The Grahams
This is to be a record of the ascent of all the peaks in Scotland between 2000 and 2499 feet with a reascent of at least 500 feet (or 150 metres) on all sides. Firstly I must record the 34 summits which I had completed before acquiring the tables. This will leave a total of 190 mountains to be collected and recorded in these pages. I will list the 34 peaks in arbitrary rather than chronological order but with recollections of each in so far as I can remember them.
Paragraphs in green italics refer to more recent reascents of the hills
This pair were completed on one of our earliest and finest expeditions in the far north in the days when most of our peaks were selected from Poucher's Scottish Peaks. We returned by the spectacular cliff path on the south side of the hill.
This walk was probably our first up what later became hills in the Graham list. Following Poucher's route we would have ascended Sgurr an Fhidhleir first but we have no recollection of it although clearly recalling the higher hill and the exciting coastal path below it. Thus it seemed a good idea to visit the impressive prow of Sgurr an Fhidleir when we returned to the area for an ascent of the lower outlier Ben nan Caorach. This turned out to be a very worthwhile hill itself. We parked almost at the end of the road beyond Achiltibuie and went steeply up onto its west ridge. As this ridge flattened out we suddenly reached a spot with an amazing view of Stac Pollaidh neatly framed by the splendid silhouette of Suilven. Beyond this point the ridge became well defined leading up to a summit cairn with a magnificent panorama. Sgurr an Fhidleir looks dramatic from here as it does from many angles but the ascent is staightforward and the top in no doubt as its broad west ridge finishes abruptly a couple of paces beyond the cairn. Unfortunately by the time we reached it we were in thick mist, heavy rain and a howling gale. Despite hanging around on top in miserable conditions we got only fleeting glimpses of the view. By the time we were back on the road the top was perfectly clear again!
[pictures of this walk]
This hill is a curious one and one which oddly enough I climbed before it appeared in any tables on an early visit to Mull when, with a young child in tow, I was looking for short hills to be completed in a couple of hours while husband Rowland was babysitting. This one is right beside the road, a short sharp climb which admirably filled the bill. Later it was promoted into the Corbett tables on the strength of a supposed 763m spot height north of the trig point. Although I could recollect no such ambiguity I ticked it anyway since there was little danger of missing the top on such a sharp hill. Recently this spot height has been found not to exist and the hill has dropped out of Corbett's Tables, now to find itself at the top of the Graham list.
[picture of Beinn Talaidh from Beinn na Duatharach]
This is one of the really popular hills, the highest in the Trossachs which we climbed many years ago, probably before we were into peak-bagging and ticking in tables. My recollection, which may be inaccurate, is that, like so many of our walks, we did it in opposite directions to achieve the obvious traverse.
This was clearly a hill which was crying out for a reascent with memories of the original climb so vague. We used the path up the Ledard Burn but left it to climb twin topped Beinn Bhreac first, which gave excellent views westwards across Loch Tinker to the head of Loch Katrine. After a steep descent at the eastern end Rowland headed for another hill from Yeaman's tables Creag a' Bhealaich and hence back to the car so that I could complete the traverse over Ben Venue and down through the forest on a well made path to Loch Achray. My vague recollection is that I did this traverse in the other direction on my first visit.
[pictures of this walk]
This hill, also known as Sgorr na Ciche, is one that stands out so boldly that it just demands to be climbed and makes an excellent half day walk. When a dismal morning has given way to a bright afternoon then regrets of not attempting a more significant mountain can be assuaged by this sharp little ascent. We did it on just such a day back in the deep recesses of memory.Sgorr Mhic Eacharna and Beinn Bheag
These two hills are interesting outliers of one of the most exciting hills in the southern highlands, the Corbett Garbh Bheinn. Confident scramblers do the horseshoe but we chickened out of the steep gully between Beinn Bheag and the Corbett. As I recollect misty conditions gave us the excuse of being unsure of locating it correctly so we retreated down the valley and climbed the Corbett up and down the south ridge on another occasion.
See under Sgurr nan Cnamh for our reascent of these two splendid hillsWe climbed Cook's Cairn as a Corbett before it was resurveyed and found to be only 2479 feet high, a remarkably substantial demotion. Mona Gowan was also climbed in the Corbett bagging era when it was added to the ascent of the Corbett Morven. See however my reascent of Mona Gowan on the Great Outdoors Challenge 1994.
