A Grand Day Out in Argyll

Tobermory jetty

We started the day in the Morvern village of Lochaline on the Sound of Mull. It is in Highland rather than Argyll but after an early breakfast in the Manse, now an Airbnb run by a Glasgow herbalist, we caught the ferry to Fishnish on Mull. We were in Tobermory before 10 am to discover that all the ferries leaving Mull were full apart from the 1:30pm boat to Oban. It rather disrupted our plans to spend the day on the island. Apparently, campervans have inundated Mull this summer with the result that spontaneous travellers such as ourselves have been scared off. Much the same has happened in the rest of Scotland and a number of acquaintances have told me that they are giving up going north in summer because of the congested roads, slow traffic, full campsites, shortage of places to eat and general over-commercialisation of tourism. It is a sentiment that I share although the mountains are still largely ignored by the new wave of tourists in campervans, coaches and the self-drive visitors following the tourist board circuits.

In the two and a half hours left we decided to drive over to Calgary and then journey down the north-west coast of Mull and try to catch the 1:30 ferry. It was a spectacular drive in perfect conditions. We stopped at the excellent cafe in Calgary and spent half an hour walking the beach before setting out with just an hour to make the final 35miles to Craignure. The narrow single track road was slow and we were held up by tourist traffic but made Craignure as the last car to arrive and get on the ferry. Worries over, the sail down the Sound of Mull was beautiful in the warm summer breeze. It is the place where our eldest learned to walk on the deck of a Calmac ferry so it has happy memories for us.

Disembarking at Oban we decided to make for Loch Melfort, the place where we stayed in exactly the same week 36 years ago when the summer was similar to this year. Our two daughters of 3 months and 2 years spent most of the week in a paddling pool. We tried to learn how to windsurf on the loch whilst grandparents held the fort.

We continued the excursion by driving on to Arduaine Gardens on the other side of Loch Melfort. They are one of the National Trust treasures with the gulf stream providing conditions for a vast array of trees and plants and enjoying spectacular views over to Jura and Mull. The journey back to Glasgow was via Loch Fyne where we stopped for an ice cream at Inverary and met an old neighbour. Loch Lomondside was chock-a-block with traffic returning from a grand day in Argyll. After the rain at the weekend, Glasgow was back in its high summer mode with the pavements alive with al fresco drinking.

Leaving Lochaline

Tobermory waterfront

Calgary coffee house

Midsummer crowds on Calgary beach

Calgary beach

Calgary beach cafe

Looking across Loch Na Keal to Ben More

Sound of Mull

Oban waterfront

Our holiday cottage of 1982 on Loch Melfort

Arduaine Gardens, Loch Melfort

Loch Melfort and Mull

Arduaine Gardens

Vital Spark at Inverary

Loch Melfort in 1982

The West Highlander

West Highlander at Fort William

We had vouchers from Gregor for the steam-hauled train to Mallaig and finally, after several attempts, managed to get a reservation on an afternoon trip. The train was full, the happy band of men on the footplate were enjoying themselves and the Black Five locomotive was steamed up and raring to go. There had been 842 of these locomotives built to the design of Sir William A. Stanier for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) between 1934 and 1951. They were the most numerous of all locomotives in the UK and the workhorse for both passenger and freight duties. Their design heavily influenced the BR-commissioned standard locomotives after nationalisation. 

Leaving Fort William and passing through Corpach the locomotive was barely audible. However, as we began to climb the familiar beat of the pistons reverberated in the glen and the coaches clapped along. Sticking my head out of the window brought the smell of coal and particles of soot lodged in my hair. At Glenfinnan, there were crowds of spectators on the hillside as we crossed the famous concrete viaduct, Harry Potter has a lot to answer for. The train halted at the station so we could visit the museum, see the workings of the signal box and admire the locomotive. The driver and fireman were in animated conversation with the engineer. The steep incline up the glen to Cross had the locomotive rasping for breath. The spectacular scenery gave evidence of the immense difficulty of constructing the West Highland line through some of the most complex rocky landscapes. The seascapes and tunnels beyond merely confirmed this. The beaches of Arisaig and Morar made us wish that you didn't have to return on the same day but tourism schedules seldom cater for spontaneity.

