Ben Griam Beg from the start

Like all holidays, this one seems to have flown by and we are already on our penultimate day. Unlike a good few of our recent May holidays in North West Scotland, when it has been fine and warm, this year, it’s been quite wild and very cold for the whole of the two weeks. That said, I think we have seen a bit of the sun most days (in between heavy rain and snow showers) but what sun there has been hasn’t threatened to burn my increasingly balding head… the sun hat was removed from the rucksack at the start of this week.

Flow Country

We had just such a day yesterday, when we drove south into the Flow Country to walk Ben Griam Beg. Last weekend we had tried to walk this hill and its neighbour, Ben Griam Mor together, but after walking the latter, we were unable to get over to Ben Griam Beg – a rather over full small burn stopping our progress. Yesterday, we approached the hill from a different direction, thus avoiding the problem stream. We left Kips Cottage in bright sunshine but as we arrived at our start point the sky became very dark and the temperature dropped several degrees and it started snowing.

Snow arriving, Ben Griam Beg

After waiting for about half an hour the skies lightened and we set off before Nita could eat all of her sandwiches! The first part of the walk, across the open, flat bog, was along a dirt track leading to a remote little house, perched beneath the hill. The sun came out on several occasions as we walked through this wild landscape and with the big skies and the bright colours, I think I should have plenty of new material for future paintings. Beyond the cottage, it was simply a case of striking uphill, to reach the long, broad stone and heather covered ridge and then up the final few hundred feet of steep ground to the summit. Easy really, but then the skies darkened again, the wind picked up, and we found ourselves walking into quite heavy snow. Thankfully, there were a few spots to shelter and we sat with our backs against a rock for half an hour or so until the snow eased and the thick cloud lifted. We set off again, but almost immediately walked into another heavy snow shower, but carried on regardless, as we clambered up the final steep slopes. It was exceedingly cold and very quickly the ground was turning white.

Retreating from the top

Stood on this lonely little summit in these conditions made me realise that despite its modest height of 580 metres, this was quite a serious hill walk. Ben Griam Beg is, according to the guide books, the site of Scotland’s highest hill fort and remnants of the walled enclosure still exist but with the snow still falling and no sign of a let up, we decided rather than looking for the fort, it might be more prudent to head back down. Of course, half an hour later, the snow stopped and the cloud lifted, so another year we may have to come back and search out the fort.

This was a proper mountain walk and made for a great day. Recommended.

Related Posts:

1. East Sutherland Blog – part 1
2. Back! A short picture blog
3. Just right…

‘Canisp, Assynt’

‘Canisp, Assynt’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2006, 30 x 30 cm

Another venture into the Northern Highlands with this week’s piece…..a few years old this painting and an early attempt to mix the pastel scribbles with the paint in a more abstract way.  Very loosely based on Canisp from one of the small lochs tucked below it, this was quite a strange little piece but one that received a lot of attention and sold quite quickly too.  As I’ve said previously, I’ll not be taking paints with me on this years trip north but will, hopefully, collect and bring back lots of sketches, photos and ideas that I can use for new paintings on my return to the studio.

Related Posts:

1. ‘Below Canisp, Assynt’
2. ‘Assynt 2011, Quinag sketch’
3. Work of the Week: ‘Suilven, from the coast’

Ben Loyal from Kyle of Tongue

We’ve had an interesting few days in East Sutherland. We have been staying in Kips Cottage, in Kirtomy – a small community perched on the north coast.

We have had a great mix of weather since we arrived last Saturday, bright sun, heavy rain and even snow – real May conditions. As I type this (Nita’s doing the typing really – I can’t feel the keys on the laptop!) it is blowing half a gale, but there are some bright skies around now.

We had planned to go back to Ben Loyal today, having turned back in cloud and quite heavy snow on Tuesday, when we were just half an hour from the top. We didn’t get as far today! It was raining hard when we got up and we had hoped the brighter conditions would arrive by the time we got to the start point for the walk…but they didn’t. A lot of water had come down overnight and the streams were fairly whooshing along and it seemed unlikely that we’d even get further than the small river immediately below the hill. We crossed this easily on Tuesday but in spate, as it would have been this morning, it would have been difficult. So then, after sitting in the car listening to the rain and drinking our flask of coffee, we decided to call off and do something else today. Typically, as we drove the forty minutes back from Tongue to Kirtomy, the rain eased and the first patches of blue sky came in from the north. I cursed, but Nita reminded me we still wouldn’t have got across the river.

The Flow Country

On Wednesday, we drove along a small, single tracked road out across the heart of the Flow Country. It really is quite amazing, such a large, empty area of bog. To the west we had great views of the snow topped, higher mountains, Ben Hope, Ben Klibreck and Foinaven. Our aim though, was to check out two smaller hills that rise out of the bog, Ben Griam Mor and Ben Griam Beg. They are both just below 600 metres high, but should offer huge views all around across this wild and lonely landscape. We found the start point and even a small place to park the car and we are heading there first thing tomorrow morning, in what is forecast to be better conditions.

Ben Loyal emerging from this mornings deluge

With the wind still blowing hard and cold outside, this might be an afternoon for lighting a fire and sitting in front of it with our books and a glass of beer!

Related Posts:

1. The Pentland Hills 2 – from Turnhouse Hill to East Kip via Carnethy Hill and Scald Law …..a grand little day out!
2. Back! A short picture blog
3. ‘On the east ridge of Ben Lui, Spring’

‘Assynt coast line’

‘Assynt coast line’, Pen, 2009, 28 x 21 cm

Another small piece from up north. I’m hoping that I’ll get some really interesting views from close by where we’re staying this year.  According to the information we received about the cottage we’ve rented, the cliffs start at the bottom of the field below the cottage.  With a bit of luck I’ll be able to wander a short distance from the door and sit down and start sketching.  It could be a very pleasant way of spending the evenings ….at this time of year it stays light very late and so I should be able to do some drawing for a short while after we’ve eaten and cleared up.  Of course, this is the north coast of Scotland we’re talking about  so it may very well be blowing a gale each evening …and I’ll have to stay inside listening to my talking book and sipping a bottle of beer …it would be quite a hardship …but one I’m sure I can bare!

Related Posts:

1. ‘Assynt sky-line’
2. Work of the Week: ‘Suilven, from the coast’
3. ‘Assynt 2011, Quinag sketch’