First footing

New Year's Day dawned raw and cold, but mainly dry - a contrast to the grim conditions of the previous day.  Whilst "first footing"  family, neighbours and friends isn't allowed this year due to Coronavirus restrictions, first footing a local hill could certainly go ahead.

I chose Lord Arthur's Hill, the highest of the Correen Hills, partly because it's very close to home but mostly because during the most restrictive part of 2020's lockdown when travel was severely curtailed these were my "go to" hills and gave such a lot of space and exercise.

The approach track was very icy, higher up on the hill the snow was quite deep but sugary.  Sub-zero temperatures forecast for the first week of January will harden it and make for easier going than I experienced. Snow showers came and went as I climbed into the cloud.

It was bitterly cold at the summit with a raw northerly wind - and no place to linger; especially since there wasn't a view.  The new year was barely 10 hours old and I was definitely the first visitor of the year.  After a few minutes I headed off the summit by a different route than that I'd climbed to give a partial circuit.

 I headed down to a wood on the Fouchie Shank where I knew I'd find shelter from the northerly wind and where I've previously camped.  In under the trees it was calm if not particularly warm and I could sit and make cup of tea, pleased to have been the first foot on this "home" hill.

Memories from 2018

The turn of a year is a time to look forward to the possibilities and challenges ahead, but also to reflect on the year just ended. While opportunities for longer trips have been a little restricted due to an alteration in work pattern, I've once again been lucky to have enjoyed some superb days in Scotland's great outdoors. As in previous years I've absolutely failed to narrow down just one memory of the year!

2018 was a year of meteorological contrast.  A more traditional winter than recent mild affairs gave large accumulations of snow and some superb conditions, even on lower hills.  The variety of light through the winter gave constant interest, and there were also some rather impressive full moon events.

The summer switched on in May and proved to be one of the best in living memory with lots of hot sunshine on offer.  A trip with Mike out to Eigg in June was made in really hot conditions....for once the white sand and turquoise water were matched by tropical temperatures!

As well as paddling out to, around and back from the island we climbed the iconic An Sgurr and found ourselves being fried on Eigg........

.......and of course there have been the sunsets!  So much of what continues to enthuse is the variety of light - solas - which Scotland has.

Autumn brought some great colours and the fulfilment of one of my "must do" paddles, on Loch Maree in the full glory of autumnal shades.

I made a conscious effort to visit bothies in 2018, including some which I'd not sen in many years and one to which I'd not previously been.  Visits included Gelder Shiel, Charr, Glencoul and Glendhu, the "Tarf Hotel" and Shielin of Mark.  All different, but all part of the wonderful institution which is bothying.


But...if pushed for a stand-out memory of 2018, it would have to be.....

..the utterly stunning week we spent in Harris.......

Light.  That's what Harris is about, and we were lucky enough to experience the arclight brilliance and startling clarity of Hebridean light at its very best.

And the colours were pretty special too!

I started this blog in 2009, nine years and almost 750 posts down the line I was startled to notice that just before Christmas this little corner of the internet had passed a half million page views!  Thank you to everybody who takes the time to drop by - I hope that it continues to provide some interest.

So, that was some of 2018 - and here's to 2019; Slainte Mhath!

Memories of 2017

The turn of a year is a time to look forward to the possibilities and challenges ahead, but also to reflect on the year just ended. I've once again been very lucky to have enjoyed some superb days and nights in Scotland's great outdoors. As in previous years, I've absolutely failed to select just one memory from 2017 - so here are a few.... :o)

A change of work routine during 2017 has resulted in fewer longer trips; instead there have been more "local" adventures........

.....and really, there's plenty to go at - even very close to home!

The colour palette as the seasons turn has been a joy; one of the highlights of my year has been to be at home regularly enough to notice the subtle changes.....

...and some frankly jaw-dropping natural light shows.

There were some cracking hill days in 2017, spanning all the seasons (sometimes in the same day).  Whether on the bigger hills or the smaller ones, easy days or tough battles, mountains continue to be a gift that just keeps on giving.

I had no difficulty selecting the year's outstanding multi-day trip.  A wonderful journey to (and over!) Jura and then around Colonsay by sea kayak would have been a highlight of any year......

...in the very best of the early Summer weather when we seemed to travel under perpetual sunshine....

...and in majestic surroundings.  The story of this trip starts here, and you can follow our journey in "Sea Kayak Stereovision" on Douglas' blog (with much better photos than mine!) starting here.


But, if pushed, I'd have to say that the single outstanding memory from a year in the outdoors during  2017 is.....

...a truly fantastic encounter with a pod of dolphins on the Sound of Arisaig.  These captivating animals actively sought us out and played with us for hours; it was the most thrilling and intimate of wildlife encounters and all the better as we didn't seek it out......

