Lanark

A Life in Four Books latest edition

The Edinburgh Festival has provided us with quite a few turnips in recent years - never trust reviews - and we have had no real urge to repeat our mistakes. This year we decided to see the Citizens Theatre group's interpretation of Alasdair Gray's magnus opus - 'Lanark - A Life in Four Books'. It had been stripped down and adapted into "A Life in Three Acts' but still lasted 4 hours. Given that my attention span for watching anything is limited to about 45 minutes, it was going to be either a marathon viewing or a big sleep. I managed both.

I had first read the book over thirty years ago when it was first published by Canongate and I was living in Glasgow at the nadir of its economic recession and excessive municipalisation. I knew the place references and could imagine the reasons for the Kafkaesque dark foreboding. I couldn't find my copy of the book, presumably, it had gone to a charity shop in one of the many purges of my book collection, but I managed to purchase and read William Boyd's introduction and the prologue in the latest edition of the book before attending the play. I'm not sure it helped as this was theatre at its most experimental attempting to interpret a book that defies description.

The performance included mixed media, chanting, disturbing obscenities and the occasional self-mocking. In his previous life, Lanark was Thaw who lusted after women, had a breakdown at Art School and spent months painting a religious mural on the roof of a church which is going to be knocked down for a new motorway. (Glasgow circa 1968) All of these events seem autobiographical apart from the fact that Alasdair Gray is still painting a church ceiling at the top of Byres Road - 'Oran Mor', a cultural centre that is under no threat of being demolished. I am still unsure whether I understand the book any better having seen the play.

Alasdair Gray's Cowcadden's Streetscape

The most disturbing insight was the influence of 'the Institute' a dysfunctional executive body that decided who lived and who was sent to Unthank, a dystopian city that was the underclass to Provan where wealth and power subsumed morality. It is easy to see the parallels with the outcomes of neoliberalism that were evident during the Thatcher/Major ears and again as austerity is a regressive measure that is accelerating social exclusion. There are also echoes of how dysfunctionalism has been an undercurrent Labour leadership theatricals as Simon Jenkins' perceptive article on the demise of the Labour Party suggests. The control freaks of New Labour created an oligarchy rather than building on the real strength of the party, which resides in strong and capable regional political leaders.

"Who is really powerful in the British Labour party? Who wins votes, decides policies, commands budgets, doles out jobs? Who knows how to run something?

I tell you the answer.It is people such as Richard Leese, Nick Forbes, Judith Blake,Albert Bore, Julie Dore, Peter Soulsby, Jules Pipe and Robin Wales. You have probably never heard of them because you think important politics happens only in Westminster. The above are Labour leaders, half of them elected mayors, in Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leicester, Hackney and Newham.

Of these, at least half would certainly knock spots off the current leadership frontrunners. In American politics, they would be hot favourites. In Britain, they are excluded from running."

Edinburgh Tram 

On the way to the theatre, we caught an Edinburgh tram (my first ride on the Scottish Parliament's biggest investment to date) from the park and ride by the airport to the city centre. The tram ride was a huge disappointment, slower than the buses that the trams replaced and with the concessionary fare no longer available for citizens from outwith Edinburgh. The tracks seem to have been designed by someone weaned on Brio with lots of 90-degree bends that the trams squeaked around at a walking pace and a tram shed big enough to accommodate Vienna's masiive tram fleet. Given that the trams had been baled out to the tune of £900m, Edinburgh has been extravagantly subsidised by the rest of Scotland. And all this for a service that is neither integrated nor comprehensive, it only runs from the airport to the city centre, even the Leith extension has been deferred. Edinburgh citizens remain eligible for concessionary fares as well as receiving massive subsidies on tram fares. 

But that has been the story of devolution, an exercise in covert centralisation and the creation of a bloated capital city. The explosion of investment in Edinburgh has been at the expense of those parts of Scotland that have the greatest need. It is a sad reflection of the way the Scottish Parliament has sucked in powers from localities rather than having the boldness to exercise the powers that it has at its disposal. The lesson from the UK government, whereby London sucks resources from the rest of the UK, is a model to be exorcised not replicated. But then Parliaments, just like 'the Institute', have a collective tendency to overdose on their self-importance whilst they jettison the 'Unthanks'.

