The trip for some, primarily your correspondent, commenced with the usual early (4am) departure from Hastings. After picking up our passenger from Mountfield we took a northerly heading to the Torridon mountains. 14hrs later we arrived. Others were already settled in or were expected shortly.
The final group appeared at 8pm with the news that they were grounded in the lawn of Torridon House. A rescue team assembled next morning and with the aid of a somewhat ancient climbing rope the vehicle was recovered. The “lawn”, in daylight, was seen to be more a greenish coloured swamp.
The first day out, for many, involved an ascent of the southernmost summit of Beinn Alligin in conditions varying from brilliant sunshine and knee deep snow, to 30 metre visibility and knee deep snow. A good day none the less.
As the week progressed the weather got better and better, such that a mass ascent of Maol Chean-dearg produced one of the best mountain days I have experienced for a long while. This included seeing broken spectres and solar coronas, whilst the view from the summit, looking down on the top of the cloud deck with other summits poking through in the distance was reward in itself. At the top there was no wind so one could sit and gaze at the view without freezing. It took an effort to decide to descend, but the long walk off and the restricted daylight hours meant we had to come down.
A meal out that evening, at the Torridon Inn, with the whole party rounded off a great day.
All too soon the week was over, and left only the packing and the long drive home to look forward to. Even now however, discussions about next years trip are taking place so, as they say, book early to avoid disappointment.
PS. It seems that the Torridon House Estate is up for sale, so if you have a spare couple of million, or so, you too could become a Scottish Laird.
Click here for some pictures from this trip.