Scotland?

[Beer Monster]

Think I might head up that way for a wee overnighter tomorrow.

Looks like it'll be cold and clear so should be fantastic. If you are at the head of the loch keep your eyes peeled for Barn Owls. I saw one quartering the ground around about here just before Christmas.

It was magical - the sky was clear, dusk was fast approaching with the top of Ben Starav bathed in a golden light. It was the kind of cold that feels as though it's purifying your lungs as you breath it in. The frost was just starting to form on the grass. Everything was still - not a breath of wind and no one around - the loch was like a mirror. Just as the sun set this ghostly owl was flying silently back and for across the machair in the shadow of the mountains.

I sat spell bound for about 45 mins watching it till it got to dark to follow. When I arrived there were loads of cars lining the road where the route up Ben Starav starts - but as I saw the last few headtorches coming off the mountain the cars slowly disappeared and I felt I had the place to myself! !

 

[Lucyc]

Lucy
Etive slabs are on Beinn Trillieachan at the north end of the Loch only about a Km from the end of the public road.
Im not sure if you are aware but the Etive Slabs are quite a hard climbing area. As far as I can remember all the routes are VS and above and multi pitch VS's at that.
Please feel free to tell me to wind my neck in if you are climbing at that grade and knew that anyway!
Dont forget lots of good hill bashing and scrambling here too!

Yes, I did know that - but thank you for warning me

Think I might head up that way for a wee overnighter tomorrow.

Looks like it'll be cold and clear so should be fantastic. If you are at the head of the loch keep your eyes peeled for Barn Owls. I saw one quartering the ground around about here just before Christmas.

It was magical - the sky was clear, dusk was fast approaching with the top of Ben Starav bathed in a golden light. It was the kind of cold that feels as though it's purifying your lungs as you breath it in. The frost was just starting to form on the grass. Everything was still - not a breath of wind and no one around - the loch was like a mirror. Just as the sun set this ghostly owl was flying silently back and for across the machair in the shadow of the mountains.

I sat spell bound for about 45 mins watching it till it got to dark to follow. When I arrived there were loads of cars lining the road where the route up Ben Starav starts - but as I saw the last few headtorches coming off the mountain the cars slowly disappeared and I felt I had the place to myself! !

I hate you both!!

I did email one of the boat companies, and they said they could drop us where we needed to be..
Now I have to convince everyone to pay the £70 in all it takes to get up there..

Since we're on the subject of Scotland - I'm in the midst of choosing universites at the moment, and think I'm gunna apply to both St Andrews and Edinburgh (although I don't hold much hope for getting into Edinburgh!) - which has the best access to some good lochs, climbing, wildernessy jazz?

 

[Beer Monster]

Since we're on the subject of Scotland - I'm in the midst of choosing universites at the moment, and think I'm gunna apply to both St Andrews and Edinburgh (although I don't hold much hope for getting into Edinburgh!) - which has the best access to some good lochs, climbing, wildernessy jazz?

........ Aberdeen Uni ! Not that I'm biased ....... having gone there myself

 

[andy_e]

St Andrews vs Edinburgh, they're both about the same as far as access to the outdoors goes, though Edinburgh probably has the better travel options.

 

[Doc]

St Andrews is near Tentsmuir forest (Coastal FC forest of Corsican Pine), and not too far from the Perthshire highlands.

There are hills around Edinburgh but not really in the same league, IMHO.

I studied at Aberdeen ('Aberdeen - Gaelic for hypothermia') which has some good hill country within a reasonable drive, but not great without a car. I spent much of my last year on attachment to the hospital in Inverness.

Inverness, according to the surveys, is the best place to live in Scotland and for the outdoorsman/woman this may well be true. Unfortunately it doesn't have an ancient university.

 

[Beer Monster]

I studied at Aberdeen ('Aberdeen - Gaelic for hypothermia') which has some good hill country within a reasonable drive, but not great without a car.

True. I had a car which made life a lot easier. Alternatively there is also the AU Lairig Club who organise regular trips to the hills as does the UOTC.

 

[Lucyc]

Aberdeen does look awesome - it's not an option unfortunately
BUT I would have my car up there if I went to St Andrews, so I guess I would be able to get to places quite easily.. Hopefully there'd be more like-minded people in Scotland than where I am now, too..

Edit: Wouldn't mind joining that Lairig club though.. Those guys don't look too er.. unfit

 

[fishy1]

I am considering going to st andrews this year maybe. Got the offer but I dunno...

 

[Lucyc]

I am considering going to st andrews this year maybe. Got the offer but I dunno...

Alright, brainy
What else are you considering?
What you going to study!