Gairbheinn and Meall na h-Aisre

Meall na h-Aisne from Garva Bridge

Heading up the Corrieyairack Pass

Beauly to Denny pylons stepping over the Corrieyairack Pass

Creag Meaghaidh and Beinn A' Chaoruinn from Gairbheinn

Looking north from Gairbheinn to 870m top

Deer on Gairbheinn

Glendoe hydro elecctric dam below Gairbheinn

Carpet by Dubh Lochan

Meall na h-Aisre summit

Heather on descent from Meall na h-Aisre

Garva Bridge

Saturday, 22 August 2015
Ascent:         975 metres
Distance:      22 kilometres
Time:            5 hours 25 minutes

c   Gairbheinn             896m    2hrs  16mins
     870m Top              870m    2hrs  46mins
c   Meall na h-Aisre   862m    4hrs  10mins

The two lesser known corbetts north of the remote Corrieyairack pass were the objective. I had planned to go to Rum but the visibility was not great and Rum deserves the best of days. Gregor wanted to climb some munros so I dropped him at Roughburn so he could climb the five munros from Beinn Teallach to Creah Meagaidh and then onto Carn Liath. We left home at 7:40am and Gregor was walking by 10:20am.

I then had a further 50 minute drive along the A86 and past the scenic Loch Laggan. At Laggan I turned onto the the narrow single track road to Garva Bridge at the source of the river Spey. It is a splendid remote location that I had visited three times previously when climbing Geal Charn on the Monadhliath plateau. It was 11:25am by the time I set out for the long walk along the track to the Corrieyairack pass.  There was a motor home parked but no one at home and that summed up the isolation of this place.

In recent years there has been controversy about the new pylons that have been erected as part of the Beauly to Denny upgrade of the electricity grid. There were already pylons here and it is a seldom visited area, as evidenced today when despite it being a dry August Saturday I saw no one all day.  I had long ago formed the view that if we wanted to secure power supplies for Scotland that this was a necessary investment and I prefer the fewer but larger pylons that now march across the wild landscape to the smaller but greater number of pylons that had been here before. On my last visit they were side by side, the old ones have now been dismantled and removed. I realise that not objecting to pylons is sacrilege to many environmentalists but have they seen the damage to the landscape caused by burying power lines underground in terrains far less mountainous than the highlands of Scotland or considered the extra cost of burying the cables, which has to be paid for by the customer?

The OS map I was using did not include the recently built track to give access to the new pylons. Many of the forested areas had been harvested and that also made the map a poor representation of the landscape. It took an hour and a half to walk the 8 kilometres to the foot of Meall Garbh Beag, the small outlier hill to Gairbhenn. It is a stiff climb up the southern flank of Gairbheinn, although there is a pleasant grass and rock ridge for the final 100 metres of ascent. It had been overcast throughout the walk so far and when I looked south west, Creag Meaghaidh was invisible, lost in black cloud and the three tops of Beinn A' Chaorrain disappeared into cloud. Gregor would be about here on his walk so I was glad that I had lent him my compass.

I had a lunch break hunched down behind a rock band just beyond the untidy cairn. There was a good view of the Glendoe hydro-electic dam that is the most recently built major hydro-electric scheme in a location as remote as anywhere in Scotland. Its presence perplexed me as I sat on the summit, the dam and reservoir were not on my OS map. I assumed it must be a recent development and it was, constructed by SSE and opened by the Queen in 2009 and then reopened in 2012 following a major rockfall in the tunnel drilled through the rocks to the power plant.

