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 ...