2014 had some long spells of very good weather which I enjoyed as much as most hillgoers must have done. I had 35 days out hillwalking and another six half-days on smaller hills. My 2013 Marilyn total of 893 was, sadly, reduced by one when Cruim Leacainn was demoted.
I completed one little project which has been in my mind for quite a few years now, going up all the Marilyns on the Scottish mainland north of the Great Glen. The final ten were all in Moidart, Ardnamurchan or Morvern in region 18. My last hills in this region gave me one of my best days of the year in hot, clear weather over An Sleaghach and Beinn a'Chaisil from Leacraithnaich bothy. The view from the first of these was possibly my finest of the year, looking out over Loch Linnhe to Mull and a huge sweep of the Highlands and islands. My last trip before that in contrast gave 48 hours of continuous rain in which I got up five new Marilyns and a Hump but saw next to nothing and ended one day in particular very thoroughly wet to the skin. That day was probably my walking low point of the year.
Loch Linnhe from Ardgour (photo: Martin Richardson)
Twenty-three new Marilyns is a lean haul for 35 days walking, I know. I will have slipped quite a few more places down in the 2015 table, I expect. It is not a competition though, is it? New Marilyns are getting further and further away from my home and a recently awakened interest in Humps accounted for quite a few of my days. I added 25 non-Marilyn Humps, taking me to 1138. The Hump Hall of Fame is starting to come into view on the horizon.
I also spent seven or eight days revisiting Munros, adding a few of my remaining Munro Tops and visiting some Corbett Tops. I only have four Murdos left to climb now and will possibly be able to add that code letter to my entry in the register in 2015. We shall see.
Scottish mainland Marilyns north of the Highland boundary fault could be the next project, with 65 of those left. But there are so many different directions you could take. One thing's for sure. None of us are ever going to run out of new hills to visit. They will always outlast us.
It was a great year with some excellent days. Let's hope 2015 is as kind.