I looked askance at the route over to the second corbett, Meall nan h-Aisre. It was about 8 kilometres and included about 4 kilometres of bog and peat hags. The first leg was along a fine ridge that gave views into the inhospitable and seldom visited plateau that sits north of the Monadhaith hills.  I disturbed a large herd of deer and they scattered over the ridge to the corrie below.  I calculated that I was 11 kilometres from the nearest public road and even that would require a long trek through boggy ground. Each step over the braided peat hags is an exercise in calculating whether the tussocks will collapse or the peat sink; it is dancing in march time over a wobbly mire. However walks like this are a challenge and so after the 890 metre top I veered to the east and began the long slog through the bog setting a tangent for the south shore of Lochan Iain, the first of two lochans and then making for the north end of Dubh Lochan. I climbed to a small ridge before starting the last kilometre of bog hopping over to the flanks of Meall nan h-Aisre.

The ascent was fairly straightforward enhanced by the rich carpet of plant life. It was no surprise when the inhospitable flat summit appeared topped by an off the peg cylindrical trig point and a pile of old fence posts. The Monadhliaths were visible in all their devishly undulating charm. It was time to get back, I had scheduled to be down by 4:30pm which gave me 40 minutes. Despite making good progress the ground conditions were not that helpful, deep heather decorated with wild flowers was followed by wet ground alongside the Allt Coire Iain Oig. A tracked vehicle had churned the ground lower down the glen to further slow progress. The track made by the contractors to the new pylons was crossed before descending the last few hundred metres to Garva Bridge and the car. I was welcomed by a dog barking in the motor home parked next to me but there was still no one at home. It was 5pm so I changed into dry shoes and began the slow 18 mile journey to collect Gregor at Aberarder, the Creag Meaghaidh car park. He had made it over the 5 munros in 6 hours and 25 minutes so he had to wait 45 minutes for my arrival, a suitable punishment for going too fast. 

Labour Leadership Election

Quartet of great pretenders

Reading the press and surfing the media you would think that the Labour Party was determined to forsake its founding principles. Yet these are the very values that are probably attractive to the majority of the 76% of the population who did not vote conservative at the general election. The growing influence of social media means that there are far more organisations and movements that occupy the progressive ground and the Labour Party no longer has a monopoly of being the only viable alternative to the Conservatives. Indeed by silently adopting the neo-liberal economics introduced by Thatcher and centralising or privatising many public services New Labour was seen by many natural supporters as having crossed the Rubicon from being the champion of social justice and public service excellence.

Contrary to what the press, some of the leadership candidates, some former Labour ministers and prime ministers are saying, there is a mood in the country that is positively inclined towards what were traditional Labour traits. These would include rail nationalisation, building more social housing, improving social care, safeguarding benefits for the most disadvantaged, more and better vocational education and no more hiving off of schools, health and infrastructure to the private sector.

There is also a growing anathema to centralisation and a greater desire for the devolution of services and decisions to localities. There is strong support for a more progressive tax regime for both businesses and individuals. There is increased scepticism about a foreign policy that is based on protecting UK interests and the sale of weapons, preferring instead a policy that provides leadership on international development, climate change and humanitarian aid. A growing disenchantment with International Trade agreements (TIPP) that satisfy global companies but severely damage the economies of developing countries.  Ethical trade agreements should be designed to encourage sustainable industries not to allow global monopolies to dominate markets.

These are the sort of issues that potential labour leaders should be focusing on and so far Jeremy Corbyn, despite his lack of leadership credentials, has done it with more conviction than the other candidates. The successful post-war Labour Party leaders: Clem Atlee, Harold Wilson and, yes, Tony Blair all had a clear mission and pursued them with a vigour that the other Labour leadership contenders have not shown in their largely defensive campaigns. Past leaders may have made mistakes but they understood that the Labour movement was a broad church and deviating from conventional and moribund practices was tolerated a lot more by the electorate than the candidates in the current leadership debate are exhibiting.

How else would Nye Bevan have been able to establish the NHS against the might of the medical profession? Wilson allowed his MPs the chance to vote against joining the European Community, and Blair facilitated the establishment of a Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly even though he had his doubts about it. Good leadership is about the balance between allowing others the right to lead whilst providing strategic direction and forming effective alliances. Blair did this with good effect in Europe and with the United States although his desire to support George Bush over Iraq eventually became his Achilles' heel. The candidates except Andy Burnham don't even seem to want to form effective alliances within the party let alone with other parties and progressive groups.

