sandend wild camp

Bit of an Indian summer going on so it was off to Sandend for a wild camp.  I had originally been planning to go into local hills but the weather was too good not to go to the coast.  I packed the gear mid-afternoon and was in Portsoy by late afternoon.  The car was deposited in the main square and I decided against a pint at the harbour in order to get on with the walk.

The walk meandered along the cliff top via Redhythe Point, giving stunning views over the sea towards Sutherland.  Lots of seabirds were sitting on the cliffs - mainly Cormorants I think.  I arrived at a bay just before Sandend where I thought there might be a good spot for a tent but kept going because I could see a flat bit of lush grass on a rocky point.  This turned out to be perfect - soft grass and a view of Sandend across the bay.

I didn't pitch the tent straight away as there were still quite a few walkers about so I had dinner consisting of Fuizion Lamb and Pearl Barley.  Tasty and mess-free.

It was then time for a few photos as the sun went down behind Sandend and I was in bed by 9 pm as it was quickly getting dark.  The resident heron was keeping an eye on me, flying from one rock to another.  I was a bit worried that at high tide some spray or waves may have hit the tent but it was pretty calm and according to my Tide app the sea would only rise by about another metre and a half so I took the chance.  Great thing an iphone!

I was in bed well before the local farmer!  At first I thought there was a lighthouse above Sandend, but I think it was a farmer combining his crop.  The lights from his vehicle were dancing on the outside of the tent for a good while.  The usual restless night followed with waves breaking and the need to unzip my sleeping bag as the temperature never went below 13 degrees C inside the tent.  I always seem to get a dead arm because of the confined sleeping position.

Dawn broke and it was very grey outside.  I had been hoping for some more photos of the tent in low sunlight but it was not to be.  A quick brew of herbal fruit tea and a few handfuls of peanuts and the gear was soon packed.  It's great when there is no rain and little wind - so much more pleasant.

The 2.5 mile walk back to the car was soon done and it was back to Alford after probably the last wild camp of the year.  I would do more in the winter months but it is a bit like being in a coffin for 10+ hours with nothing to do.  The weather's not the problem.  Until next year ...

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sunnyside wild camp

Will I go camping? Can I be bothered? The weather's not very good ...

Decided to go anyway as it was a bank holiday weekend and I knew I'd regret it if I wasted the day. Set off in grey, cloudy weather but by the time I reached Huntly I could see the cloud breaking up further north. By the time I got to the Moray coast there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Wise decision.

I drove through Sandend and parked the car at the Sunnyside beach car park. There were 3 or 4 cars there even though it was evening so I decided to walk east from Findlater Castle to avoid any possible crowds. However, I couldn't find any flat grass and when Sandend came into view I turned around and headed west towards Sunnyside beach.

The path descended to the beach and I spotted one flat piece of short grass but kept going in case there was anything better further west. I passed 3 women walking in the opposite direction and had a chat about the deer I had seen on the cliff face. The grass was very long and bumpy so I turned round hoping the women had not pinched my spot. Luckily they had kept on walking towards Sandend so I dumped my rucksack and got the camera out.


The weather was beautiful and sunny and I wandered along the beach taking photos until it was time to erect the tent. I had decided not to take the bivy in case of midgies. It felt quite exposed to passers-by but I did not see another soul for the rest of the camp. The sunset was worth the walk and I hit the sack at the back of 11 pm.


The weather overnight was extremely calm and the wind was about 6 mph before I went to bed. The temperature fell to a minimum of 9 degrees so I was very cosy all night.


After a restless night I got up at 5 am to find I had just missed the sunrise. However, it was still very calm and the cloud was breaking up quickly. A quick cup of white tea and the tent was packed. A deer on the cliff face was less than happy with my presence and was barking at me for a few minutes.

I made a minor detour to look at the dovecot that was built in the late 16th century in order to provide the nearby Findlater Castle with fresh meat and fertiliser. The interior was amazing with over 700 stone nesting boxes.


I decided to stop at Portsoy harbour for some photos and was very glad I did. This was my first visit to Portsoy apart from Graham and Teresa's wedding - it was very quaint in the early morning sun. Surprisingly I did meet a couple of people even though it was only 6.30 am on a Sunday morning.