...it's left us with memories to last a lifetime. 

But once again the year was made by people and by shared experience.  A huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone with whom I've enjoyed the outdoors in 2017 - from struggles in tough conditions to nights around the fire - these experiences are all the better for sharing with friends - Slainte Mhath!

First footing on the Moray Firth

 The first day of a new year, and the first day's sea kayaking of the year!  Donald, Anne, Allan and I met up at Findochty to paddle a favourite section of the Moray Firth coast on a bright but distinctly chilly January morning.  Having run a shuttle down the route we headed out from the frosty shade of the harbour and into bright sunshine.

 Away to the north across the Moray Firth the mountains of Caithness stood out well, plastered in snow.  Although the images in this post seem to show a flat calm sea, it was anything but for most of the day.  A powerful long-period groundswell from the northeast kept up constant interest, to say nothing of constant noise and bursting spray.  We threaded between rock stacks and channels to arrive at the iconic feature of this part of the coast....

 ....the Bow Fiddle Rock, which we hoped to "first foot".  The rocky inlets just to the Portknockie side were full of swell and clapotis, but it seemed quiet enough in the channel under the graceful arch.

 Deceptive though, as the swell was certainly running.  Anne is right in the centre of the arch in this image - just her paddle visible in the trough between two larger swells.

 Just as Allan was about to paddle through, a set of really large swells arrived and burst through the arch.  At this point we couldn't see him at all.......

 ...but cannily he'd waited until the noise and action subsided before sweeping through on the backwash - this was great sea kayaking!

 I hadn't expected to be able to paddle through the nearby large cave-tunnel known as the "Whale's Mou" (mouth) but in the event it was very benign, seemingly at right angles to the swell.  An hour or so either side of high water it's possible to paddle through and into a bay on the other side, then back out into Cullen Bay again.

 The bay is a sun trap even in the depths of winter!  We'd hoped to land on one of the pebble beaches here but all had been steepened by recent storms and had swell running into them, so we decided to head for Cullen harbour....

...and enjoyed a leisurely paddle across the bay with a breeze and the sun on our backs.  Luncheon was taken in a sunny corner of the harbour and featured slices of Christmas cake - thanks Anne! :o)

I took no photos from Cullen to Sandend as the swell got quite engaging close in to the Logie Head and along the rocky coast near to Findlater Castle.  Donald and I managed to pass through a small cave-tunnel, but there wasn't much headroom in the bouncy conditions....


 

 We had to squint into the low winter sun to find the correct line of approach into the tiny harbour at Sandend; but the sun hadn't risen high enough to reach most of the cottages or the harbour itself, and the temperature as we landed was barely above freezing.  What a great day we'd enjoyed on our "first foot" paddle - it's set a high standard for 2018!

This is a favourite paddle and arguably some of the best sea kayaking anywhere, with sandy beaches, picturesque harbours, stacks, arches, caves and a castle too.  It's around 14 kilomteres from Findochty to Sandend - we took a little less than four hours - but you can easily fill a whole day on this route in calm conditions when the features can be fully explored.  For the best experience, choose a day with minimal swell; a couple of hours either side of high water gives the best rockhopping opportunities.  There's little in the way of tidal effect on this section, but the whole coast is exposed to the north and east.

Memories of 2016

The turn of a year is a time to look forward to the possibilities and challenges ahead, but also to reflect on the year past. I've once again been very fortunate in having enjoyed some superb days and nights in Scotland's great outdoors.  As in previous years, I couldn't select just one memory from 2016 - so here are four.... :o)

A multi-day trip to Iona and the Ross of Mull was blessed with the most tremendous quality of light - the combination of brilliant sunshine and blue sky set off the pink granite, white sands and aquamarine sea for which the area is known.

Gorgeous beaches, stunning primary colours, a rich history and one of the best possible sea kayaking locations.......

...... and have I mentioned the colours?!

We were to experience colour in a different palette on another multi-day trip, a kaleidoscope of warm autumn shades - this one I'm still to write up on the blog.  The trip included one of the most perfect evenings imaginable; our friend Lorna put all our thoughts into a single quiet phrase - "Just look around us........this is the best place in the world..."

In the interests of balance, I've been out in some truly elemental weather too - rain of impressive intensity on the Moray Firth and a trip on Kintyre with Douglas which had just about everything in terms of weather plus an adrenaline-inducing crossing.....


There have been good days on the hill too, although perhaps not as many as I'd have liked - something to correct in 2017.

At a shade over 500 metres high, it isn't the biggest hill, but quite an undertaking if you happen to be at Primary School!  A day climbing Bennachie in the company of 55 small hillwalkers was one of the most enjoyable days I've spent on any hill.


But, if pushed for the single trip which is a stand-out of 2016 it has to be the first multi-day trip of the year.....

