A very quiet year for hills in 2014, although I did manage to accompany my grandsons on their first Munro. There were several reasons for the low total, including two months spent in New Zealand, but the main reasons were long distances to reach new hills, advancing years and a diminished drive now that I have crossed the Upper Hall threshold.
The year began in north-west Sutherland with Feinne-bheinn Mhor, whose chief merit is as a viewpoint for the dramatic east flank of Foinaven.
Foinaven (photo: Andrew Fraser)
I managed to whittle down my still-to-visit on Skye list to three, and a visit to Mull yielded the prize of Gometra and the delightful 'S Airde Beinn. In October I almost doubled my total with a trip to the Borders, where Rubers Law was easily the most memorable hill climbed.
While in the far south I plucked up enough courage, albeit only as far as Housedon Hill, to enter the land where so many bloggers hate us Scots for daring to think we could run our affairs better ourselves. My last hill of the year was Carleatheran on a beautiful November day as part of a trip to see the magnificent Kelpies near Falkirk.
