Best new Marilyn of the year (arguably best ever for sub 2000-foot hills) was Sgurr na Stri. The best view in the country? Coruisk, Bla Bheinn and Rum on a dazzling May morning, with inversion cloud over half the sea of the Hebrides and pure sun-gold on the other half. I would seriously recommend any would-be Marilynist to consider this for a final hill, since it is the essence of what Marilyns are about.
Everything else memorable was in the west too. My annual end-of-May boat trip bagged Scalpay, which was memorable not so much for Mullach na Carn (in mist and rain) as for the night in Crowlin harbour afterwards - utter peace and apartness - and the night after, stuck in the boat in Arisaig harbour, too windy to go ashore in the dinghy.
Two raids on region 19 gave some gems, of which Beinn Mhor opposite Seil was the finest. Across the Firth of Lorn, An Sleaghach and Beinn a'Chaisil (18C) gave a great winter round, with a camp on the west shore of Loch Linnhe. Probably the biggest surprise was meeting a large party of walkers coming up from Ardtornish as I was heading out. Cairn Table (27C) gave a wonderful September morning, with a 100% inversion cloud-sea blocking out the sight and sound of the open-cast workings. Craiglee above Loch Doon is a fine tangle of rough ground, with tussocks, loose hidden rocks, bracken, brambles and ticks all combining to satisfy the masochistic bagger. I even managed to drag my mother up Hill of Stake en route to Scottish Opera's Die Walkure in Glasgow (more memorable than the hill in mist).
Really though, this was the year of Corbett Tops for me, with only five or so hill days to go to completion by the end of the year. Most involved repeat ascents of Marilyn Munros and Corbetts. A few highlights: February ski tours taking in Mount Keen and all the Ben Tirran tops, with a night at the shieling of Saughs, and the Beinn Mholach / Stob an Aonaich Mhoir group - I guess not many people think of those as highlights, but in perfect snow conditions and sun they definitely were. I hope I will have more to report on the Marilyn front in a year's time, but maybe that's not too likely, what with the Corbett Tops to complete, a fifth Munro round not too far off, and the looming, mind-blowing threat of Graham Tops.