Most of the more progressive reforms of the last 100 years have emerged from periods of Labour governments, some in partnership with the Liberals. It is an impressive roll call and includes:

• The creation of council housing, eradication of sub-tolerable dwellings and profiteering landlords
• The introduction of old age pensions
• Government funding for child support and anti-poverty measures
• The creation of the welfare state with national insurance providing unemployment relief
• The creation of national bodies to invest and manage key industries such as the railways, gas, electricity, telephones
• The post-war social and welfare reforms recommended by Beveridge
• The National Health Service
• The granting of independence of former dominions and protectorates after the Second World War.
• The support for new technological advances during the Wilson era. 
• The expansion of universities and the creation of the Open University.
• Regional economic assistance for development areas
• The endorsement of entry to the European Economic Community
• Investment in public services by Blair,  particularly in Education and Health
• The creation of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly
• Minimum Wage
• International development guaranteed funding.

Despite these life-changing measures that have improved the living standards and prospects of millions of people in the UK and the commonwealth, Labour has been lampooned by the national press and conservatives as economically incompetent. Yet it is notable that both Dennis Healey in 1977 and Gordon Brown in 2008 dealt with the economic crisis and took tough measures to stabilise the economy. It is less well repeated that Anthony Barber in 1973, Margaret Thatcher and Geoffrey Howe in 1981 and Norman Lamont in 1992 were far less effective in stemming economic malaise. Even the putative recovery until 2010 under Alistair Darling was undermined by the contrary actions of George Osbourne to launch an austerity programme in 2010/2011 that still persists today.

At a time when the conservative government have been given an opposition-free sabbatical, they have seized the initiative on so many issues that will undermine social justice, further destroy public services and pander to the most affluent.

So when Liz Kendall announces that the Labour Party has to move on and become more aspirational, the question has to be for whom? Surely not just for the 'aspirational' floating voters! There is far more magnanimity and altruism amongst the electorate than the Tories or New Labour assume. Scotland has shown this by giving a huge majority to the 'progressive parties' although Labour is now regarded as less progressive than either the Greens or SNP even though it has a far more impressive track record of supporting the most disadvantaged. Similarly, the successful City Councils that are mainly Labour-led have acted as bulwarks against the dismantling of the state by Cameron's government and are increasingly the mainstay of providing support to the most disadvantaged.

The same happened under Thatcher when the Metropolitan Councils, the GLC and Scottish regions protected their citizens against the hollowing out of the state. As a result, they were all abolished and replaced by less powerful local councils that were in turn disempowered by stripping out and privatising services and dictating centralised budgets. This tendency continued under New Labour and lost the Labour Party a great deal of intergenerational goodwill in the more industrial and socially disadvantaged parts of the UK. What much of the public and active supporters of the Labour Party want is an acknowledgement of the role of public services and a lesser commitment to centralisation, ring-fenced budgets, private finance partnerships, subservience to the financial sector and a global takeover of British industries.

In many of these areas, it is a question of balance and the Labour Party has lost its nerve in sticking to the principles that have been crucial in the past on the occasions when it has gained power. There will be controversial issues such as the future of the nuclear deterrent, embedding local democracy, reforming the upper house, tackling tax evasion by global companies and renationalisation that will be opposed willy-nilly by the media and corporate interests. The challenge for the Labour Party is to confront these issues, take on the fourth and fifth (the financial sector) estates and put the wider interests of citizens and local businesses at the forefront of policymaking. The question is who of the contenders is most likely to do this. Most opinion polls and the mood amongst activists suggest that it will be Jeremy Corbyn. As this enjoyable BBC clip by former MP Chris Mullin suggests it could be a very British coup. with even Rupert Murdoch put in his place! 

Corbyn has gained the box seat by his focus on these issues and refusing to indulge in criticising the other candidates. The question is whether the other candidates have the leadership skills to trump him with a commitment to more progressive policies allied to their greater experience and ability to achieve these changes. Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper are potentially able to do this but they will have to up their game if they are to convince the 600,000 members and associates that they can deliver.  If not we will be in for interesting times as George Monbiot has observed. It will not end well.

