October 2021 Scottish Expedition
VISITED - Easter Ross, Ross-shire and Sutherland. Nine Grahams, Alladale Wilderness Reserve and one site of man's inhumanity, indeed brutality to man.
First two weeks of October. Not much sun, showers and one deluge when I was off the hill; this, a 5 hour non-stop heavy rain, but I got back just in time to be warm and dry in the car,
idyllic car campsite in Glencalvie, 2.5 Kms from Croick Church (see below),
one failed/duff inner tube, brand new but leaked on the seam, I discovered, when I got home;
one puncture with a thorn that stopped the air getting out until the following morning when I could fix it and to find the thorn easily. But, I had forgotten the tyre levers! To my amazement, I didn't need them with the 29" wheels when the tyre almost dropped off the wheel!
Two bad slips on my second day traversing between two Grahams in the cloud and murk and on slippery rocks. It could have been worse so I'm very thankful. A warning, I thought at the time, that perhaps at 73, I should give up.
Another meeting with an estate stalking manager but, once more, a very nice guy who would not let me back out as I offered, to allow him free rein. But no more summit-seeking walks for me in the stalking season.
To my surprise, two days and two summits gave me astonishing views of the stunning NW Highland peaks in Wester Ross, 30 miles away to the northwest. Amazing camera phone allowed me to zoom in on them.
Once again, I visited for the second time, the idyllic grass parking for just two or three cars above the River Carron between Glencalvie Lodge and Amat, where there were three suspension footbridges.
Fabulous setting in the ancient Caledonian pine forest with red squirrels, red deer and, lichen literally dripping off some tree branches, such was the purity of the air. Five nights there.
Two nights out of 14 at Lairg Highland Hotel where I met a retired Headmistress of an 1800 pupil, comprehensive school in Salford, Greater Manchester. She was touring in her Astra. It sounded as though she brooked no-nonsense. But that was from the teachers, not the pupils! Echoes of the music teacher smoking behind the cycle shed in the 'Clockwise' film! And she taught music before promotion.
Three treehouses on three large trees linked by two high wire rope walkways at Glencalvie Lodge.
Small arboretum at Amat Lodge, where two of the suspension footbridges were. Red squirrels fed, too by someone, with feeder at Croick Mission Hall.
Enormous Diebidale Lodge, beautifully kitted out for visitors to stay. Later, discovered in was available for hire for £3,000 for one week's stay and sleeping ten. It must be twenty Kms and more from the nearest shop on slow roads with gates for the last one-quarter of the route to the lodge. Situated, at the 260 m contour at the foot of the Corbett, Carn Chuinneag 838 m.
HIGHLIGHTS - The enormous help that the bike gave me to ease the distances by cycling instead of walking. Especially, the fast descents at the end of the day on the two-year-old, 29" wheel mountain bike with front suspension and disc brakes, over stony tracks and roads I had to myself. So fast, I never needed to get into top gear on the front ring. The middle ring was quite fast enough on those rough surface descents!
The 1845 disgrace, shame, and inhumanity of the wealthy laird and his staff in allowing the misery and appalling suffering of the noble peasants. Treated worse than cattle, they had to shelter outside the eastern window of Croick Church after their eviction to allow sheep to take their hovels and land, after generations of human occupation. However, they wrote their names on the outside glass of the window as a witness to the brutality. They thought it was sacrilegious to take refuge in the church itself.
Tim Weller 23 October 2021
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