It's not just about the hills...........

The main purpose for the weekend get together did involve a hill (more on that later) but as we were all a bit tired from the long drive north to Gairloch, the decision to wander around the area and enjoy some coastal stuff after a long lie was a unanimous one.

There are so many gorgeous beaches on the far NW coast of Scotland but high on my list to go visit was the lighthouse out at Rubha Reidh. I'd spotted it when we were searching for accommodation for the weekend and was pleasantly surprised to find you could stay there, even hire the whole place. I quite like the idea of staying in a lighthouse :-) It was a bit on the windy side which meant we had some nice swell action going on. There are some really interesting rock formations too to explore and clamber across and that kept us all amused for a while.

Rubha Reidh Lighthouse

Me exploring the rocks

Kate checking out the large cleft

What can I say - Nicky, Jamie, Steve & Kate playing on the rock

We eventually decided that our stomach's needed attending to and had already sussed out what was in the area so it was back to the hamlet of Melvaig and the Melvaig Inn. What an interesting place. Lots of quirky retro music and toys along with a dart board and pool table to keep you busy. There were also some unusual bits and bobs around the place that are certainly talking points. Well worth the visit.

Scary wabbit......

Next stop was Redpoint. Weather was getting duller but we still managed to get some views over to Skye as we wandered along the beach comparing the size of the shells we were finding.

We finished the day off with the most fantastic dinner at the Badachro Inn - oh how I love seafood.

Comments

Salomon Mission GTX Boot

I've had these on a few times now and so far they are just what I've been after to get me through the winter for most of my days out. Salomon describe them as being perfect for "light hiking" - take that whatever way you want ;-) They come in at 1210g for the pair and feel fairly easy on the feet. They've handled saturated grassy stuff without me applying the famous arse plant (so far!!). They even seemed to be OK on rocky stuff too. Where I have been really impressed with them is how they handled the snow on Na Gruagaichan. It was hard enough that we were kicking steps. This was easy enough for Steve in his Scarpa SL's and Iain in his La Sportiva Nepals. Initially I followed their steps then decided to give it a go myself. I occasionally had to kick a couple of times on some of the really hard stuff, probably more down to my poor technique than the boot, but they managed well on the cover we had for the ascent. As my balance is rubbish I decided to apply...

Creag Meagaidh MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Creag Meagaidh has been on the to do list for so long. The past couple of years have seen us have to abort at least three attempts at the last minute because conditions weren't for us. So were we going to get it done this time................. YES The weather bods said mostly dry with a risk of potential showers later in the day. It was warm so even if it did rain it would be warm. Off we set having smothered ourselves in factor 50 and Smidge. Warm they said.......... baking I said!!!! We had decided our ascent would be via Coire Ardair and The Window to ease us into the walk on a good path. It felt more like a slow roasting. It is a gorgeous walk out to Coire Ardair on a very good path but as soon as we were out of the forest the heat and humidity kicked in. When we reached Lochan Coire Ardair there was only one thing on my mind, getting my boots off and getting in. It was at this point I began having major doubts as to whether we woul...

Ben Lomond

Storm Hannah tried to wreck the planned Craggy walk to Ben Lomond. Thankfully, she had moved off quickish to allow the walk to be rescheduled to Sunday. For once wind was not going to be an issue, all the makings of a good hill day. So off we trotted. While there were only a few folk heading in the same direction as us, there seemed to be a constant stream coming down Ptarmigan. I suspect this is a result of the route description in Walk Highlands. My body was having issues at moving at anything more than snail pace, earning me the title of Pace Setter of the Day for keeping us at a steady 1.9km/hr. I have to thank the gang for being super patient on what was a longer than anticipated ascent of Ptarmigan. We had some Ptarmigan Ridge virgins in our midst, some requiring reassurance from Steve "trust me" Morley. Plus Quote of the Day 1 from Carol "so where's this ridge we're doing?" ( said at approx 700m on said ridge ) We eventua...

Blethering Blonde

Search This Blog