Gairich and Sgurr a' Mhaoraich

At last a reasonable day was forecast for the Western Highlands. I had two munros to climb at either side of Glen Quoich and as one of them was Gairich, I had a notion to add on Beinn Sgritheal if time allowed. I packed a tent and gear for the trip to Glen Quoich, a remote glen on the longest dead end road in Britain. I drove up in the evening stopping at Spean Bridge for some food and pitching the tent in a lay by as the light finally faded at 9:30pm. The ground was soggy but at least there was no rain and there was sufficient wind to keep the midges at bay.

Sgurr a' Mhaoraich from Sgurr Coire nan Eiricheallach

Looking into Knoydart from the start of Sgurr a' Mhaoraich path

The bealach wall with the Five Sisters in the distance

Sgurr a' Mhaoraich summit

Sgurr Mor and Knoydart from Sgurr Coire nan Eiricheallach

Gairich from Sgurr nan Eiricheallach

Loch Quoich and Knoydart

Thursday, 13 August 2015
Ascent:          965 metres
Distance:       10 kilometres  
Time:             3 hours 7 minutes

     Sgurr nan Eiricheallach     891m    1hr 10mins
m  Sgurr a' Mhaoraich          1027m    1hr 46mins

I broke camp speedily at 6:30am, the midges were in attack mode and my midge net still left my hands and neck exposed. Breakfast in the car was a sandwich, banana and carton of orange juice. I journeyed back up the road for a mile and parked at the foot of the excellent but steep path up Sgurr a' Mhaoraich. The thin cloud cover promised a better day and it was reasonably warm although quite humid after recent rains. I was surprised at the speed of my ascent, which was 6 minutes quicker than my last visit in 2007 despite quite a few photo stops.

The first 100 metres of ascent takes you to below the massive pylons and power lines that abound amidst the hydro schemes in this area. Then the climb continues steeply on a well-executed stalkers path until you are above 550 metres when there is a longer flattish section. The steeper climb to Sgurr nan Eiricheallach is over stony ground and then grass and mosses to the 891metre cairn. From here there are tremendous views to the South Cluanie ridge and Five Sisters in the north and to Gairich, Sgurr Mor to the south with the Knoydart peaks providing an enticing backdrop in the west.

There is then a delightful walk of 2 kilometres dropping about 70 metres to a bealach marked by a robust wall and then climbing steadily towards the summit by way of a twisting path and a traverse under some crags, which is tricky in winter conditions. I reached the summit by 9:15am and spent 10 minutes or so admiring the vistas.  The route up is so good that there was no point trying to find a different way down, I would leave that for my next hill. I was back at the car by 10:45 and began the short car journey to the dam at the end of the loch from where Gairich was accessed. The sun was beginning to burn off the cloud cover and the views down Loch Quoich were inspiring.

Unfortunately, my front tyre punctured after going over one too many of the numerous potholes. I emptied the boot to retrieve the tool kit and space saver wheel and began to figure out how to take off all the paraphernalia that has replaced the honest hub cap in modern cars. All went well until I tried to remove the wheel and it seemed welded onto the hub. A passing farmer came to my assistance and after finding an old fence post and heavy stone we removed it by quite a bit of brute force. The alloy wheel had formed a bond with the steel hub. It had taken over an hour by the time I had repacked the tool kit and reloaded the boot. It made me realise that a formula one wheel change in 7 seconds is pretty quick.

I arrived at the dam and parked just before noon. My plans for the day that had started so well were now in tatters. I decided that I would make do with Gairich and not try and do Beinn Sgritheall as well as it requires a journey of almost two hours even without a space-saver tyre. I had combined Gairich and Beinn Sgrtheall during my last two rounds of munros and wanted to repeat the feat if only to prove my insanity. A couple of SSE contractors were parked next to me and we spent twenty minutes in conversation about everything and nothing. The sun was out and I no longer felt in any rush.

