The Beinn Mhor Group

The Beinn Mhor Group could be called the Three Peaks of South Uist and are perfectly seen from the bridge over the Howmore River. I attempted these mountains in 2011, but after reaching the top of Beinn Mhor, the highest, to the right on the picture, I had to abandon the other two due to bad weather. When I returned in 2015, while walking the Hebridean Way, I was too tired to attempt again so I will have to be happy with this picture.

Grisedale from Nethermost Pike

This is the view down the east ridge of Nethermost Pike down towards Grisedale. While the adjacent Striding Edge attracts the crowds I had this ridge all to myself in 2015 with stunning views all the way down the valley.

The Twelve Bens

The Twelve Bens in County Galway, Ireland, are some of the most rock-filled and complex mountains I have ever walked. I had bad weather almost the whole time I was there, in 2008, but briefly I enjoyed some sunshine and took this picture. However I still wish the weather had been better, and my camera was better, as I don't think this picture really does justice to the stunning scenery. There is only one solution: I will have to go back.

Eel Crag from Grisedale Pike

While at the top of Grisedale Pike I tore my eyes away from the view towards Keswick towards the closer view of Eel Crag, also known as Crag Hill. That was my next target on this walk from 2007 that saw me crossing the North Western Fells.

The Grey Corries

The Grey Corries, a fabulous ridge not far from Ben Nevis, were the scene of an awesome walk I did in 2006, and ever since I have had fond memories of the area. This was a mammoth walk that started at 9.30 a.m. and I didn't reach the top of the first mountain until 2.00 p.m. After an awesome walk over the ridge I came down into Glen Nevis and walked back to the youth hostel not arriving until 9.30 p.m. after walking for 12 hours. I wonder if I could do that now?

Roystone Rocks and Harboro’ Rocks

Monday 25th May 2020

Returning to the Peak District I parked in the Minninglow car park on the High Peak Trail to continue the walk that I had done two days before after taking a rest on Sunday. I had joined the High Peak Trail at this car park then and now I walked back along the road to the byway that I had come down then and turned onto Minginglow Road opposite. It wasn’t long before I turned off the road onto a track that heads south and coming off this I entered a small area of Open Access Land up a hill to Roystone Rocks where scattered limestone outcrops decorate the top. The weather was amazing with clear blue skies, hardly any wind and not a cloud to be seen, which afforded me with stunning views all the way around from these weathered, characterful rocks. Wandering through the rocks I made my way down the southern slopes and back onto the track, stopping off at what looks like an old chapel, but is in fact a nineteenth century pump house for the nearby quarries. The track descends a dry valley with steep grassy slopes and some outcrops, and I couldn’t resist climbing the eastern bank to get a good view up and down the quiet valley.

Following the bank south past Hoe Grange Quarry I enjoyed the views and the rugged, steep terrain as I slowly made my way south ignoring the tarmac track at the bottom of the valley. It may have been easier to walk along the track, but I was having far too much fun walking on the steep slopes. Passing Ballidon Quarry I climbed out of valley and up to the top of Blackstone’s Low. There is a trig point near the top, but not at the summit, which is clearly higher a short distance away, but it is curious why the trig point would have been constructed at that point beside the wall and not on the summit. The hill is on Open Access Land so I was able to follow the ridge south above White Edge until the gradient started to descend and I ran out of access land. I had assumed I would be able to get onto a footpath that is in the next field, but I could not find any way across the fence so I started veering east down steep, rough ground towards the B5056 road. It may have been easier to have turned west and used a farmer’s track, but that is not what I did.

The rough terrain was lovely, bejewelled with many wild flowers, mainly buttercups, but in the woodland at the bottom of White Edge I found a small cluster of the delightful white flowers of wild garlic, which compensated for the difficulty of the descent and in getting out of this access land. Eventually I reached the road but still there was no way across the wall so eventually I had climb over to finally leave the access land. Usually access land has a clearly signposted route of entry, but that is clearly not the case here. Walking along the road I joined the route of the Limestone Way up Pasture Lane while to the north I could see some interesting rock formations that my map informed me was Rainster Rocks with a right-of-way that goes up to the top. Following faint paths I headed uphill towards the rocks weaving through the until eventually I came across a couple of rock climbers attempting an ascent, and after saying hello I made my own way up a much easier route through a crack in the rocks that enabled me to scramble up to the top.