The only blight on the trip was the attempt by the company to sell cheap Chinese-produced souvenirs in the style of Ryanair stewards. The train was filled with tourists from most parts of Europe with the inevitable groups of Americans making more noise and taking up more space than the average traveller. Souvenirs of local produce would be so much more in keeping with the trip but the temptation to obtain high markups on tacky plastic goods always seems to win. Some smoked mackerel or slate coasters with an etching of the locomotive would have tempted me.

Mallaig is the end of the line and the port for ferry services to the small isles of Rum, Canna and Eigg and the Isle of Skye as well as to Inverie in the Knoydart peninsula. Apart from fresh fish and chips, there isn't a lot to see or do in a couple of hours before the journey back. Fortunately, we shared a table with a young Dutch couple on a three-week holiday to Scotland. The conversation was non-stop as we exchanged ideas and information on the return. We arrived back slightly ahead of schedule and were able to make the Corran ferry before the last sailing and get to our Airbnb in Lochaline.

Why everyone wanted to be an engine driver

BR coaches were so much more comfortable than today's coaches 

Steaming up at Glenfinnan station

Mallaig, catch in

Fisherman's mural

Eigg

Rum

Glenfinnan viaduct

Glasgow Redux

Woodlands tenements

We returned to Glasgow last month after 30 years residing in the Trossachs. It was during the long heatwave that gave the city a continental feel. We are between the University and the decaying City Centre, close enough the bustle of the West End and near enough to be on the motorway in two minutes. We are in a block of flats occupied mainly by thirty-somethings and next to a school that has been converted to good quality accommodation for overseas students. The noise of the city was a shock: traffic, music, bin collections, helicopters, ambulances, and motorbikes create a background hum well into the early hours and the seagulls provide a disruptive dawn chorus as they feast on the discarded litter and garbage.

Initially, we were simply recovering from three weeks of dismantling, packing and moving from the family house and a massive decluttering of possessions. During the first week, I could not find my passport, the HM Passport Office call centre was unhelpful saying it would take over a week to replace it, even if I paid the premium rate. I ignored their negative advice and walked over to the Glasgow Passport office where the friendly staff said they would do their best to get it sorted. They let me use their phone to contact the UK passport office to arrange an interview in Glasgow later in the day. They had created a slot for me to prevent obfuscation by the UK office. Then they arranged for printing to take place the next day.  I celebrated the next day by making a day trip to Skye on the early morning bus to climb a favourite mountain. I received a phone call whilst climbing Sgurr nan Gillean to tell me the passport was ready. Glaswegians really know how to help each other.

We went to France for a fortnight to relax, read, walk, swim and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the limestone plateau in the Ardeche, a place that retains local traditions and is free from the commercialism of mass tourism. Since returning we have witnessed the highs and lows of Glasgow life. Glasgow has always been a city of contrasts but the sense is that it is more concerned about its image than its public services. This has been starkly evident with the upcoming European Games costing £91m. Tourism bosses claim it will be a bargain. This is not the view of those I have heard in the streets who complain about closed public services, rundown facilities and environment and the threat of more cuts in the pipeline. The price of tickets for the main events (swimming, cycling and gymnastics) will exclude the majority of residents whilst their bus routes are diverted, roads are closed and investment is shifted to the vicinity of the venues.

I had lived in Glasgow between 1973 and 1987, a period of its existence when its post-war decline reached its nadir. Its regeneration began in 1976 with community developments, tenements rehabilitated, rail and underground lines modernised, education and other services boosted. New industries, venues and new developments were directed to the city centre and inner urban areas. This was helped by large investments from European Funds. Glasgow was on the mend but since the advent of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, Glasgow has been relegated to become de facto Scotland's not the UK's second city.

Edinburgh has the Parliament, it now has the largest airport and soon may have the football as well as rugby national stadium. Glasgow has collected one-off events like the Garden Festival, City of Culture, Commonwealth Games and now a share of the European Games. Whilst these are celebrated with gusto by city leaders and the corporate sector, they seldom have lasting benefits for the indigenous population apart from a portfolio of event venues that have to be maintained and paid for. Glasgow has lost out on the big investments like bridges, trams, parliaments, and the array of high earning businesses that locate close to the seat of government. In this respect, it has not been well served by a municipal pride that believes it does things better than other localities. It doesn't as any cursory glance at the Audit Scotland Performance reports would confirm. Sadly, Glasgow in its efforts to make financial savings over recent years has outsourced too many services and allowed other services to wither away. It has also failed to work closely with its communities or the third sector.

