Dangerous Things In The British Outdoors

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Niels

Full Member
Mar 28, 2011
2,582
3
26
Netherlands
One of the more intelligent tourists that visited a local national park decided it would be cool to go and pet one of the wild highland cow calves.
He actually got thrown into the air by one, and had to be taken to the hospital after being extracted from the forest by the fire department. However, the highland cows aren't the danger, idiots are!
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
1,961
Mercia
I love them too. I want one of these fluffy cows in my garden when I have my own house one day. So as to get milk and cheese from it.:)

Its the fringe I think - big dark eyes peering shyly from under a fringe - love em to bits. They taste great too :)
 

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
I remember seeing a photo of an adder strike in some book or other, the photo was taken at 3000th of a second and the adder was still just a total blur. They're fast.
 

Bowlander

Full Member
Nov 28, 2011
1,353
1
Forest of Bowland

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
Most dangerous thing round my way are the lochs (salt and fresh) rivers and streams, the latter especially when in spate.

Once my fishing chum and I headed off up a local river very early in the morning as there was plenty water and a good chance of a salmon.

The route we chose involved crossing a stream to get to the bank with the best opportunity, the stream had quite a bit of water in it so off came the wellies and over we went then off and up the main river for a couple of miles. Whilst we made our way up stream it rained and rained and the water in the river rose dramatically. So much so that fishing wasn't viable and we risked being cut off. So we turned and retraced our steps until we got to the spot we'd waded the burn on the way up. No chance.

This burn flows off the very steep flanks of a munro sized mountain and the ground above our rough location too steep to be navigable with the kit we had, for the most part near vertical rock heather and reeds. The main river; just a huge torrent.

So, it was either a walk up and over a munro in a gale from just a little above sea level avoiding the steep ground high into the low cloud, with no map and compass, or a 6 mile walk back up the river on very rough ground to an old estate track, then a further 5 miles down the track to an actual road, on the other side of the hills we were in among, stranding us some 25 mile from the car when we got there (only 15 from my house it must be said). We deemed neither option viable given the circumstances.

A little up stream where the one time wadeable stream/burn had now burst it's bank there was a spit of ground (the previous bank) high and dry mid flow running about 10 to 15 meters in length that seemed to offer a possibility of reprieve. Wade in at the top of the spit, walk down to the downstream tip and wade to the far bank.

So thats what we did, except for very nearly being washed away getting on to the spit and then realizing that it wasn't going to be easy getting off or going back.

We stood on that spit of ground for half an hour stranded with the water rising all the time. We weren't alone; there was a stoat stranded there too. In the end we made it both, the stoat as though not to be out done made it too, in a single leap of faith, but it was as touch and go for the little fellow as it was for us. The stoat made it to the far side but was stuck below the bank for a time, it made it by climbing straight over the overhanging bank. Tough tough wee beastie that stoat.

My pal and I, suffice to say, learned a lesson never to be repeated, I can't really talk for the stoat but I reckon it was as relieved as us :eek:
 

ol smokey

Full Member
Oct 16, 2006
433
2
Scotland
Nothing to worry about in Britain except possibly Townies who have no Idea how to behave in the countryside especially
When they are Hoodie types filled up with lager and trying out Cheap Festival Tents with no idea about real camping.
I know there are many real nice Townies who just enjoy getting away from the rat race, mobile phones and background music, just to relax, who go about their business in an orderly manner, but the lager louts get them a bad name.
There are good and bad Townies and Country Bumpkins as well. However I have usually found that social pressure in small
Communities tends to create more consideration for other people. You still get the Bolshie Keeper or landowner who
Thinks the whole countryside belongs to him. And doesn't appreciate, that even if he has paid for the land, he only has the
Loan of it after all, It will be here long after he has gone.
 

Midnitehound

Silver Trader
Jun 8, 2011
2,116
27
AREA 51
Nothing to worry about in Britain except possibly Townies who have no Idea how to behave in the countryside especially
When they are Hoodie types filled up with lager and trying out Cheap Festival Tents with no idea about real camping.
I know there are many real nice Townies who just enjoy getting away from the rat race, mobile phones and background music, just to relax, who go about their business in an orderly manner, but the lager louts get them a bad name.
There are good and bad Townies and Country Bumpkins as well. However I have usually found that social pressure in small
Communities tends to create more consideration for other people. You still get the Bolshie Keeper or landowner who
Thinks the whole countryside belongs to him. And doesn't appreciate, that even if he has paid for the land, he only has the
Loan of it after all, It will be here long after he has gone.

Ah yes, townie tents or pop up tents as they are more commonly called. Known as such because they pop up again when you run over them with your tractor, unlike the townies inside them! :D
 

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