Outing 2

Gairich from Druim na Geid Salaich

Thursday,  13 August 2015
Ascent:       890 metres
Distance:    15 kilometres
Time:         4 hours 38 minutes

Gairich          919m     2hrs 29mins

Looking into Knoydart (Sgurr na Ciche just peeping out) from Gairich summit 

Loch Quoich and Sgurr a' Mhaoraich from Gairich

Loch Quoich and Sgurr na Mhaoraich from the dreadful shoreline

Gairich is a splendid hill but it is thwarted by a 3-kilometre slog from the dam over a path disguised as a bog for much of the way. The climb begins as you reach the plantation and thereafter there is a good path along the broad ridge of Druim na Geid Salaich and then a final stiff climb of 330 metres up the east face of Gairich. My walking friends had refused to accompany me up Gairich during this round on account of the bog and the fact that I like to pair it with Beinn Sgritheall.

I stopped for a chat with a family from Chester who had slogged their way across the bog and intended to climb Gairich. The two young boys looked like the adventure had paled during the paddle through the bog. Time was getting on so I decided to have lunch before the final climb. There are a couple of scrambling sections that make for an interesting climb. It was 3pm by the time I topped out on a near perfect afternoon. I relaxed sitting on the short grass and enjoyed the panorama of peaks in all directions. Despite the hassle of the bog I really like the summit of Gairich although I was glad that I had ruled out Beinn Sgritheall, nor was I continuing on over Sgurr Mor to Sgurr na Ciche as I have done on previous occasions.

The descent was enjoyable although I was sorry to see that the family had got to 755 metres but had decided to call it a day, wisely I think. It would be well after 6pm before they got back to the dam from here and it would have taken another hour and a half to the summit and back. I decided after losing the faint path on Bac nam Foid to descend directly to the loch and aimed for the southeastern corner that would leave me with about 3 kilometres along the shore. It is not a route well used and I disturbed a dozen or so meadow pipits as I charged down the boggy grassland.

The shoreline was a terrible jumble of boulders, loose rock, sinking sand, tree roots and much worse than the boggy path. I badly banged my ankle on the uneven carpet of rocks and then pulled a muscle in my left quadricep when a boulder gave way under my weight. It was so infuriating that I traversed across the bog to find the path through the bog. The dam was a relief and I limped back with shoes and trousers covered in mud but still feeling lively. I topped up on water and began the long drive home.

A space saver wheel is not suited to single track roads festooned with potholes and ramps. I had two narrow escapes when the thin space saver tyre slipped off the asphalt and knifed into the soft ground. Reaching the main road was an achievement but the start of another problem. The speed limit for the wheel was 45mph and I was soon holding up traffic in the style of the average motor home. I stopped a couple of times to allow the following cars to pass. I was soon leading another train of vehicles and I realised that I had the same power as a motor home driver. Moreover, the traffic behind thought because I had a reasonable car that I would not continue at a snail's pace and make them do likewise. I only wish that there had been a few motor homes stuck in the train so that I could exercise some retribution for their routine blockading. Little did the traffic behind realise that I was consciously leading a collective effort to slow down climate change and saving them gallons of fuel. I arrived home having achieved 72mpg although my patience was stretched by a 4-hour drive. The journey had been even worse than climbing Gairich. Beinn Sgritheall will have to wait for another day.

Ben Chonzie

Loch Turret and the Drumlin field

The nearest we got to seeing the summit

Why does it always rain on me? Ben Chonzie summit

In from the cold

Tramping down through the bog lands 

Thunder and Lightning episode

Its getting better

Its getting better all the time -  looking up Glen Turret

Monday,  10 August 2015
Ascent:         720 metres
Distance:      17 kilometres
Time:            4 hours 13 minutes

m   Ben Chonzie     940m    2hrs 22mins

It was an unusual walk arranged at the last minute with awful conditions on a mountain that I had climbed already on this round. John phoned and said he was meeting Alex and Ross to climb Ben Chonzie and would I like to join them. I knew the forecast was dire but also knew that Alex with a young family and living in Sheffield had only limited opportunities to get out on the hills . We met at Braco and John drove us up stopping in Crieff so that Alex could buy some food for lunch.