I was back home by about 8 am in time for a decent breakfast after unpacking the tent in the garage in order to air it. Then hours of photo editing ...

tap o' noth wild camp

Wasn't sure about this one! I had been psyching myself up for this one all week because it was to be my first bivy camp and although the weather promised to be rain-free it was also going to be pretty windy. I told myself that the bonus would be midge-free conditions - this had been worrying me because there is no escape from midgies when using a bivy!

The beauty of a bivy is that you can pack a slightly lighter bag and therefore I was packed and ready to go in no time. No need to take lots of food because I had already had my tea so I only took salted peanuts and a hot chocolate.

I headed for Rhynie and parked the car at the foot of Tap o' Noth - an iron-age hillfort that is the second highest in Scotland at 563 m. More than 100 house platforms have been recorded between the rampart and a wall that further protects the hill's summit. This stone and timber wall, more than 6m in width and 3m high, is vitrified in places - the stones have fused together through intense, prolonged heat. The wall proved to be a useful shelter from the worst of the wind. On the summit there is a rock cut well or cistern.

It was very windy on the way up as I passed what remained of my wild rasp source - they have all been ripped up to make way for some forestry work. I'll need to look elsewhere this summer for my jam ingredients. Last time I was up this path it was covered in at least 12" of snow so my progress was a bit quicker this time. It took me 36 minutes to walk 1.46 miles and climb 1,285 feet, an average of 2.42 mph.

Once on top I just managed to get some sunset photos before unpacking the bivy and sleeping bag. I had an anxious moment as the sleeping mat took off in the high winds - I had to anchor them down with my tripod and rucksack. About 10.15 pm I was ready for bed and I was a bit apprehensive about what was ahead. Would I feel claustrophobic or exposed? As I lay down it was a strange feeling to be on top of a hill staring at a vast expanse of nothingness above my head. Strangely, it felt like being in a deep ocean (and no, I hadn't been drinking)!

The stars slowly came out as the sun went down and I had a great feeling of freedom. The wind was strong enough to make my eyes water even thought they were shut which was a bit strange. I managed to pull the bag up far enough to get out of most of the wind and was soon nice and toasty. Little wonder, because I was wearing my track pants, 2 merino tops, wool hat and my Rab primaloft jacket. Turned out the temperature was about 6 degrees overnight but if anything I was too warm. Why do I always need the toilet when camping? One of life's mysteries.

It never really got dark because of the time of year and also a lovely big moon that was low in the sky. By about 4 am I was ready to get up and the bag was packed by 4.30 am. I didn't have a cup of tea because it was so windy and I decided to head home for a few hours of decent sleep. On the way down the sun appeared on the horizon - a stunning sight in a deep red colour.

So that was my first bivy - in many ways I think I prefer it to being in a very small tent. It's lovely to have open space around you. The only drawbacks would be rain and midgies!

slaggan wild camp

So a holiday weekend and could I be bothered packing my gear and driving to the west coast? Yes I could! The weather forecast was perfect and I knew I would regret not going - sunny and warm and no midges yet. The added benefit of missing the royal wedding also played a part ...

Had a good run up in about 4 hours and strapped on my rucksack (complete with tripod - more later) and left the car in a small quarry/layby. The track was through a gate stating the road was only suitable for all-terrain vehicles but it was easy walking. There was plenty of evidence of cows having been in the area but none to be seen. I think they are moved at this time of the year because the mothers are protective of their young and don't take kindly to walkers (one website talked about this).

The walk in took me past 2 small lochs with lilies just breaking the surface. After about 40 minutes the deserted croft at Slaggan came into view and to my horror an old Subaru estate was parked there. I would have company for the night! The croft at one time had a school and teacher but only 6 people lived there by 1939. The Mackenzies from Achgarve built the house in 1936 but it burned down in 1942 leaving the gable ends. One theory is that it was caused by Royal Navy personnel.

Once the sea was visible I couldn't help but smile - what a location for a wild camp. The car occupants had pitched a 4-person tent at the south side of the bay leaving the north side for me. How they got their car over the potholes I have no idea! There was only a small patch of grass that was flat enough and the odd sheep sharn was quickly kicked into touch. The Wild Country tent is so easy to pitch in about 10 minutes - proving to be a good buy.

