking Mull-wards. 11am, 19/2/83

    On Starav, looking Mull-wards. 11am, 19/2/83

  • Loch Etive from Starav. 11am, 19/02/83 ~ This was a winter's day of rare perfection, cloudless and utterly still. A candle flame wouldn't have even flickered.

    Loch Etive from Starav. 11am, 19/02/83 ~ This was a winter's day of rare perfection, cloudless and utterly still. A candle flame wouldn't have even flickered.

  • Kinlochetive. 3pm, 7/10/84

    Kinlochetive. 3pm, 7/10/84

  • On Stob Ghabhar.10.30am, 03/04/88~ Easter weekend, and K had come up from England for her first experience of snowy Scottish hills. It was superb - neither the weather nor the snow conditions could have been any finer. Fluffy clouds in a blue sky, good nevé, massive cornices.Où sont les neiges d'antan? Ghabhar on the Saturday, Dalmally horseshoe on Sunday, twin peaks from the dam on Monday.

    On Stob Ghabhar.10.30am, 03/04/88~ Easter weekend, and K had come up from England for her first experience of snowy Scottish hills. It was superb - neither the weather nor the snow conditions could have been any finer. Fluffy clouds in a blue sky, good nevé, massive cornices.Où sont les neiges d'antan? Ghabhar on the Saturday, Dalmally horseshoe on Sunday, twin peaks from the dam on Monday.

  • Some more Stob Ghabhar cornices. 10.45am, 03/04/88

    Some more Stob Ghabhar cornices. 10.45am, 03/04/88

  • Aonach Eagach of Stob Ghabhar. 1pm, 03/04/88

    Aonach Eagach of Stob Ghabhar. 1pm, 03/04/88

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    Cruachan and the Beinn Laoigh group.11pm~ A full moon among snow mountains will normally provide visibility of 25 miles, says W H Murray in Undiscovered Scotland, but this is an understatement - Ben More of Mull, a little over 52 miles away, was quite clearly visible, more clearly than in this photo where it is a shadowy presence on the far left. The Cruachan summit is 20 miles distant.
    Beinn Laoigh, moonset and sunrise. 8.50am
    Laoigh, Oss, and Dubhchraig 9am