We drove up to the long private road to the reservoir at Glen Turret and set out whilst it was still dry but the skies were dark grey and threatening. It is a long walk along the track east of the reservoir and by the time the track ended, the rain had started and the ground was waterlogged. The cloud level was down to 600 metres and we paddled through ankle deep water on the lower slopes before finding a muddy faint track through the steeper rocky slopes.  It climbed steeply through the thistles until we reached the bealach below the 755 metre top. It seemed a safer route rather than trying to find a more direct ascent threading our way through the crags but it added a couple of kilometres to the walk.

From here it was a relatively straightforward steady ascent keeping close to the old fence posts as visibility was down to about 30 metres.The rains began in earnest and we were soon thoroughly soaked, my 'event' jacket once again wetted out despite a recent reproofing, I am coming to the conclusion that goretex is more reliable. I left it too late to put on my waterproof leggings so decided to just live with the wet trousers. On reaching the summit, I pulled out my two man bothy bag, it has been in the rucksack for years but seldom used. Ross was there first so we had some protection whilst eating our food. Alex was suffering from the cold rain in his shorts so came in for some respite from the lashing rain.

The rain abated for a short period so we decided to descend by the ascent route instead of following the ridge down the west side of the Loch Turret reservoir. It is a bit of a topographical puzzle even when the conditions are clear.  We made reasonable time down to Lochaine Uaine and then through the waterlogged lower slopes to the track. The heavens opened and we had a short episode of thunder and lightning and a torrential downpour.  Half an hour later as we were marching along the track above the reservoir the sun came out. The three burns that crossed the track had all become raging torrents and instead of skipping across on the larger stones as we had done on the ascent we had to wade across a foot or so of fast moving water.

Arriving at the car park, we were the only vehicle left; it was no surprise as it had been an atrocious day. There was chance to dry out our gear and top up with some food and water whilst we watched a red kite patrolling the hillside. I reflected that this is not the best way up Ben Chonzie, the Glen Ledknock route is shorter, easier and has the largest collection of hares of any mountain. It is something to remember for the next ascent of this hill and this was reinforced when my brother told me it is possibly the worst munro he has climbed and he had used the same route as we had today.

Carn na Drochaide

Carn na Drochaide from Linn of Dee Road

Saturday, 8 August 2015
Ascent:       620 metres
Distance:    11 kilometres
Time:          2 hours 23 minutes
Creag na Chleirich                  650m      1hr   7mins
Carn an Drochaide                  818m      1hr 39mins

Gregor had phoned and suggested a day of Munro bashing. I hastily agreed and identified two or three trips, all in the north-west because that is where my remaining 50 Munros are located and most of Gregor's 120 are also there. We decided on Gairich and Sgurr a' Mhaoraich by Loch Quoich, a good 3-hour drive away but just about in scope for a day trip. Unfortunately, as so often this summer, the weather turned and wind, low cloud and rain were forecast in the north-west. The only Munros to escape were in Glenshee and I had completed all of these. The solution was to go there anyway and let Gregor do a round of Glas Tulaichean, Carn an Righ and Beinn Iutharn Mhor and for me to drive on to the Linn of Dee from where I could climb my last remaining Corbett in the eastern Cairngorms.

It seemed like a lazy day for me at least so we were in no rush to start and I finally dropped Gregor by the Dalmunzie Castle hotel above the Spittal of Glenshee at 10:30, arranging to pick him up at 4pm. I drove on to Braemar, stuck behind a pair of motorhomes and then along the mesmerising scenery along the road to Linn of Dee. I decided to take the shortcut by nipping across the Victoria Bridge to Marr Lodge and then heading along the road to Linn of Quoich. The National Trust parking at the end was already full so I squeezed into a muddy patch at the end of the road. The walk highlands website recommended a route up via Creag a' Chleirich and I decided that I would follow it on the ascent but make a more direct descent to the bridge at Linn of Quoich. I am not keen on out and back walks.