On a personal level, my observations from the past couple of months living in Glasgow would highlight the plus points as:

• a vast variety of cafes, bars, restaurants and shops that have emerged in some of the inner city areas like Finnieston
• excellent bus services, running at high capacity thanks in part to the over 60 Scottish entitlement card, which has opened opportunities for the elderly
• an extensive range of museums and places of interest within walking distance
• the friendliness and helpfulness of most people, epitomised by the passport office
• a wide range  of events taking place in the  the parks and local halls as well as the commercial venues
• the superb architectural and industrial heritage of Victorian Glasgow, particularly the parks, docks and railways 

On the downside

• the streets are dirty, full of litter, weeds, leftover asphalt and building materials
• Sauchiehall street and surrounding roads have been closed following the School of Art fire with disruption to shops
• the appalling state of the back lanes are an embarrassment as summer tourists seek to get round the closed roads
• the refuse collection and recycling service is twenty years out of date and contributes hugely to the litter problem
• Glasgow sends 72% of its waste to landfill, three times as high as the best councils 
• fire damage, as well as the fire at the School of Art, other fires have rendered many adjacent buildings to be closed with demolition taking an inordinate amount of time
• our telephone exchange has been out of use following a nearby fire so we have been without an internet or telephone connection for two months 
• the failure to cater to cyclists and the terrible state of the pavements for pedestrians
• the abundance of new flats for students is in marked contrast to the shortage of quality social housing for the local population
• the Council has closed all its public conveniences, resulting in the back lanes being used as public toilets
• the collapse of retail establishments has created vacant and run-down shopping streets, lacking any specialist shops or attractions. Even the relatively new St Enoch Centre has numerous vacant premises
• wealth disparity is endemic with the homeless cheek by jowl with Range Rovers on the streets, expensive restaurants next to Poundland, and life expectancy 20% worse in poor communities
• the public realm is in unremitting decline from rotting lampposts to untended green space

With another couple of months to go, I hope to reflect further on the life and death of this Great British City.

Botanic Gardens

Lobey Dosser and Rank Bajin riding Elfie

Park Circus

The School of Art after the fire

Clyde skyline

Squinty Bridge

Finnieston Crane

Glasgow Hydro, Mosque and Park skyline

Boris Johnson RIP

On your bike mate

John Crace has absolutely nailed the posh establishment ex-Mayor of London, Brexit champion and ex-Foreign Secretary in tomorrow's newspaper. (see below) Let's hope there are no further resurrections from this vainglorious hypocrite. The acclamation of President Trump should help clinch that outcome but the  Tory party works in mysterious ways and its members seem fond of goons.

Boris Johnson fans wanted a roaring lion, they got a paper tiger

Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh, the central Skye ridge

Sgurr na Banachdich in the cloud from Glen Brittle campsite

Returning from a week in the Lake District, the Met Office was forecasting a couple of reasonable days on Skye. I was anxious to finish the Skye Ridge leaving me with only Meall na Tarmachan, a fine but easy local mountain, to complete my fifth and final Munro round. Whilst there are many Munros that I will revisit, there are quite a few that I would gladly give a miss. I am not sure that I will be up for the Skye Ridge in 5 years. Although I have enjoyed scrambling and climbing on the ridge in recent weeks, I would probably require a rope and equipment on parts of the ridge and that would spoil the sense of freedom and overcoming risk in the mountains.

As always John and Keith were both keen to accompany me. Keith was also close to finishing his fifth round, including all the tops, to add to his three Corbett rounds, a Graham round, a dozen or more coast-to-coast walks and hundreds of mountain marathons and hill races. There can be few people who have walked more in Scotland. We delayed our trip for a day to avoid two rainy days that ended the month-long drought and travelled up on Wednesday afternoon to the Glen Brittle campsite. We arrived after the rains had passed and a warm breeze was keeping the midges at bay. It meant missing the World Cup semi-finals but England was never as good as the media believed and it was no surprise to discover that they had lost 2-1 to Croatia.

