The year started with the great storm in the Lake District - a week spent climbing over, under, along and around fallen trees, but I still managed to climb 19 Marilyns and finished with a lovely winter's day on Ellson Fell (28B). The highlights of my year included Galloway in August, when I saw no-one on the hills all week but I did see an adder and five red kites (all the way from Radnorshire to see red kites!). Surely Galloway is more of a wilderness area than Knoydart, whose hills were busy in June (a brilliant but tough backpack from Glenfinnan to Inverie, bagging ten hills on the way). I reached the 600 mark on 14 September on Craigendarroch (21A). Some awards for 2005:
Best hill name: Curleywee (27B) - only a New Donald, but a fine hill which should not be missed when bagging Lamachan Hill.
Most inappropriate notice: 'Welcome to Cairnsmore of Fleet, the only hill in Galloway unaffected by forestry from the valley floor to the 711m summit', seen on the forest gate after walking 1km up through the trees.
Best bothy: White Laggan (27B)
Best hill: Sgurr na Ciche (10B)
Most disappointing hill: Ben Tee (10C)
Best small Marilyn: Meall an Fheadain (16F) at 203m. It has a good track to within 250 metres of the trig point and a good real ale pub at its base, though it's a pity about the hum of the generator at the mast, which spoils the peace and quiet.
Iain Brown reaches 600 on Craigendarroch