Over four days Mike, Douglas and I paddled around and took our boats over the island of Jura.  Spectacularly wild coasts, fast tidal streams, bothy nights and brilliant weather; this trip was a long-held ambition and it totally exceeded the high hopes I had.

It also included one of the most striking landscapes anywhere in Britain - and one that few people even know about - just a remarkable trip.

A huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone with whom I've enjoyed the outdoors in 2016 - from struggles in tough conditions to nights around the fire - the experiences are all the better for sharing with friends - Slainte Mhath and a very happy New Year!

Memories of 2015

Looking back over 2015,  I've once again been blessed with some superlative days in the outdoors.  Sea kayaking trips featured heavily again and included several multi-day trips to islands and areas I'd not previously visited such as Gigha and Cara, and an introduction to the wonderful possibilities on the Solway Firth.

Despite the year being unusually windy and unsettled, there have been some outstanding conditions ranging from the shrivelling cold of a winter day on Loch Leven to the baking heat of a summer camping trip on the Firth of Clyde.

On the hill there have been some great days in a year when I made a conscious effort to explore overlooked areas close to my home in the north east of Scotland - and there's plenty to go at!  From camping trips in the high Cairngorms to moonlit walks right above the house, the hills have continued to touch me deeply. There have been wildlife encounters on both land and sea, though some wildlife was less welcome!

At the end of 2014 I couldn't select just one memory and offered two of my favourite moments.  This year I've failed to whittle it down again (which is a good thing I think!) and so here are a selection.....

Photo: Dr Douglas Wilcox

2015 was the year when I took the plunge and took up sea kayak sailing.  A purchase of a Flat Earth Sea Kayak Sail has brought a new and fun dimension to paddling.  If you try one new thing in 2016, why not make it kayak sailing?!

A hillwalk above the Angus glens on an autumn gold day when everything seemed to combine perfectly was perhaps the best hill day I've enjoyed in many years

Above all, 2015 has featured trips with good friends.  The fires we've enjoyed seem to epitomise this  simple aspect of the outdoors, a group of like-minded folk just getting out there, whether on multi-day trips or meeting up from all corners of the country to enjoy a small adventure together.  We are all conscious of how lucky we are to be able to enjoy the health and ability to undertake our adventures - and the friends with whom I share these experiences with are an outstanding part of this and every year.

I've saved this memory of 2015 for last, simply because it's etched into my mind so sharply as one of the most amazing hours I have ever spent in Scotland's outdoors.  A venture down the length of freshwater Loch Shiel to the sea and then up the coast to finish at the head of saltwater Loch Ailort would be a fine trip whatever, and add in the fact that we finished on the day of a solar eclipse added an unusual experience.

But it was the single hour of utter perfection on Loch Shiel which is my outstanding memory of not only this adventure but of the whole year.

So there you have it - a few moments from another year in Scotland's outdoors.  What's your outstanding memory of 2015?

Happy New Year, very best wishes for 2016  :o)

Memories of 2014

Looking back over 2014, I've been blessed with some outstanding days in the outdoors both on the water and on the hill.  Sea kayaking trips again featured heavily; an early Spring overnighter, a super multi-day trip around Arran, long days in the far northwest of Scotland, white sands and clear water at Arisaig and an introduction to the intense colours of summer on the Angus coast were all highlights.

On the hill there were numerous day walks, camping high in the Cairngorms and the opportunity to share in the experiences of Duke of Edinburgh's Award teams on their qualifying ventures.

As ever, it's difficult to pick a single memory from the year - and this January I'm going to cheat and indulge in two special memories.

The first combined hillwalking, sea kayaking, swimming and wildlife into a single day.......

...on a superb trip to Ailsa Craig.  In the course of a single day Douglas and I paddled over 35 kilometres, climbed to the 338 metre summit (more difficult than the height would suggest) swam in the sea and explored the lighthouse.  But it's the wildlife spectacle on the west side which leaves the greatest impression - on all the senses.

This "day trip" was amongst the best outdoor days I've ever had, and involved me leaving home at 0430 and arriving back at 0130 the next morning, the drive home (literally) illuminated by a rare display of noctilucent cloud.

Talking of which, the second outstanding memory of 2014 was all about cloudscape..........

...on an early morning crossing of the Kilbrannan Sound to Lochranza - the sheer beauty of which was impossible to put into words. 

A good friend has recently written compellingly about the gift of gratitude at the turn of the year - and looking back over 2014 that's the dominant theme.  In a year which brought both sadness and joy to our family, we've so much to be grateful for.  These two memories illustrate great days shared with friends; and I'm so grateful to have shared these and all the other wonderful experiences that 2014 offered.


So there you have it - two moments from another year in Scotland's outdoors.  What's your outstanding memory of 2014?