There was a little-used track heading eastwards along the Glen with two or three old houses and some fine Scots Pine trees decorating the heather and granite slopes to the north. I found the path described by the walk highlands route just after Allanmore cottage. Unfortunately, it petered out after climbing 60 or 70 metres so I just headed upwards through a jumble of granite boulders until I reached a ledge that provided a wonderful view of the river Dee, Braemar with distant summits of Cairngorm peaks to the west and Lochnagar to the east.  The hard work had been done and after a pause to soak in the views I headed up the heather slopes to Creag a' Chleirich, which at 650 metres offers good views towards Beinn a' Bhuird and Ben Avon.

There was a stiff breeze as I dropped down to the head of a gully and then began the steady climb to Carn na Drochaide. There were a number of paths all of which seemed to lead to deep carpets of heather. I decided to head up to the easy walking across the summit plateau. The cairn was to the west and needed rebuilding but it would take at least a couple of hours. I resisted the temptation, had some lunch and took some photos. I headed off to the south-west finding an easy broad ridge to descend. Again the path kept disappearing but it was a direct route and I was back on the track in very little time and at the car by 2pm.

I drove back to Braemar, once again crossing the Victoria Bridge and allowed myself 45 minutes looking around the town. The Fife Arms hotel had closed and looked in need of some repair. I was pleasantly surprised that a refurbishment was planned to make it both a 5-star hotel and the centre of community life again by 2017. I am not sure that these two objectives are mutually compatible but nevertheless, the fine granite building will be preserved. I have fond memories of it in the 1970's and 1980's when it had the timeless elegance of a traditional Scottish hotel. I had a look round the Braemar Mountain Sports shop that had sprouted a very well used cafe. I had had lunch on the hill so I drove back to the Spittal of Glenshee and along the private road to Dalmunzie Castle. Although I was 30  minutes early Gregor was walking down the road having completed his round in 5 hours. It was with some amazement that we arrived home at 5:15pm, more than 2 hours ahead of our estimated time.

Gregor ready for action at Dalmunzie Castle 

Allanaquoich on the walk in

River Dee from slopes of Creag a' Cheirich

The climb up Creag a' Chleirich

Braemar and Glen Clunie

Carn na Drochaide from Creag a' Chleirich

Beinn Avon from Carn na Drochaide

Lochnagar from Carn na Drochaide

50,000 hits

I was surprised today to see that the blog has now had 50,000 hits. Not bad for what was meant to be a personal log of events, travels, hill walks and people I have known together with the odd polemic. It remains an increasingly useful diary of what I have been up to and the photographs certainly give further prompts to the memory.

The hits have increased year on year in the five years since they were first recorded in June 2010. Although I started the blog in 2009, the first year was restricted to friends and family; it was only after walking the GR20 in June 2010 were they open to a wider audience. This also meant that I have had to be more careful about more personal postings.

Year           Average monthly hits     Cumulative no. of blog posts

2010-2011                  412                                 117
2011-2012                  539                                 195
2012-2013                  993                                 266
2013-2014                  994                                 328
2014-2015                1112                                 387

Most hits are from the UK but an ever increasing share are from elsewhere. The current position is:

UK                66%
USA             16%
Russia           6%
Germany       5%
France           4%

Canada, Ukraine, Turkey, Netherlands, Romania are all on 1%

The most popular blogs are in descending order are:

GR20
Top Forty Munros
Ronas Hill and Da Lang Ayre
West Highland Way: Kingshouse to Fort William
Vienna
Roussillion
Granada
Mallorca
Bidean nam Bian
Chuckles

Many of the hill walking postings are slow burners but become widely read and they are well up the list along with the Shetland blogs. Visits to places like Sheffield, the Lake District and Cornwall together with activities in the immediate vicinity of home are surprisingly high. Three of the appreciations of former people who influenced me are high on the list as are half a dozen more political postings such as HS2 and Preston Bus Station also make the top forty hits.

But most of all it is a personal record of  events and as such will no doubt provide me with a source of enjoyment as the legs get weary and the memory begins to fade.