Suilven Date: 6th/7th June 2015 Venue: Elphin Caving Hut, Elphin Location: Once in the village of Elphin, start looking for a red telephone box on the left; immediately after it turn right up a track called Grampian Avenue. If you arrive at a T junction (Ledmore Junction) you’ve gone too far. Google Streetview showing the hut. Facilities: Self-catering accommodation for 20 people, gas and wood fires, toilets, hot showers, gas rings for cooking, a microwave oven, parking for eight cars. Nearby Hills: Suilven, Canisp, Quinag, Glas Bheinn, Stac Pollaidh, Cul Mor, Cul Beag, Ben Mor Coigach, Beinn an Eoin, Sgurr an Fhidhlier, Breabag, Conival, Ben More Assynt, Foinaven, Meall Horn, Arkle,…

Last month was the Knoydart Foundation bunkhouse in Inverie. This month it was the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel by Rannoch Moor. Both are out of the reach of the motor car, both are new venues for the club and both proved to be lovely places to stay with potential for future meets to be held there. Luckily the weather was better for this meet than the last and as a bonus we were treated to the company of a number of people who had never been on a Moray Mountaineering Club weekend meet before. Malcolm, Illona, Sue and Faye arrived on the Friday lunchtime train, getting to the hostel by…

The MET office had issued weather warnings for wind and rain. SEPA had issued flood warnings for the Western Highlands. The MWIS weather forecast used the word “atrocious”. This was going to be an interesting weekend. Ferries would be cancelled, people would fail to appear and only an idiot would attempt the walk through the Rough Bounds of Knoydart to Inverie. Joe stumbled out of his car, somewhere near the shore of Loch Quoich. He squinted around in the daylight to see a general greyness and, surprisingly, no snow. He could swear there had been snow by the sides of the road on the drive up the glen the night…

Date: 2nd/3rd/4th May 2015 (3 nights) Venue: Corrie & Sannox Village Hall Location: Corrie and Sannox are small villages, nestling under the  mountains, within a mile of each other on the east coast of Arran. Corrie lies six miles north of Brodick where the ferry from Ardrossan docks. Getting here: There are two ferries to Arran. 1) You can take the ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick, which takes 55 minutes. Vehicle reservations are recommended. 2) You can take the ferry from Claonaig in Kintyre to Lochranza, at the north end of Arran, which takes 30 minutes. No advance booking is necessary on this sailing. Simply turn up at the port of departure,…

February’s meet was based at Corran Bunkhouse. Right in the middle of the mountains, ridges and cliffs of Lochaber and Glen Coe and on the doorstep of Ardgour. With a lifetime’s worth of walking and climbing within easy reach of the bunkhouse a group of Moray Mountaineers did the obvious thing. They went to Mull. Andy L, David W, Donnie and Malcolm take up the story: “The plan was hatched over a couple of drinks on the Friday evening ‘Let’s go to Mull and climb Ben More taking a circular route up the A’Chioch ridge, over the top and down by the Tourist Route’. It meant catching the first Corran…

Date: 4th/5th April 2015 Venue: Loch Ossian Youth Hostel Location: Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is a small eco youth hostel situated on the banks of Loch Ossian. Getting here: Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is only accessible by rail, bike, or foot. You cannot drive here.  You can park up at either Tullich station (to the North) or Rannoch station (to the South) to catch a train to Corrour  station (the West Highlands Glasgow to Fort William line). Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is an approximately 20 minute walk from Corrour station along a well-made track. Facilities: fully-equipped self-catering kitchen but no fridge. Perishables can be kept cool in the north facing washrooms or in…

In the absence of our usual weekend meet raconteur, it falls on me to report back on the eating, drinking and general foolery that is the New Year meet and, of course, tell the tales of high adventure in the mountains. Muir Cottage, Inverey Let me kick off with the ‘eating’ bit. Our thanks to Graeme and Shona who arrived with a full roast beef Hogmanay dinner for all, complete with Yorkshire puds and roast tatties – pretty swiftly polished off by the fourteen members in attendance. As everybody else had turned up with vats of tasty food, we all ate well for the rest of the weekend. It must…

Date: 7th/8th March 2015 Venue: Knoydart Foundation Bunkhouse, Inverie Location: The Knoydart Foundation Bunkhouse is located approximately half a mile south-east of the centre of Inverie village. Getting here: You can walk here from Kinloch Hourn, Strathan or Glenfinnan (but it’s a really long way!) or you can simply jump on a boat from Mallaig. You cannot drive here. You will likely need to have at least a half-day off on Friday to get here. Ferry to Inverie: The Knoydart Seabridge is the new Highland Council subsidised passenger ferry service. You can see their new regular timetable here. They recommend booking a place in advance: tel 01687 462916 or email jon@sandaig.com.…

We stood outside, alone. I could see her breath in the air as she spoke. “I’m up for it. I just don’t know if it’s a good idea. I can’t make that judgement call, and if you’re not sure about it that’s fine…” Her voice trailed off and white vapour evaporated in the inky black air. I looked down at the frost glistening on the tarmac road, and then up. Up to the mountains. The steep craggy flanks, the snowline, the ridges above and the sky beyond. Clouds flitted across the sky, above the tops, sometimes in front of the full moon that hung there like a light bulb. I…

Date: Wednesday 31st December 2014 to Sunday 4th January 2015 (4 Nights) Venue: Muir Cottage, Inverey (circa 1.5km from Linn of Dee) If you would like to attend this year’s Hogmanay / New Year meet, which if previous years are anything to go by will be a fantastic mix of socialising, food, booze, party games with plenty of hillwalking thrown in, then please book NOW to avoid disappointment. Number of places booked: 18 Cost: £40 for 4 nights (please note cost is £40 regardless if you actually stay 1, 2, 3 or 4 nights) To reserve your place on this meet please contact Joe Glennie asap and confirm your place by sending Joe…