By: Blonde Two
Don’t tell Dartmoor, but I think Mr B2 and I fell a little bit in love with Scotland (more specifically Speyside and the Cairngorms) last year. This inkling has been confirmed by the fact that I have just booked a cottage about eight kilometres from the one that we stayed in last time.
If you remember, last year we were very happily accommodated at the base of some very steep contours leading up to Corryhabbie Hill (a Corbett). It was a stunning spot but this was no quick early morning ramble, this was a knee-grabbing, breath-robbing slog that defeated me on my first attempt!
You would think then that I would choose somewhere a bit more gentle for the next trip, check the map maybe and look for hills of a more gentle demeanor, ones that I could wander up after breakfast and be back in time for a whisky lunch.
But no! That bit of Blondness has crept in again and I have managed to choose a cottage at the bottom of a hill (surely this is more than a hill) with the name ‘Ladder’ in it. Have a look at the contours below and you will see what I mean. I could ignore them of course and stroll in the other direction, but there are a trig point and several Corbetts to collect, I have to give it a go surely?
Copyright Ordnance Survey 2016
There are some Marilyns roughly in that area which may be a bit less daunting, although I wouldn’t have a heavy bet on it:
The Bochel NJ 232 232
Ladylea Hill NJ 343 168
Ben Newe NJ 381 143
Cooks Cairn NJ 302 278
Muckle Lappach NJ 302 278
I too have booked with the caravan at Kinlochewe 18th to 28th August after too long away from the Highlands. I will be coming along the SW Coast Path starting from Land’s End on 7th July.
By the way – if you are looking for routes up hills, put the name of the hill followed by Hillbagging into Google and you will find accounts of recent peoples ascents which can give good clues for routes and parking places etc.
Instead of “Check Contours before Booking”, you’d better try
“Check Training Before Travelling”! Wish I had explored the Cairngorms properly – loved it up there.
Hee hee – Google is trying to get me to change “Cairngorms” for “Rainstorms” – do they know something we don’t?