Thursday, 12 July 2018

Ascent:       1327 metres
Distance:    14 kilometres
Time:          10 hours 58 minutes

Sgurr a' Mhadaidh                  918m      3hrs 30mins
Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh                973m      4hrs  49mins
south top                                 968m    
Sgurr Thormaid                       930m      6hrs 31mins
Sgurr nan Banachdich            965m       6hrs 55mins
Sron Bhuidhe                          960m      7hrs 38mins

The Skye ridge is generally seen as four sections, the two munros above Coir Ghrundda in the south; the three summits above Coire Lagan, including the highest Sgurr Alasdair and the Inaccessible Pinnacle; and the three peaks in the north, approached from Sligachan including Sgurr nan Gillean. In the middle are three lesser-known peaks of Sgurr a' Mhadaidh, Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh and Sgurr nan Banachdich. The ridge wriggles between them over rough gabbro laced with basalt dykes. There are a couple of tricky scrambles exiting from An Dorus (the window) and between the twin summits of Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh the exposure is quite breathtaking with massive drops into Coire Uisg on the east of the ridge.

We had driven to Skye with the expectation of good visibility after a couple of days of heavy rain, the first for over a month. Sadly the cloud level remained down to 600 metres in the morning so the ascent was less straightforward than on previous visits. We followed the obvious route to Coire An Dorus but then followed a rogue path up the steep cleft leading to Eag Dubh, the black cleft. Having realised our mistake we lost 45 minutes contouring around to the north over steeply sloping slabs that were still wet from the previous day. When we eventually reached the Coire An Dorus, progress was quick and the scramble up to the summit of Sgurr a' Mhadaidh provided good sport.

We had some food and drink before making the descent to An Dorus. We scrambled down about 50 metres west of the top of the gulley and redirected three other parties who had reached the steep face at the top of the gulley and found the climb unnerving. There is a steep pitch leading to the Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh ridge but, with good holds, it provided no real obstacle. Once on the ridge, the scrambling is enjoyable although the sense of exposure was reduced by the lack of visibility. We peered down the deep cleft of Eag Dubh and realised that we would not have made it had we continued to climb this before realising our mistake.

I had been slightly apprehensive about Sgurr a' Ghradaidh's summit ridge, which is notoriously narrow. Its knife edge is a basalt handrail with a narrow ledge for feet. Below is the mighty abyss of Coire Uisg. It is not called the 'peak of anxiety' for nothing. We continued along to the south peak the thick cloud which inured us to the exposure. We took a long break for the rest of our food, feeling that we had overcome the most difficult obstacles of the day. The cloud came and went as we peered down the 130 metres of vicious descent to the bealach.

The descent was slow going,  Sgurr Thormaid and Sgurr na Banchdich loomed out of the cloud like impossible sentinels. By this time we had become more relaxed scrambling and delighted in 45 minutes of climbing on the grippy gabbro that was shredding our fingers. We climbed over the three teeth without realising it and back climbed down Sgurr Thormaid with our confidence rising. The final climb to Banachdich is up a twisting loose scree path. We had completed the three Skye mountains and we lolled on the summit, another Munro round was virtually assured. A guide arrived with his two charges who were feigning exhaustion but they were going to descend via Coir' na Eich to the west.

We continued over the two south tops, one of which is a classified top and therefore an unmissable option for Keith, before eventually reaching Bealach Coire na Banachdich. The path descends from here and makes a long loop south before twisting and turning through numerous rock bands to the floor of the Coire. At last, the clouds were dissipating from the ridge and we enjoyed some sunshine as we walked out over the peat grasslands, passing the impressive waterfall and down to the Glen Brittle Memorial Hut. The farmers had been cutting and collecting the silage and there was a convention of farm machinery in the fields. We met a farmer and her dogs and were told that the day had gone well and everything had been gathered in.

A breeze sprang up and the evening sunshine provided a warm glow as we reached the campsite. It made the evening meal a midge-free feast as we sprawled on the dry grass reflecting on the day's adventure with a sound sleep guaranteed. Never have couscous, a pasta salad and apple pie washed down by several cups of green tea tasted so good. At last, the fifth round looks like it is in the bag. It will have taken almost ten years, more than twice as long as previous rounds but it has been done at the same time as a nearly completed Corbett round so perhaps there is an excuse other than age.

Starting the ascent to Coire Mhadaidh

Crossing the burn below An Dorus

An Dorus, the window

Descending Sgurr a' Mhadaidh

Eag Dubh

Summit of Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh in the cloud

Summit Blockheads

Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh ridge

On Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh ridge

Sgurr Thormaid and Sgurr na Banchdich

Sleeping pod on the ridge

Sgurr na Banachdich towards south top

Glen Brittle and Canna

Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh from Sgurr na Banachdich south top

Exiting Coire na Banachdich

Waterfall on the Allt Coire na Banachdich