Making my way back down I returned to the Limestone Way following it across interesting terrain onto Manystones Lane where Harboro’ Rocks could clearly be seen ahead. I saw loads of litter beside the road so I started to fill a plastic bag that I’d brought with me and ended up with loads of drinks bottles and cans. It is disgraceful how people will throw this stuff around the countryside, however it was very satisfying for me to do my bit in collecting this rubbish. Staying on the lane and ignoring the turning for the Limestone Way, I kept going until I was past some works and then took a lane up to the High Peak Trail and Harboro’ Rocks. A lot of people were on the lower slopes of Harboro’ Rocks, but I soon walked past these on my way to the top where I had extensive views to the south that included Carsington Water, which I had walked around in February when life was so much simpler, before lockdown. I had my lunch while gazing out over the view and was surprised at how windy it was all of a sudden, as the lack of wind earlier in the walk had been noticeable, although it could be that Harboro’ Rocks is a more exposed location.

Coming down from the rocks I joined the High Peak Trail, and although I had considered heading east, I decided that since this would take me further from my car I would head west straight back to my car, despite the risk of finishing the walk early. Wild flowers decorated the disused railway line, principally red campion and cow parsley, and produced a stunning display in the hot sunshine. I was happy to slowly make my way along the old railway line all the way back to the car park. This was quite a short walk and I saw nothing as dramatic as Wolfscote Dale that I had walked through on Saturday, but it was fun walking along the line of hills in a secluded corner of the Peak District. I may not be walking in Scotland as I would normally do at this time of the year, but at least I was able to walk in the Peak District and I was fortunate enough to have good weather at the same time.

Beinn na Caillich

This picture shows Beinn na Caillich and the Red Cuillin on the Isle of Skye under gorgeous blue skies. I walked up Beinn na Caillich in 2011 and by the time I was coming back down I had visited the two peaks behind as well. However, this picture was taken in 2014 in much better weather when I walked past the hills taking a gentle walk to the coast as I was feeling tired and needed a relaxing walk.

Wastwater seen from a distance

This picture was taken a day that started with rain at the top of Harter Fell and ended with stunning views such as this from near Irton Pike looking towards the mountains around Wasterwater. You never know how the weather is going to change, especially in places like the Lake District.

Pen-y-Badell and Ynys Lochtyn from the Ceredigion Coast Path

Before walking on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in 2014 I did a bit of the Ceredigion Coast Path and was blessed with fabulous weather for this stunning coastline looking towards the peninsula of Ynys Lochtyn and the hill that once had the fort of Pendinaslochdyn.

Loughrigg from the Coffin Route

This picture shows Loughrigg seen from the Coffin Route on a day when everything seemed to go wrong and I didn't get to go up a hill, but even in the worst of times there is still hope

The Isle of Harris

The rock filled terrain of the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides is a fabulous landscape that I love. This picture was taken from the Harris Walkway in 2017 while tackling the recently opened Hebridean Way. I had walked the Harris Walkway two years previously and loved it then and this time was no different after the morning rain cleared to leave gorgeous weather.

Beresford Dale and Biggin Dale

Saturday 23rd May 2020

The lockdown started to be lifted in England in the middle of May, which allowed unlimited exercise so I could now do a good walk that is much longer than those that I had previously been able to complete. Ordinarily on this date I would have been heading up to Scotland for the start of a two week hill walking holiday, but the lockdown had not been lifted in Scotland and all unnecessary travel was not allowed. I would have to stay local and content myself with day trips in my local National Park of the Peak District. I parked at the Friden car park on the High Peak Trail and set off along the course of an old railway line past a brick works and eventually took a track across the main road to another road and finally onto a footpath into Hartington Meadows Nature Reserve. The fields there were bursting with wild flowers, buttercup and red clover most notably, and provided me with many delights as I followed a clear path over a hill and veering left past a disused quarry until I reached a road, however this confused me as there is no road marked on the map and it took me a long time to realise what had happened. The public right-of-way through the reserve veers right at the start of the descent from the hill whereas I’d veered left so I had to retrace my steps back up the hill before turning west to head back down.