Another Fuizion tea of Chicken Tikka proved to be very tasty so I'll stick with this brand in future. I was amazed to find that I had at least 4 bars on my Orange mobile but uploading proved to be a bit of a hit or miss affair - quite often an error message occurred and this fairly ate up my battery. The occupants of the other tent rarely left their tent so I was able to roam the beach and stones in perfect peace. Ringed Plovers were darting around the beach and I managed to get some good sunset photos but wished that I had packed an extra jacket as the cold wind was quite strong. The tripod was a waste of time because I forgot to pack the quick-release plate - 4 lbs I could have done without carrying!

My sleeping bag was yet again perfectly warm as I hit the sack at about 9.30 pm. Plenty of noise from the waves kept me awake on and off all night but I've come to expect little sleep on a wild camp. You soon recover after a good sleep in a real bed back home. To some people's amusement my World Tides app was informative and low tide occurred around midnight and the tide was fully in when I awoke so I didn't manage to walk the beach at low tide nor get photos.

I got up about 7 am just as the sun was hitting the bay and it was truly stunning. The tent was packed while the stove boiled water for my hot chocolate and I scoffed a cereal bar and peanuts for breakfast. A few more photos and it was back up the dunes to take photos of the ruins on my way out. If you are interested you can currently buy the land at the ruin with planning permission for a house. The only problem is that the site is 3 miles up a rough track and architects/builders are apparently reluctant to get involved in a project that is so remote. Builders on the west coast are booked 2 years in advance!

For some reason I managed to get a blister on one foot despite having walked the West Highland Way and not get any blisters. It was a beautiful drive up to Ullapool and the campsite was virtually full - never seen it so busy. A combination of a holiday weekend, the feis and the royal wedding all played their part. A full Scottish breakfast in the cafe above the climbing shop and all was well with the world ...

How ironic that writing this blog using Google Chrome and Blogger was a nightmare - both the same company?? Firefox and Blogger still works fine ...

camlet wild camp

Camlet is an abandoned farm-toun in Glen Girnock and was my destination for a wild camping extravaganza! I left my car at Littlemill mid afternoon and set off with my weighty pack - not much point in buying light gear when you add a muckle great tripod. It took just under an hour in perfect, sunny conditions to arrive at Camlet. En route I nearly stepped on an adder - Britain's only poisonous snake. I don't know who was more startled - me or the snake!


It took me a while to find the perfect pitch because the site is on the side of a hill and also the grass was long and tufty. I eventually found a spot just below the house by some old trees. Perfect. The tent was up in no time.


I had taken in some water but this was the first outing for my travel tap. A jaunt down to the stream at the bottom of the hill and it was filled with lovely, cool water. The tap works well but the flow is quite slow. Tea was another Fuizion dry meal - vegetable kung po with noodles. Superb! Expensive but saves a lot of hassle - just add boiling water to the bag and leave for 8 minutes.


I was glad to have taken the tripod in order to catch some dusk shots that were fairly successful. I watched a couple of bats buzzing around the tent and as the sun went down it became a bit chilly so I was in bed before 10 pm.


Funny how you hear lots of strange noises when camping - the night really dragged as I tossed and turned. Starting to get the hang of what amount of clothing to wear in bed - this time I had no liner and slept in boxers and merino t-shirt (temperature overnight was probably about 5 degrees). The local birds were doing their best to keep me awake.


Next morning I was up about 5.30 am to catch the sunrise and it was very still and peaceful. Breakfast was hot chocolate, meusli bar and peanuts. A few more photos, tent packed and walking back to the car before 7 am.


Really enjoyed the location - I managed to see all sorts of wildlife including deer, an adder, woodpecker, bats and loads of thrushes singing their hearts out.


It's always quite sad visiting these deserted farm-touns when you think about the hard life the farmers had and how the way of life has disappeared. Shortly the buildings will have vanished too.

Camlet History

Farmed from before the 1600s, Camlet once supported 20 thatched roof crofts. Once a glen that survived because of cattle and cattle-droving it declined in the 18th century because of poor, wet land that was better suited to sheep. Crops often failed because of the bad weather.