This is the real mystery hill. It is clearly ticked in the list of extra peaks which Rowland had made long before we acquired any extra tables. These hills are the ones described in the various SMC guides which are neither Munros, Corbetts or Donalds. The tick is quite isolated on the page so can hardly have been put in by mistake yet neither of us has the least recollection of climbing this hill.
(NB. This hill lies on the other side of Hell's Glen from Stob an Eas and an inspection as we came down that hill convinced us that we had probably climbed Cruach nam Mult as an evening walk from the motor caravan when we had slept in at at the top of the Hell's Glen road.)Eventually I felt that I must go up this hill again and another long summer evening at the same camping spot gave the opportunity. From the end of the forest track a little path runs up through the trees to give easy access to the col between the Graham and the lower hill Cruach nan Capull which has only 142m of reascent and so is listed as a subMarilyn. We went up this first, a steep little climb to the trig point which overlooks Inveraray and Loch Fyne. The best views were eastwards however where a storm was brewing while we were in brilliant evening sunshine. A rainbow appeared briefly over the Graham. I set off up its grassy slopes as quickly as possible but it was already spitting rain by the time I reached its grassy summit marked by a tiny cairn. A quick traverse of a couple more grassy bumps and I was above a very steep drop looking away towards Glasgow. I still had no recollection of being here before although the climb through the trees had seemed vaguely familiar.
[pictures of this walk]
Two of the paps of Jura, the highest being the Corbett Beinn an Oir. We did all three on our first visit to Jura, but not in a single day, we needed a day for each of these rough hills, and another to visit the so-called whirlpool at the northern tip of the island. The whirlpool was disappointing but the walk to it one of the most rewarding of my life as we spent a wonderful half hour en route watching an otter swimming and clambering over the rocks in one of the bays.On more recent visit we did not reascend any of the paps, nor Corra Bheinn which we had also climbed before. We went up the other 8 Marilyns on Jura and 4 which we had not climbed on Islay, mainly in superb weather. Have a look at pictures of the paps taken from some of these lower hills.
Belig was climbed one evening from a camp on the lovely shores of Loch Slapin. [picture of Blaven and Belig reflected in Loch Slapin]
Of Beinn Dearg Mhor I have no recollection whatsoever although our records show that I have climbed it. Perhaps in this case I should do it again, on the other hand perhaps not as I clearly did not find it very interesting!
I did climb it again, on a beautiful day, going both up and down by the easy curving ridge which runs up onto neighbouring Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach (a subMarilyn) from Sligachan. [pictures of this walk]
I've not much recollection of Ben Aslak either although I think it was a more recent climb, probably squeezed in on arrival or departure from Skye.
A recent expedition, although before acquiring the tables, was the magnificent traverse southwards from the col south of the Quirang to the Old Man of Storr along the ridge which included, towards the end, the traverse of these two summits.[a picture of The Storr from neighbouring Marilyn, Beinn Dearg]
[pictures of a recent reascent via the Old Man of Storr]
This outstanding hill I climbed earlier this year, not because it was in any tables but on a strong recommendation from my spouse. I had a splendid day for it too, wild and stormy with wonderful cloud effects over An Teallach. On the return I came over Cnoc a'Bhaid-rallaich which is also in Dawson's tables, although not topping 2000 feet.[a picture of Sail Mhor from the slopes of Beinn Ghobhlach]
This splendid hill is the only one on the Uists which tops the 2000 foot contour. We did it this summer in a splendid day which took in two other Marilyns, Ben Corodale and Hecla. One of the great walks of Britain.[a picture of Beinn Mhor from neighbouring Marilyn, Stulaval]
Top of the Ochils. We polished off the Ochil tops in two hectic days based on the house of a friend who lived in Stirling.The Ochils were revisited for the celebration of my final Donald. These hills are the 2000 foot tops of the Southern Uplands of Scotland as listed by Percy Donald. Rowland had finished them on our previous visit about 20 years ago but I had just one omitted as well as several further south which I visited in early 2002. So I invited folk via the rhb group to join me at Alva Glen. We drove through the Southern Uplands in torrential rain and as we approached the Ochils they were veiled in heavy black clouds but just in time these lifted and we enjoyed dry and clear albeit hazy weather all day. We climbed very steeply above the golf course led by Dave Hewitt who had lived for a time in Alva and who today was to climb Ben Cleuch for the 350th time. Soon we were on a spectacularly steep edge looking down onto Alva. Turning north the scenery changed abruptly as we forsook verticality for rolling grassy ridges interspersed with a little bog. First I had to visit the most westerly 2000 foot top in the Ochils, Greenforet Hill, which, since it has only a single 2000 foot contour, is not in the list but appears in the appendix of our old 1974 edition of the tables. Then it was up to Blairdenon Hill for a celebratory drink. We then continued to Ben Cleuch which of course I was particularly anxious to revisit to get some pictures for the website. Descent was over Ben Ever, along to the southern end of its ridge and then steeply once more down to Alva to complete a very enjoyable walk.
