Winter on Lime Craig

Lime Craig ascent

It was so cold that the bins could not be emptied, the lids were frozen. The predicted heavy snow had not arrived, just a fine sprinkling like icing sugar to sweeten the walk. I left it until 11:00 a.m. The roads were mainly cleared but devoid of traffic. As I entered the Braeval car park there was only one car and it belonged to a friend who had just spent an hour and a half on the trails without seeing anyone. We chatted for a while and as I set off up the hill my hands were already numb from the cold. The grip on the thin layer of snow was good but I walked at a more sedate pace than usual, enjoying the spectacular scenery. It was a joyous blend of blues, greens and whites with only the occasional robin and buzzard to highlight the tranquillity.

Occasions like this, still cold air and amazing clarity are the perfect conditions for thinking. I replayed some memories before focusing on how best to set up a new blog on behalf of some colleagues. I pattered around the summit for a few minutes, soaking up the midday sun before a relaxed descent. Unfortunately, I arrived down as the 1 p.m. news started for the short drive home. It was yet another day when the UK's rag bag of a government was repurposing its wretched Rwanda policy, giving a good impression of its suicidal tendencies. Has there ever been a government that has spent so much on so few and achieved nothing at all? Well, perhaps Rishi Sunak's £2bn spending on crony VIP contracts for PPE but at least Lady Mone got a yacht out of it.

Looking north-west

Ben Lomond and Ben Venue

Braeval