Dan Moysey
Judith Kendal
Jenny Graham
Dave Maclean
Bob Macdonald
Greg Muir
Jake Lee

Due to some last-minute and indeed some no-minute cancellations, no-shows and generally poor bloody efforts, it was a surprisingly small band who came to Strawberry Cottage. A great shame, as its location and general ambience make it a highlight of the year. (Though obviously not a highlight to the lame and weary who didn’t bother coming).

No transport meant a pleasant trip in by all. Bob decided to walk, whilst the rest cycled. Many hero points going to Jenny though,who cycled in – but from Inverness! Off-road!!

Saturday, dawned bright and promised much. The early mist being burnt off by the sun. Dan, Judith, Jenny and Greg cycled up the glen to Alltbeithe Youth Hostel where they met the by-now deranged warden collecting specimens for one of his taxidermy projects. (the 3 Danish back-packers are still missing). From there the long trek to Mullach na Dheiragain and superb views. Then another slog in great heat up to the impressive Sgurr nan Ceathreamhan. More tremendous vistas and a view of the approaching foul weather. From here there is some debate as to whether An Socach was reached because ‘Tigger’ wanted to make more than half a day of it, or Jenny needed another bloody tick in her book. Both rubbish reasons and which ever it was, it was done in the rain. A storm that was most annoying in that it never crossed the glen to the hills to the south. A cracking day finished off in style with a swim in the always inviting waters back at the cottage. (There is some suspicion that Judith is in fact amphibious, so at home was she in the water).

Bob and Jake decided on a less-popular route and headed for the aforementioned dry and sunny southern hills.

Dave, who is undergoing intensive rehabilitation to get him back to match fitness, left the hills for another day and pottered with his usual flair.

Saturday night was almost quiet, as Greg had left his euphonium in the car park, but Jenny enlivened proceedings with, well, loads of noise.

Dave and Jake did the honourable thing by containing their nocturnal snorting and snorings in the downstairs room and were very glad they had done so, as those virtuous and silent folk upstairs left a window open and invited in a plague of midges. It was a bad weekend for it!

More ticking for Jenny as she dragged Dan and Jake up Tom a Choinich and Toll Creagach in fairly dismal weather, I think everyone else had headed for home by then. The midges were at their awful worst and stopping was not an option. The car park being predictably horrendous.

Undeterred by the lack of pals, your gentle author decided to stay on another night. The wind got up enough the next day to blow away the midges for a couple of hours and to cast a fly in the majesty of those hills was truly stunning. There was even a fair-sized fish stupid enough to get caught. He’s gone back though. Needs to be bigger and there to be witnesses.

We shall return to Strawberry Cottage and next time we shall fill it.

Author: Jake, Photos: Dan