[pictures of this walk]
This is a hill of character, the nearest thing to an isolated volcano in Scotland, although it is probably no such thing. We had a enjoyable ascent some years ago. This is one I do remember and recollect a lovely day for it with the long ranging views that one would expect from such an isolated hill.
I reascended Tinto the day after Rob Woodall's completion of the mainland Marilyns on Dumyat. As before I started from the south up what looks a very attractive zigzag path on the map. It starts off in unpromising fashion through the farmyard at Millrig and then wanders vaguely across cow pastures towards the open fell where it improves considerably. On the way down I went straight along the forest edge and over a stile into the grounds of Wiston Lodge which is owned by the YMCA. This is a far pleasanter start and finish and is walker friendly with even a sign to the hill. There is also limited parking just outside the gate. As the path steepens it proceeds in wide zigzags as shown on the map but these are quite hard to follow their problem being that they were contructed to give an extremely gentle ascent, too gentle for today's impatient walkers who along with the sheep have spoilt the path by a number of short cuts. The summit of Tinto carries an enormous cairn topped by a viewfinder which extends to Skiddaw 68 miles away but not visible on this rather hazy day.
[pictures of this walk]
The Merrick area is one of my favourites and probably the place where I first really became obsessed with hill climbing although that's another story. There are still two hills in this area which I have not claimed so I shall really look forward to another visit and no doubt take the opportunity to climb the Merrick itself again and remind myself of these three lesser Corbetts as well perhaps.
Please see my re-ascent of Lamachan Hill and look at a picture of Craignaw and Mullwarcher taken from the east on the same trip.
Because these hills are all in Donald's tables I have kept a record of the fact that I have climbed them although I have never taken Donalds very seriously. The only one of which I have a clear recollection is Green Lowther, unmistakeable in so many views because of the radio domes on its summit and hence recalled to mind more often than the other featureless hills of the southern uplands.Again these southern upland hills are vague in my memory. The first two were probably combined with the Corbett Broad Law. The other four I think were done on a long day traversing from north to south along the ridge east of White Combe. See however my re-ascent of Croft Head.The Task Ahead
19th. September 1992
Of the 190 peaks to be climbed there are two which I think I have probably done before but not recorded. One is Beinn Bharrain on the Isle of Arran. We certainly did a walk in the western hills of the island so it is unlikely that we failed to visit the highest point. The other is Beinn na h-Eaglaise which lies between Loch Torridon and Maol Chean-dearg. I have a recollection of climbing it on the very first afternoon we ever went to the Torridon area, a long long time ago. However I cannot be sure that we actually went right to the summit. Both of them I am sure are hills worth climbing again.Most of the peaks can really be expected to be lesser peaks, less interesting and rougher than their higher neighbours. Three come to mind immediately as being outstanding.
The first is Stac Polly which may prove to be the one which thwarts me. The day after I completed the Munros on Seana Braigh we went to Stac Polly and I could not pluck up the courage to negotiate the mauvais pas. I felt truly humbled after the conceit of the previous day! Anyway I shall go back one perfect dry day and give it another go.
Secondly Suilven which is probably the most outstanding omission from my Scottish walking experiences. It is perhaps premature to be dreaming of the last summit with 189 to go. I certainly did not do so with the Munros and Corbetts but took each peak as opportunity arose until I was very close to the end. However there is a temptation to save Suilven for last as it is surely one of the finest peaks in Britain. But it would be frustating to be near Suilven on a beautiful day and feel constrained not to climb it, moreover another candidate springs to mind as an ideal last mountain.
Some years ago we made a visit to Rum to bag the two Corbetts. Unfortunately we had a very misty day for our traverse and so we rather deplorably skirted the peak Trallval which lies between the two. This is the one which I now plan to keep for the celebrations of my final 2000 foot summit in Britain. Here is a peak which will not come my way by accident. On our previous visit we stayed in the self-catering wing of the Bullough mansion and paid for an escorted tour of that amazing place. I secretly yearned for the extravagance of staying in one of those fantastic rooms and what better excuse could I think of than this?
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