Goatfell

Jane and Maggie at the summit of Goatfell for the very first time.
Or is it on top of the world!

An Teallach

I met Sam on a beautiful Sunday morning to climb An Teallach. A grand day out!
Up on the ridge the mist came and went, but I managed a couple of views from the summits :
1. Sam on Bidean a Ghlas Thuill
2. Looking to the Fisherfield hills from Sgurr Fiona.
3. Sam on the col

Gleinn Dubh

Sadly, we weren't so lucky with the weather the next day. Too wet and windy to enjoy Ben Mor Coigach so we went exploring up wild Gleinn Dunham and beyond......

2 more picd

Just for good measure.....

Suilven

What a wonderful day on this fabulous mountain with Kay and Isobel!
Glorious weather, fantastic views!

Inchnadamph

Three days later I was heading back to the north-west to meet Kay and Isobel at Inchnadamph.
It was a bright, fresh day with great visibility so I stopped off on the way up the A9 to climb Meall na Leitreach and the Sow of Atholl.
The next morning I left Ullapool YH in lashing rain and high winds, but by lunchtime (after a detour to the Lochinver Pie Shop!) it was dry enough to tempt me out of the car and up the Allt Nan Uamh past the Bone Caves and onto the flanks of Braebag. A damp, cold mist rose and fell, tempting me with glorious views to the west past Canisp and Quinag before closing in again.
I did, however, manage this shot of Conical and Ben More Assynt.

The Fannaichs

Later on in August bad weather and swollen rivers meant I had to cancel a planned trip into Fisherfield with Sheena and her friend, but we headed north anyway with a plan to bag some of the Fannaich Munros instead.
Setting out from Loch Droma we had a good day, in challenging conditions, on An Coileachan, Meall Gorm, Sgurr Mor and Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich.
On the way south the following day we had a cold, bright climb up Meall Chuaich,   pausing politely on the hill to allow a grouse shoot through.
So the girls got their 5 'ticks' though the Fisherfield Munros have still to be conquered!
Photo :
Looking east from Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich

Two of the most spectacular views in the Western Isles :
Cuillin Ridge from Elgol, Isle of Skye
Luskentyre Beach, Harris

Island travels

In fact it turned out that I spent a large chunk of the summer island hopping, and enjoying some glorious Scottish weather!

I guided two 10 day trips to Orkney and Shetland for About Argyll, along with a 2 week tour of the Western Isles when the sun seemed to shine on us most of the time. Travelling from Arran in the south, through Argyll to Mull, Iona and Staff a, then on to Skye, Harris and finally Lewis.

Photos :
Fethaland, Shetland Isles
Holy Isle

Islay

Enjoying some rough walking on the Mull of Oa and Ardnave Point on Islay with Freda in June.

Ardgour

Great views of Loch Linnhe and Ballachulish Horseshoe from Ardgour on way home from Mull.
My next outing with Kay, Liz and Jane was in April to climb Ettrick Pen, Croft Head and Capel Fell - a good hill day but bad weather gave little opportunity to capture anything on camera.

Mull

Despite mixed weather at the end of March,  Kay, Liz, Jane and I managed to tick 3 Grahams.....Creach Beinn (pictured), Ben Buie and Sgurr Dearg.

Some pictorial highlights

A snowy circuit of Lairig Eilde and Lairig Gartain in Glencoe at the beginning of March with a group from Glasgow Life.

Autumn travels

Had a fantastic weekend in Paris end October with family - years since I was there. Weather was great and we walked our socks off. Expensive city, but worth it once in a while!

Then it was off to Bhutan for a couple of weeks trekking. I've wanted to travel there for a long time and the country and people certainly lived up to expectations.
A group of 6 of us enjoyed a circular trek from Paro to Chomolhari before crossing the Bonte La at 4890m and Tagun La at 4620m. The weather was superb, though very cold in the tent at night, and it was so peaceful - at least until we returned to the mayhem of Kathmandu!
Great to get a break after a very busy season in the hills and hope to get some pictures up soon.

Lamachan Hill

Summit plateau in on a February afternoon.

The Cobbler

What a great view!

2014

2014 got off to a great start for us with a 3 week holiday to the Western Cape of South Africa. What a fantastic country - dramatic coastlines, crashing surf, beautiful, lush wine regions and wonderful mountains......a great way to spend a birthday - can't wait to return!

So back to the cold winds and rain of a Scottish February, and a whole heap of admin to do, though I've managed a couple of days on the hills since my return.
The weather held perfectly for a quick tramp to the snowy summit of Beinn Ime with blue sky and sunshine all the way. Lots of people about, enjoying a respite from the high winds that have become a feature of this month's weather.
A few days later I took myself down to Loch Trool in Galloway for a walk on Lamachan Hill - pleasant but very wet underfoot. Tortuous going on the lower slopes with a biting wind ripping across the summit plateau. In contrast to the Arrochar Alps, I met nothing or no-one except a startled hind.

I was meant to be back in Galloway on Saturday with a group from Glasgow Life but such was the forecast that we headed instead to the Ochils for a circuit of Ben Cleuch above Tillicoultry. A good choice as it turned out, for we had a pleasant few hours on the hill and returned home dry and only mildly windswept!-