Hartington Meadows is a fabulous place that begs a return visit as it is full of wild flowers and as I came down the hill I saw loads of cow slip that may have been going to seed, but were still a lovely sight. The path continued to the car park on the site of Hartington railway station on the Tissington Trail, which would ordinarily be busy but at this early hour and with the current circumstances was almost deserted. The toilets were locked, which is quite common at the moment, but does strike me as odd when at a time we are supposed to be washing our hands frequently the facilities for doing so are closed. Crossing the Tissington Trail I followed a path into the tiny hamlet of Heathcote and would have headed into the village of Hartington, but I wanted to avoid as many people as possible so I took a route via Highfield Lane eventually joining the path coming south out of Hartington just outside the village. This rocky path was a delight as I skipped along while the path descends to reach the short, wooded valley of Beresford Dale. I have fond memories of walking through this valley as a child and twenty-two years ago on my first ever walking holiday, however I can’t remember walking through it since.

The narrow valley was filled with wild flowers, bursting with green plants and abundantly overflowing in the bright sunshine before the path led me across the river where the valley opens slightly to reveal a gorgeous scene with sheer limestone sides and a delightful canopy of trees that created a mesmerising sight. Unfortunately it was woefully short as the valley soon opened out further into wide meadows as the path continues its progress south. While the sun was temporarily hidden behind clouds, and with great limestone cliffs ahead of me, I crossed the meadow that guards the entrance to Wolfscote Dale. I remember on a walk in 2015 I coming into the valley at this point so while I may not have been through Beresford Dale in the last twenty-two years I was now in more familiar territory as I passed into Wolfscote Dale, which is wider and deeper than Beresford Dale, though without the trees and abundance of wildlife that so delights in the latter. As the sun came out once more I had a lovely walk down this beautiful valley even though a strong wind was making things a little unpleasant.

Eventually I came to the junction with Biggin Dale where I turned to climb a rocky path through the narrow valley gradually climbing as I went. I don’t recall going through this valley since about thirty years ago, so I was keen to correct that oversight, but compared with the previous two valleys it struggled to compete. Eventually the valley opens out and divides, and at that point I had my lunch before taking the eastern branch towards Dalehead and out of the valley. At this point I had to turn over the Ordnance Survey map, which was a real pain in the windy conditions and took me a while to do. This is the problem with two-sided maps that might seem to be good value saving paper, but they are really tricky when you get to the edge and have to turn them over. Anyway, back to the walk and I was now unsure where to go next. My primary goal had been to revisit Beresford Dale and Biggin Dale and I didn’t have much else planned except perhaps to walk along the Tissington Trail so I crossed some fields to reach the course of the old railway line.

With hindsight, the best thing to do would have been to head north along the Tissington Trail until I reached the junction with the High Peak Trail at Parsley Hay and there turned down the High Peak back to my car. Instead I turned south along the trail for a short distance before coming off at the next bridge to follow roads and tracks across the drystone-walled and wind-swept High Peak to eventually reach the Minninglow car park on the High Peak Trail. Walking along the disused railway line for two and a half miles brought me back to the Friden car park with legs that were really aching from an exhausting walk that was more strenuous than I had been used to after months of lockdown. It was great to finally be able to get out and stretch my legs even though they complained afterwards. Maybe it was a good thing I hadn’t been able to go to Scotland as I needed to build my hillwalking fitness back up again, and the Peak District was a good place to do that.

Beinn Liath Mhor

The Coulin Forest, between Strathcarron and Torridon, provides some fabulous walking and none less than the quartzite topped mountain of Beinn Liath Mhor whose ridge is a delight. This picture was taken in 2009 while walking out of Torridon. When I came back in 2014 for a few days in the Coulin Forest I couldn't resist walking back along this ridge even though the weather was not as good as I'd enjoyed previously.

The Langdale Pikes

The Langdale Pikes are an iconic view from Windermere, but this picture was taken from Great Langdale at the foot of these awesome mountains just before climbing them in 2007.

Glyder Fach from Glyder Fawr

This picture shows the rocky summit of Glyder Fawr in Snowdonia and looks across to Glyder Fach. Glyder Fawr is a vast, barren rock-covered desert, but Glyder Fach is a fabulous place with many interesting rock formations. I hadn't planned on climbing these two mountains on this walk in 2015, but the weather was getting so good I couldn't resist it despite the moonscape on Glyder Fawr I and was rewarded with a thoroughly enjoyable traverse.