The glen was notorious for illicit whisky stills and at Camlet lived Camlet John, self-styled Minister of the Camlet. He farmed Camlet for over 50 years, was married twice and had 12 children before dying in 1834. One grandson, James Gordon, left the glen aged 6 and ended up on Campbell Island in the sub-Antarctic.

Information courtesy of Dr Peter Gordon (http://www.leopardmag.co.uk/feats/142/girnocks-lost-cotter-touns).

Update

J Gordon farmed Campbell Island from 1895 on a 21-year farming lease. In 1991 an expedition to the island found a tin in the rafters with his diaries and history.

inchmore wild camp

Time for my first wild camping trip of the year and the weather forecast was looking good, if not cold overnight. Decided to go to Inchmore which is 2.5 miles west of Corgarff Castle and situated near the River Don.

On the way in the track passes by Delnadamph which was once the highest shooting lodge in Scotland, at 430 m. It was bought in 1977 by the Queen, allegedly for Charles and Diana, but Diana was said to not like the building. It was demolished in 1989 but the dog kennels and a couple of other buildings still remain. The kennel is a listed building from the late 19th century - how did the Queen get permission to demolish the lodge?


It took me about 45 minutes to reach the bothy (into a strong headwind). I had stopped to talk to an inquisitive farmer in his land rover but he was pleasant enough. No doubt my car registration was noted by MI5. Initially I had planned to camp near the dam but I couldn't find a flat and/or dry enough spot so I trailed back to the bothy which had lovely, short, flat grass!

The Wild Country Sololite tent is really easy to pitch - probably about 5 to 10 minutes. Got the gear unpacked and it was time to try out my new stove - an MSR Pocket Rocket. I had to go to Inverurie to get a gas canister to fit it but all was well and hot chocolate was ready in about 2 minutes. Delicious. Then it was a curry meal by Fuizion and it was probably my tastiest meal for a long time. Just add water to the pouch and leave for 10 minutes. No doubt the environs made the meal taste better than it really was.

I managed to get a shot of the bothy in moonlight around the back of 9 pm and decided to get into my sleeping bag at 9.45 pm as it was pretty dark and cold. The odd shower and hail storm had passed and by now the sky was cloudless.

I can't say I got a great sleep but this was nothing to do with the cold. If anything, I was too hot - could be the fact that I slept in base layer top and pants with the addition of a wool hat and extra top! Eventually I had to take off the extra top. During the night I got out to check the tent as it was making flapping noises but it was ok. I swear the dam sounded like a jet aircraft all night. The stars were stunning and I wished I had carried my heavy tripod for some Milky Way shots. Perhaps next time.

Got up about 6.30 am in order to get some sunrise photos and it was cold! The hail had frozen in little pools at the foot of the flysheet. However, soon got the water on and enjoyed another hot chocolate. Decided to have a rice pudding for breakfast but is was not nearly as good as the curry - the rice had dried into big clumps and did not really absorb enough water.

Packed all the gear again and soon hit the road back to the car at Corgarff Castle. Tent and sleeping bag airing at present and all clean after a shower. Great start to a few months of wild camping adventures!

wild camp research

Weather was forecast to be dry and sunny so it was off to the Tap o'Noth to see if it would be a good location for a wild camp. I knew it was quite rocky at the top so I popped a tent peg into my camera bag so that I could test the ground at the top.


On the way to the foot of the hill it became evident that there would still be a lot of snow on the path. This did not fill me with joy! However, the car was parked and my walking boots put on.

The path at lower levels has been my source of wild raspberries and thus wild rasp jam. To my dismay Scottish Woodland have carved a big track up the hillside and destroyed the gorse and rasp bushes in the process. Hmmm.


The snow was surprisingly deep and was easily 15" in places. Luckily there was a bit of a frozen crust so the walking was not as bad as it could have been, but still quite tiring. I passed the usual buzzards (?) in the copse of trees and wondered if I could be bothered going all the way to the top but I eventually made it with several stops on the way for photos (and to recover).


The top was very sheltered because of the stone ramparts and I prodded the ground in a few places to see if I would be able to pitch a tent later in the year. Most of the ground was very lumpy because of grass tufts but I'm sure I will be able to find a reasonable spot. It was actually very pleasant out of the wind and in the sun and I am really looking forward to going back. The only drawback is the lack of a water stream.


