Colin Crawford: I struggled to the summit from Loch Duntelchaig, through deep heather, long grass, conifers and head-high bracken, which had already damned it in my eyes before I met the stingers. I was nearly down, forcing a route through clinging bracken only 100 metres from the forest track, when I felt several hot needles pierce the back of my hand. I'd brushed against a swarm of bees hidden in the fronds. My yells were probably heard in Inverness. I was 'lucky' in sustaining only four stings. As I am mildly allergic to bee venom, I was unsurprised to watch my hand swell over the next few hours to impressive proportions. It certainly made the drive home next morning more entertaining than usual.
Ken Butcher: A delightful few hours was spent on a circular visit around Loch Scammadale to claim Cruach na Seilcheig and Carn Duchara prior to parking at the track entry to the quarry. I did not venture that way but spent nearly an hour up and down the road and in and out of the forest, experiencing the same problems in locating and keeping to the two paths as Jon Metcalf reported in Marhofn 84. Eventually I decided to just go for it as straight as I could, up the hillside, fighting brambles, stumbling through rotting branches and scrambling over upturned tree roots until I reached the forest track. Ha - 100 metres to the right a change of tree species, a stream, then higher up a felled area with tracks almost to the summit - 110 minutes of ascent. The return route followed the stream to the road, below the track and keeping further east - 20 minutes. The stream was dry in summer and would be difficult to locate at the road as it is in a small pipe. With Jon's and this report, I propose this hill as the 'shit of the year'.