Marhofn 294.17 - May 2015

Baglog bonanza:

Malcolm Clark (+74=786)

2014 highlights include:

• A walking and paddling trip in April, traversing from Morar to the Great Glen with an inflatable kayak. Three nights, including a camp on Eilean Ban in Loch Morar, and stops at Oban and Glen Pean bothies. Tough work in bad weather and, due to my mate capsizing and becoming very cold, we did not actually go up any hills in the end. A pretty unusual experience that I do not wish to repeat but will remember for a long time.
• A week-long back-pack through the Southern Uplands in July. The first part started on Tinto and wound down through the Coulter, Moffat, Ettrick and Daer hills, ending in Thornhill. I then took a bus to Creetown and traversed up through the Galloway hills from Cairnsmore of Fleet to the hills of the Awful Hand and Loch Doon, finishing in Dalmellington. I mostly camped, but also stayed in White Laggan bothy. All good, but the second part through Galloway was the most memorable.
• A summit camp on Beinn Sgritheall in October, which ended with me retreating to Suardalan Bothy at midnight due to high winds. However there were stunning autumn colours on Beinn a'Chapuill beforehand.
• A day out on Raasay courtesy of work, when I nipped up Dun Caan and visited Hallaig on the east coast.
• Walking over Sabhal Beag and Meall Horn in early March in blazing sunshine, with a smattering of snow remaining.
• A roundabout route over Sgurr Bhuidhe and Carn a'Ghobhair with my dad. The highlight of the walk was the view over Knoydart and Loch Hourn from the summit of Sgurr an Eilein Ghiubhais.
• A round of the Corbett and Grahams surrounding Glen Loy at the end of November. No snow, warm and sunny enough for shorts and t-shirt and incredible cloud formations for most of the day.

The lowlight was the death of Ted Jackson in March. It was a shock, as I knew him through the Scottish Hills forum and went walking with him in 2013 - an inspiring person in a no-fuss, low-key sort of way, and a true man of the hills.