After negotiating the final steps to the Upper Hall at Braemar back in February to coincide with Iain Brown's arrival, Marilyns took a back seat and more attention was given to other categories of hill. This usually involved less weekend travelling and more revisiting favourite summits. A spring trip to Assynt finally brought in the prized summit of Suilven in brilliant sunshine, after abandonment on three previous occasions. Beinn Dearg Mhor above Sligachan was climbed in sweltering conditions shortly before the midge community woke up.
The other big hill added to my log was Broad Law, done as a day trip from home using Scotrail's sleeper service and the community bus that operates between Annan and Peebles once a month (CW: At least you could not have your car broken into, as I did on a Broad Law day).
The very cold, unconsolidated snow conditions around the festive season did nothing to swell my figures, the only new hill claimed being Sron Smeur, a five-and-a-half-hour return wade from Rannoch station.
Mark Smith (left) and Iain Brown reach 1000 (photo: Alan Dawson)
