We had a Riglein inspired day this weekend! Thanks to lovely photos she sent me, we headed off to Nigg Bay (It was gorgeous Rig, warm, sunny and flat calm). There wasn't much wildlife but it was so peaceful all the same, and the Invergordon Lifeboat went out when we were there. It was lovely. Then to a place I had never been, the Pictish Stone at Hilton of Cadboll (thanks again Rig!!). Cone of chips at Balintore then off to Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Portmahomack! (The most easterly point of Ross-Shire!!). The sun was setting by then but it was lovely looking over to Sutherland. Smallest offspring was exhausted by then so back in the car and off to Tain for tea!! It was one of our nicest days out for ages. So many thanks Rig!!

Oh, homesick! Hope you were thinking of me, so I was there in spirit!
Isn't the Hilton Stone magic? The sculptor, Barry Grove, did it with original lo-tech tools, really beautifully, and I've watched him at work over the couple of years it took to do it. (And he's a lovely lad - looks a bit like Colin Firth...)

The original stone in Museum of Scotland, showing intact side (the other side was lost, reused as gravestone for 'Alexander Duff and his 3 wives'):



And these are the two sides of the new stone (reverse, with cross, put together by Barry from Pictish models and research):

Hi Puffin

Just realised I spelt it wrong...it's Brocken Spectres. If you want to know more about them try here

Brocken Spectre

Cheers
Sheila

Wow, Sheila, they're amazing! Thanks.

Hi Puffin

Storm is his name and going daft is his game !! Yes Puffin, he does walk everywhere I go and a hell of a lot more seeing as he darts back and forth like a "mad dog" !
I have had to carry him only twice - once when he was only three months old and his little leggies could bearly hold him upright and another when the type of rock cut his pads quite badly so he cadged a lift out of Coire Lair in Wester Ross for the best part of 5 miles !
Nowadays though, he runs all day, sleeps on the way home in the car then throws his ball at my feet as soon as we get home !

He's my bes-*test*-('") buddy though !

Riglein, Barry Grove is doing a talk in Dingwall on behalf of WEA this month. I was thinking of going along, now I have seen his work first hand (What a lovely piece of work), well now I know he is a Colin Firth lookalike I will DEFINATELY go and listen to him!! Sorry for making you homesick. If its any consolation it is freezing cold and sleety today!!

Hi Whitts,

Is Storm a "daft dog" ????

Do you keep a notebook where you write the Munros that he already bagged with you ?
Do you think he might be registered as the first dog on the official list of Munro baggers ?
Take care of Storm !

Greetings from France.

Lionel

Hi
Today I drove up to Tyndrum and climbed 2 corbetts from Glen Lochay - Beinn Udlaidh (840m) and Beinn Bhreac-liath (802m). Although it was a good forecast the tops were in cloud. Snow was lying at about 700m and was knee deep and soft on the east facing slope of Udlaidh so after the climb through the trees beside a nice burn it was hard work plodding up through the snow. Hopefully I will get fitter soon! As I got to the col on the way up I was just thinking how peaceful and deserted it was (apart from me puffing!) when a big herd of red deer crossed just ahead of me. Fantastic. And on the way down I discovered some ruined old buildings (shielings) in the trees that weren't on the map. Wonder who lived there in days gone by?

A few pics here

Cheers
Sheila

Cheers Sheila!

Have a SC cottage on Loch Rannoch booked for a week in mid May - woooo!!!! Schiehallion here we come!

Jacqui x

Good shots Sheila and a fine pair of hills. Myself and Jacqui climbed these two from Glen Orchy back in 2002 whilst spending the weekend at Strathfillan wigwams ! Ironically the other hill we climbed that weekend was Beinn Each - the Corbett you climbed last week !!

Bizarre eh !

Very strange indeed! Wherre did you go after that?....Maybe I'll head there next Sunday!

1st beer going down well now......ah

Well done, Sheila, and lovely atmospheric pics!

I got out in the Black Mountains today. Did a circuit of six peaks:

Pen y Gadair Fawr, Waun Fach, Pen y Manllwyn, Y Das, Rhos Dirion and Twyn Talycefn.

Now having a bit of R&R&RR! Will try to sort out my pics in a bit.

We went up a very, little hill at the back of Strathpeffer. It is a lovely walk through woods and up at the top is what is called The Touchstone Maze. It was apprently made up of very large stones from all parts of Scotland, and they go round and round until you get into the centre. The stones are all placed to mark different sun events. It's really lovely and you can get a good view of Ben Wyvis from there. If you don't have little small people with you, you can carry on up what is called The Cats Back and that takes you up past Lochussie and back into Dingwall. I am not into Hill Walking/Mountain Climbing but like our little strolls!

Hi Sheila !!!

And bravo ! Well done.

You didn't take your snow shoes, did you ???





Greetings from the Alps,

Lionel