The cast:
| Accommodation | |
| Sue and Martin | Camping - arriving Friday |
| Mike Pope | Camping - arriving Friday or Saturday |
| Don and Liz Weir | Camping |
| Jill Stinchcombe | Camping - arriving Friday |
| Alan and Sue Mardell | Cluanie Inn - Friday to Sunday |
| Martin Scoular and Margriet | The best B & Bin Scotland - The Firs, Ratagan |
| Jon Metcalf | Trekkers Lodge, Kintail Hotel |
| Alastair, Hazel and Andrew Roberts | Holiday Cottage, Hazel and Andrew not walking |
| Julie Brown | Camping |
| Phil and Sue Williams | Camping |
| Graham Illing and Tove Hauer | Conchra House, Ardelve, Dornie |
| Melinda and Richard Kinsman | Camping |
| Chris Smartt and Alys Vaughan-Williams | Camping - arriving Saturday |
| Andrew Johnston | Camping |
| Pete Hill (subject to flying conditions) | Camping |
| Bill Strang and Alison Philip | Kintail Lodge on 2/5, Tomdoun Hotel before that |
| Dave Sorenson | Camping |
| Rupert Weare | Camping (+ Catherine?) |
| Simon Lucas | Sunday only |
| David and Janet Jardine | Sunday night only |
| Carolyn Roberts and John Layton | Camping - arriving Friday in Scotland |
| Ian and Janette Douglas | Glomach House B&B - Sat/Sunday |
There is no limit on numbers - anyone else who would like to come is most welcome.
As already advised, those
camping at Shiel
Bridge camp site will
have to make do without the toilet
block - it's under construction. There are toilets 50m away at the shop, and
the owner says we can
use his home shower for £1 a go. On the plus side, the ground is flat
and green, there shouldn't be
a serious insect problem, and the charge is only £2.50 pppn.
Sunday evening food
Tables have been booked for bar meals
for 25 to 30 people (that looks like needing slight adjustment)
at the Kintail
Lodge Hotel (walking
distance from campsite) for 7.30pm on Sunday 2 May.
Meet in the bar at 7pm. Here's the menu - we'll be testing it on Saturday.
There should also be some 'daily specials'.
| Soup | £2.75 |
| Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Salad | £3.75 |
| Chef's Terrine with Spiced Chutney, Salad Leaves & Toast | £4.75 |
| Scottish Smoked Salmon garnished with Capers | £4.75 |
| Warm Smoked Haddock & Leek Tart | £4.75 |
| Smoked Chicken Salad with a Honey & Mustard Dressing | £4.75/£7.95 |
| Seafood Risotto | £4.75/£8.95 |
| Fresh Haddock Fillet in Beer Batter with Chips & Peas | £7.95 |
| Fillet of Scottish Salmon on Mashed Potato with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce | £8.95 |
| Traditional Scottish Haggis (Veggie version also available) served with Clapshot and a Whisky Gravy | £7.95 |
| Coq a Leekie Pie with Chips and Vegetables | £8.95 |
| Roast vegetable & Penne Pasta bound in a Roasted Red Pepper Pesto | £7.95 |
| Venison & Red Wine Casserole served with Mash and Seasonal Vegetables | £9.95 |
| Lamb Shank braised with Spring Vegetables served on Mash with Rosemary Gravy | £9.95 |
| 8oz Scottish Sirloin Steak served with Mushrooms & Onions | £13.95 |
| Puddings - all £4.25: | |
| Chocolate & Jaffa Mousse Cake | |
| Baked Rhubarb & Ginger Crumble with Custard | |
| Banana & Toffee Ice-cream Sundae | |
| Lemon Curd Tart with Berry Compote | |
| Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce | |
| Trio of Luxury Ice-creams | |
| Selection of Scottish Cheeses with Biscuits |
There are also childrens' meals for £3.75
The Walks
without broadband, but Sue and I plan to do the following:
|
| On Saturday
we plan to climb A' Chralaig and Mullach Fraoch-choire, a 6 hour circuit
from just east of the Cluanie Inn. We will meet anyone who would like
to join us at the Shiel Bridge campsite at 9.30am or at the Cluanie Inn
at 9.45am (we may stop for a coffee there). So we should be back in plenty
of time for a bar meal at Kintail Lodge. Jill plans to do Beinn Sgritheall on Saturday and would welcome some company. |
| Sunday is the day of the
final Munro. |
| The original plan to ascend directly from the campsite has been overtaken by a desire to get everyone to the top by the shortest route possible. So I will be starting in Glen Shiel about 3 miles up the glen from the camp site, half a mile south east of a small quarry at Achnangart. Meet at the campsite at 9.15 or at the start of the walk (NG 968 142 - OS 1:50,000 Sheet 33) at 9.30am. That should get us to the summit by 12.30 to 1pm. The first half of the ascent is up a stalkers path, so anyone arriving late should simply bomb up it to catch up with the main group, which will include some slower walkers. |
| Anyone who thinks they will be very slow should perhaps start with Jon at 8.30. He climbs at a modest pace and is excellent company. Jon won't be doing the Forcan Ridge (yes, my final Munro walk incorporates one of Scotland's classic scrambles) so anyone with a nervous disposition for heights can either join him or start with the rest of us and skirt around the difficulties by following an alternative route after two thirds of the ascent. The crest of the Forcan Ridge is a grade 2 scramble, but if a number of easy options just below the crest are taken it is a grade 1 scramble - that's the same grade as the traverse of Crib Goch or the north ridge of Tryfan. The alternative that Jon will be taking doesn't involve any scrambling. |
| If the weather is bad only the very (fool?)hardy will be braving the Forcan Ridge. |
| After the summit celebrations, I will be descending by Jon's ascent route to the Bealach Coire Mhalagain. I may be persuaded to start my second round of Munros with an ascent of Sgurr na Sgine, or will just return to the stalkers path and stroll back down. There are various alternative routes down, none particularly demanding, and the day as a whole is fairly short by 'Munro bagging' standards (this was kept to last when I realised the rest of my 'final fifty' were all long days out). |
|
|
|
| And on Tuesday
we go home.... |
| Hope this helps, and we look forward
to seeing everyone at the weekend. |
| Martin |