Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Some wonderful walks

Picture taken from the top of the Pap of Glencoe by our friend David "Cubby" Cuthbertson, the Glencoe mountaineer. He was the body double for the climber in the film Touching The Void.

A couple of weeks ago, our guests staying at the cottage did a huge amount of walking. Look at this programme:

They started out with the big half circle mountain trip around the back of us on day one, the Ballachulish horseshoe. This circles around 3,000 feet, and the mountain grows out of our back garden.

Next day, not having had enough of mountains, they went part way up Ben Nevis in the evening.

Then they walked part of the West Highland Way from Tyndrum to Crianlarich and back. That is a low glen walk, total 13 miles, with a little up and down. They would have passed the remains of a 14th century chapel, St Fillans, granted rights by Robt Bruce four years after his famous victory over the English at Bannockburn near Stirling. Ten years earlier Bruce had won his famous Highland battle near this spot at the Pass of Brander near Cruachan. His opponents were the McDougalls, supporters of Bruces’ rivals for the Crown.

Here is what Wikipedia says about the battle
“A party of loyal Highlanders, commanded by Sir James Douglas, climbed high up the mountain and, completely unobserved, positioned themselves in the enemy's rear. As the Macdougalls attacked they were caught in a vice, with King Robert coming from below and the Black Douglas from above. The men of Argyll wavered and then broke. They were chased westwards across the River Awe all the way back to Dunstaffnage, while John their chief escaped down the Loch in his galley, eventually taking refuge in England.

Later in the week our intrepid guests did the Hidden Valley.......... and loved it. Then, following day, they did the Pap of Glencoe. Whew! that's a lot of walking.

They said “Everywhere.....such wonderful walks and beautiful scenery......spoilt for choice !!”
  • take a break in the Autumn

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