An unspectacular year spent picking off the more awkward-to-get-at (by weekend bus trip) Welsh Marilyns in between Caledonian forays, English Humping and an Easter club expedition to Killarney. A long February weekend in Dufftown enabled me to expand on my minimal acquaintance with Moray topography (and malts) including a lengthy romp over Corryhabbie Hill and Cook's Cairn in fine winter sunshine.
In early March I finally made use of the Saturday-only Moffat to Selkirk bus service in order to bag White Coomb, only to discover that the service was being withdrawn after the following weekend. A revisit for the subsequent Saturday was swiftly planned, to gain access to other hills along the A708.
Brent's Scalpay boat trip in September fostered a fresh clutch of Skye hills to start off my new walking season, and the year closed with the usual flitting up and down the Great Glen to seek the least foul weather. Final outing was to Airds Hill where I bumped into the Mackays (known from previous Brent boat trips) in the summit clearing, who were able to show me the recommended approach route, which was slightly less tree-ridden than the way I'd come. They were also the only people I saw on the hills during my nine-day festive break.
'Oh Christ. They're back again. And I thought we'd seen the back of them. I'm talking about lists.'
Charlie Brooker, The Guardian