Stopped at the Lumsden Shop on the way home - what a strange place!

glen girnock

Went to bed on Friday night hoping the weather would be bright the next day and I was not disappointed. I had planned to walk up Glen Girnock after a bit of research with the aim of identifying some wild camping locations. Left Alford in a mild 5 degrees but by the time I got to the "car park" at Littlemill it was down to 0 degrees.

The weather was beautiful and after adding a few layers of clothing I was soon on the track (marked Private) up into Glen Girnock. There was still a bit of icy snow on parts of the track that made for interesting walking but thankfully they were few and far between.

The first abandoned house is Loinveg, still in good condition.


The next abandoned house is Camlet where once upon a time 20 families lived in long houses. The house sits near to a hill where witches were once burned and was occupied by the Minister of Camlet.


The last house I passed is Bovaglie and what a location! Uninterrupted views across to Lochnagar. The house sits in the remains of old woodland and is the perfect wild camping spot (as is Camlet). After taking loads of photos I turned back towards the car, still enjoying the sunshine and calm conditions.


I think this will be my next wild camping location - a walk of 3.2 miles from the car with great views, isolation and a water supply.


More information on the cotter-touns here.

top 10 cd purchases of 2010

In response to Ed's recent compilation I decided to list my top 10 purchases of 2010. As you will see, the cds were not necessarily released in 2010 and some are a good bit older...

For those who want to hear the tracks most are available on a Spotify playlist I created (username spottiewattie17) or if you would prefer I can send you a cd compilation (unlike Ed who emailed me 19 mp3 files - none of them named). My computer has just about recovered from the marathon download session! Calling me an "ungrateful tosser" was a bit harsh ;)

Ok pop pickers:

10 Mocking Bird by Barclay James Harvest - I used to have the gatefold lp cover on my bedroom wall after I stole it from a wall display at Dundee Caird Hall after a gig in the 70s. In memory of Woolly Wolstenholme who died recently.

9 What you know by Two Door Cinema Club - love the prominent bass on this entire cd.

8 The last nail by Dan Fogelberg - west-coast rock from my teenage years.

7 This Woman's Work by Kate Bush - missed this the first time round. Emotional song.

6 Daisy by Karine Polwart - Scottish folk at its best.

5 Are you here by Corinne Bailey Rae - amazing personal lyrics about her (dead) husband.

4 Baby Lee by Teenage Fanclub - another classic.

3 All things must pass by George Harrison - finally got round to buying this cd after 35 years.

2 Lloyd I'm ready to be heartbroken by Camera Obscura - a John Peel favourite.

1 Animals by The Answering Machine - got some great photos at the Drummonds gig.

Anyway, hope you enjoy them if you manage to listen to any of them.

white range rovers

Went for a quick walk this afternoon after finishing my Report Card writing and marking ready for a return to work on Wednesday. It's going to take a while to get everyone back on track after the extensive snow we had in Alford. Let's hope we get through the syllabus ...

The weather was very grey and was not conducive to great photos (with my skill anyway). However, it was good to move my legs again after a couple of weeks of inactivity. The only exercise I've had recently has been lifting my right arm (which contained a glass of alcohol, for those of you with a dirty mind).

Which brings me to the interview in Scotland on Sunday with Calum Mackinnon. Calum has just opened a bar in Aberdeen called Amicus Apple. Calum thinks he has spotted a gap in the market for a branch of Amicus Apple and having read his thoughts I am confident I will never enter his bar.

He describes his friends like this:

"All my friends work for big oil companies and drive white Range Rovers. They like to spend and being seen to spend".

This is how he describes Aberdeen:

"It's a beautiful place, you can do a bit of surfing, the Trump development is going to be so great for the city."

This was the final straw. I can just imagine his bar: businessmen with posh shirts and cars talking very loudly about their last bonus. Ladies with orange skin who don't know the meaning of "subtle" on the lookout for a rich partner. Bar prices you need a mortgage for. Bouncers on the door giving you a warm welcome.

Me - I'll be drinking in the Grill Bar where at least the punters are real and the beer is well kept.

End of rant ...