Ladyside Pike from Hopgill Head

This picture shows Ladyside Pike and the extensive views across northwest Cumbria from the summit of Hopegill Head, although the distant views were rather hazy. This was taken during a fortnight that I spent in the Lake District in 2018 trying to reach the top as many High Fells as possible. Out of 56 I managed to do 53 and Hopegill Head is one of the smallest.

The northern edge of Kinder Scout

This picture was taken on the northern edge of Kinder Scout, the highest point in the Peak District. Most of Kinder Scout is a vast bog, but along the edges are weathered gritstone outcrops that provide great walking and look spectacular especially if you are fortunate enough to have good weather, such as I had on this walk in 2016.

Haweswater from Harter Fell

This picture looks over Haweswater from the corner of Harter Fell on a snowy day at Christmas 2010. I have been going to the Lake District at Christmas for many years, but this was the last time I had a lot of snow. These days always it seems to be wet.

The Cobbler

The Cobbler in the Arrochar Alps is one of the most popular mountains in Scotland despite being less than three thousand feet high, which shows that Munro status is not as important as some would say. I went up the Corbett at Easter 2007 in lovely weather and combined the walk with an ascent of Beinn Narnain, because there are times when it is important if a mountain is a Munro.

Ullswater from Gavel Pike

This picture shows Ullswater nestled amongst the Lake District Fells seen from Gavel Pike, high on the side of St Sunday Crag. This was taken on the last day of a fabulous fortnight's holiday in the Lake District in 2018 and left me with a great walk in lovely, sunny weather and a feeling of awe for the tremendous Lakeland Fells.

The Whin Sill Ridge from Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall follows the whin sill ridge across Northumberland and makes for some good walking especially under the blue skies I enjoyed at Easter last year.

Ennerdale from Windy Gap

This picture shows the Ennerdale valley in the Lake District from the Windy Gap. This valley is hardly inhabited and in recent years has been allowed to return to the wild after decades of being taken over by conifer plantations. I had a great walk the day this picture was taken, in 2006, climbing out of the valley to the top of Pillar on the ridge to the left of the picture. From Pillar I headed over Kirk Fell and Great Gable to reach the point where I could look down this awesome valley.

The Mamores from Stob Bàn

The Mamores range of mountains are just to the south of Ben Nevis but they are no less stunning. This picture shows just a section of this range of high peaks and narrow ridges, taken from the top of Stob Bàn. I first walked over the Mamores in 2005 in tremendous weather, but I didn't have a camera with me. This picture was taken in 2012 in even hotter weather that was probably too hot for mountain walking. I didn't go any further into the Mamores from this point, but descended into the valley bottom left. I have a deep love of the Mamores and have returned many times over the years.

The Langdale Pikes from Lingmoor Tarn

This picture looks across to the hugely popular Langdale Pikes from the rarely visited Lingmoor Tarn. This was early in a walk up the Crinkle Crags in 2012, but the delights on this fabulous walk were already coming.

Berneray West Beach

The beaches of the Outer Hebrides are some of the most stunning in the world. This is the three mile long West Beach of Berneray that could be mistaken for a tropical paradise, which is exactly what the Thai Tourist Board did when they mistakenly used a photo of it. While I was on the Hebridean Way in 2017 I took a day off in Berneray to wander around the island and walk along this beautiful beach.

The Lakeland Fells under snow

I don't normally go walking in deep snow as I don't have the ice axe or crampons required or the desire to learn how to use them, but on this walk I came perilously close to overstepping the mark while walking over the Lake District Fells while they were covered in deep snow. Although nothing went wrong I learnt an important lesson that day and I have been extra cautious of snow on mountains ever since. The weather was generally cloudy but towards the end of the day the clouds broke slightly for this view of the Langdale Pikes.

The view from Stob Ghabhar

The view from a Scottish mountain is always an amazing sight. This is from Stob Ghabhar looking north over Glen Coe with Ben Nevis clearly seen topping the skyline. I remember feeling really gutted at this time in the middle of September 2007, because I knew that this would be the last time I was going see the view from the top of a mountain until the following spring. There is no better place to be than at the top of a mountain (when the weather is good).

