We spent an excellent first week of May in Kintail, adding over twenty to my Marilyn count, including some repeat Corbett and Munro ascents for Richard. At our first night's camp at Tyndrum we heard a cuckoo. We also noted that water levels were low across Rannoch Moor, never guessing how that would change. The views over the weekend were superb, around Loch Cluanie and from the Forcan Ridge, an uplifting sense of space with delight at the prospect of a whole week of this. We camped at the basic Ardelve campsite with superb loch views.
By Monday the weather was more overcast, but we had three separate and excellent ascents near Loch Long. Brambles and spring flowers up Beinn Conchra, steep heather on Beinn a'Mheadhoin and an unbelievably steep final ascent, through gorse and grass, up Auchtertyre Hill. The following day we did two more pleasant ascents: Creag Mhor and Carn nan Iomairean, memorable for its ticks.
We had selected Wednesday and Thursday of the week as having the best weather for backpacking and did a one-night/two-day multi Marilyn trip around Glen Elchaig. By our final summit full winter conditions were present, with blizzards and fresh ice and snow, proving yet again that Scotland's high terrain has to be taken seriously. We retreated to better weather on Skye, camping at Sligachan, and found clear skies, deep blue water views and lots of wind. The basalt outcrops were a surprising delight, Marilyns being the reason we explored this little-walked area to the north-west of the Black Cuillin.
On Sunday there was no question of anything but driving home. We had a disturbed night, the tent almost flattened by the wind. Richard's log says, 'it was neither an easy nor a relaxed breakfast, but a breakfast it was'. The amount of swirling and falling water on the hillsides visible from the warm car as we drove back to the mainland was remarkable.