 

[Doc]

I know its not for everyone, but as Beer Monster mentions, the OTC is well worth considering as you get a lot of 'adventure training'. I spent six years camping/shooting/hillwalking/boating/flying/blowing things up/playing radios etc with Aberdeen OTC and got paid for it, as well as having the best friends anyone could wish for, and access to the cheapest bar in the city. And a nice kilt.

Group B Territorial, so you are subject to military law on duty, but there is normally no call-up liability.

 

[fishy1]

I'm considering taking a year away to go to alaska/canada for a bit and hone my skills. St andrews is my best offer, rejected from every english uni i applied to. Studying various combinations of chem, physics and engineering. You?

 

[Lucyc]

I'm considering taking a year away to go to alaska/canada for a bit and hone my skills. St andrews is my best offer, rejected from every english uni i applied to. Studying various combinations of chem, physics and engineering. You?

It's a good uni - no. 6 I think?
Thinking either History or Classics at the moment - undecided at the moment

I know its not for everyone, but as Beer Monster mentions, the OTC is well worth considering as you get a lot of 'adventure training'. I spent six years camping/shooting/hillwalking/boating/flying/blowing things up/playing radios etc with Aberdeen OTC and got paid for it, as well as having the best friends anyone could wish for, and access to the cheapest bar in the city. And a nice kilt.

Group B Territorial, so you are subject to military law on duty, but there is normally no call-up liability.

OTC? I'm guessing some sort of armyish thing Although I do enjoy CCF..
So yeah, sorry - what is it?

Edit: Cancel that last - just reading about it - Officer Training Corps?

 

[Beer Monster]

I know its not for everyone, but as Beer Monster mentions, the OTC is well worth considering as you get a lot of 'adventure training'. I spent six years camping/shooting/hillwalking/boating/flying/blowing things up/playing radios etc with Aberdeen OTC and got paid for it, as well as having the best friends anyone could wish for, and access to the cheapest bar in the city. And a nice kilt.

Group B Territorial, so you are subject to military law on duty, but there is normally no call-up liability.

Yup it's definitely worth it. Many good friends made and some fantastic opportunities - outdoor training courses that give you recognised civilian qualification (summer mountain leader, winter mountain leader, rock climbing quals, kayaking quals, sailing etc) ....... and they pay you to do it!? ....... I thought it was a good deal anyway.

Oh and like the good Doc said ..... you get to blow stuff up too .

It's a good uni - no. 6 I think?
Thinking either History or Classics at the moment - undecided at the moment



OTC? I'm guessing some sort of armyish thing Although I do enjoy CCF..
So yeah, sorry - what is it?

Edit: Cancel that last - just reading about it - Officer Training Corps?

That's the one. Have a look at them when you go to your freshers fair.

Oh and of St Andrews and Edinburgh I'd go for St Andrews. Its smaller and in my personal opinion seemed a bit friendlier. I'd still go for Aberdeen though .......

 

[Doc]

If you've enjoyed CCF the OTC is much the same, but about eighteen times better.

At Aberdeen OTC anyway, there were more applicants for appointment as officer cadet than there were places. There was a competitive selection weekend after Freshers Week. Service in the CCF or other cadet forces was viewed favourably.

Did I mention that you get to blow things up?

 

[Lucyc]

If you've enjoyed CCF the OTC is much the same, but about eighteen times better.

At Aberdeen OTC anyway, there were more applicants for appointment as officer cadet than there were places. There was a competitive selection weekend after Freshers Week. Service in the CCF or other cadet forces was viewed favourably.

Did I mention that you get to blow things up?

Actually, yes you did You seem to like that part..
What else did you get to do? (we're kind of drifting off topic here, but oh well )
Did you do any like adventure training and stuff like that? In the CCF at the moment we get the opportunity of doing really cheap courses and stuff..

 

[fishy1]

St Andrews always kinda seemed, to me at least, to treat arts subjects more importantly than sciences. Plus it's pretty much just students and tourists in the town, which can be good or bad depending on your point of view.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Another venue - Cairngorms

Derry Lodge and Bob Scott's bothy are good camping and bothy spots.

Then onto the Larig Ghru and more camping and hen Aviemore and train home ?

Some photos from Today, sunburning in the glen .

 

[bikething]

I really must get back up there sometime... SOON !!!

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Before all the 'fresian cow' mountains are snow free !

Today was cool coz the weather was great and it's a really open dramatic glen too.

22km in 6hrs. Hamstrings sore though.

Nick

 

[bikething]

Before all the 'fresian cow' mountains are snow free !

... and the midges come out of hibernation !!!!