Baglogs: Upper Hall

Baglog: Bill Fairmaner (+19=1351)

Despite spending much of the year in Scotland, actual opportunites for bagging were limited by a visit to Alaska in May, a Bob Graham round in June and various hill racing commitments. A visit to Beinn Mhor (20B) on a rare quiet day in January opened my account on Islay. A second highlight from January was a grandstand view of the snow-splattered ramparts of the Cuillin from An Cruachan, west of Glen Brittle.

Jump forward to August and news of foot and mouth disease broke on the day I visited Beneraird, Knockdolian and Troweir Hill (27B). Though Surrey seemed so very, very far off, there was a worry these could be the last hills for a while. As such, each was relished, even the gentle, grassy (i.e. dull) slopes of Beneraird. Knockdolian, which looked potentially troublesome on the map, proved to be visitor-friendly and is very fine indeed. Worst wetting of the year was on Cairn Pat (27B) - as good a hill as any for a wet and stormy day. Quite a fair proportion of my travels have featured views of Ailsa Craig. Alas, work schedule and boat timetables were not in harmony. Sometime this coming year, perhaps.