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!