Great Glen and Wistow

Saturday 16th May 2020

From 13th May, the restrictions that had been in place due to the coronavirus began to be lifted in England and I took advantage of this by going for a walk with someone who is not from my household though still maintaining social distancing. I normally work with this person, but had not seen them for several months, so it was good for us to be able to meet up together and go for a walk. We didn’t go far and in fact I came to him. He lives in Oadby, which, just like where I live, is just outside Leicester, and I met up with him beside the busy A6 dual carriageway that goes through the town. Crossing over the road we headed onto a footpath that follows the Wash Brook through a delightful tree-lined strip between housing estates. My colleague was astounded there was something like this so close to his house and he didn’t know. I don’t know Oadby very well and had simply looked at a map of the area t to devise the walk. I didn’t know what we were going to find and was also astonished that such a path in wild surroundings exists. Following the Wash Brook upstream we eventually left the urban conurbation behind and delved into the countryside of Leicestershire.

After crossing a bridleway near Oadby Lodge Farm we were confused about the continuing route which the map indicates crosses the field, but there was no sign on the ground. We were able to follow the field edge but with no sign where the path exits the field we ended up back at the bridleway. Mystified, we continued along the bridleway to Gartree Road where we turned right passing Leicester Airport and the site of the medieval village of Stretton Magna. Opposite a road junction we turned right onto another bridleway past a magnificent line of trees with distinctive tall white flowers that I wish I could have identified, but I had to plead my ignorance, however now that I have had a chance to look it up they would appear to have been horse chestnut trees. We continued along the bridleway for more than a mile not far from the River Sence until we reached the village of Great Glen, which we passed through and over the A6 road again to head out beside a country lane. Just before we reached the site of the Great Glen railway station we took a footpath across several fields, over the railway line and after crossing the Grand Union Canal we came into Wistow.

This is another deserted medieval village and is somewhere I have walked, across the meadows beside the River Sence, many times since I was a child, though not in recent years so it was good for me to return. We crossed the wildflower-filled meadows down to the River Sence and from there followed the footpath beside the river up to the road where I could see a new feature in the landscape that I had not seen before. In the grounds of Newton Harcourt Manor a futuristic house has been “built to the highest standards and embraces the latest technologies to achieve a very high level of low carbon design”, unfortunately I was not impressed so quickly made my way up the road past the old church and over both the canal and the railway line. After a short walk along a path beside the railway line we passed through the village of Newton Harcourt and onto a bridleway that steadily climbs beside field edges before heading up to Mere Lane on the edge of Glen Gorse Golf Course. A quick crossing of the golf course showed us that we were not the only ones taking advantage of the loosening of lockdown with several people playing on the course.

The footpath soon reaches Coombe Park on the edge of Oadby and when my colleague eagerly realised that we were near his house he left the path and entered the park, but we later discovered that it would have been better to keep to the footpath beside the tree-lined edge of the park rather than cross the playing fields. Emerging onto the road near Beauchamp College I finally parted company with my colleague as I headed down to my car and he returned home. During this walk I had endeavoured to show him the walks that are available to him in his local area and since then he has been taking his family for other walks in the area inspired by this one. For me it was interesting to explore a part of Leicestershire that I was not as familiar with and to revisit Wistow where I had not been for many years, although some of the changes were not to my liking. At this time when we are trying to limit our exposure to the coronavirus it is still important to get some exercise and it is providing us all with the opportunity to discover what is in our local area.

Buttermere from Haystacks

This picture shows the view from Haystacks towards the lakes of Buttermere and Crummock Water. It was taken on the same day as the picture shared on 9th May and is a similar view. The weather was fabulous for this walk so it's not surprising it has produced lots of good pictures.

The Harris Walkway

This fabulous rocky landscape is on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides and weaving a cunning course through the outcrops is the Harris Walkway. It is now also part of the Hebridean Way, a long distance trail that runs along the entire length of the Western Isles. I walked this in 2015 and loved it so much I came back two years later and walked it again in the opposite direction.

Blencathra from Hall's Fell Ridge

This picture was taken while ascending Hall's Fell Ridge towards the summit of Blencathra under brilliant blue skies at Easter 2015. There had been cloud in the valleys at the start of this day similar to the pictures shared last week, but this time the cloud had gradually dissipated during the morning. Above the clouds the skies were fabulous.