The year's walking got off to a slow start because of a move away from the bustle of Inverness to the comparative peace of Caithness, and overall I managed far fewer days in the hills than I would have considered satisfactory a couple of years ago. Even so, I did manage six backpacking trips, which is probably the most I have ever done in one year, with only one on which midges were a significant problem. Also, the move did give me a few new local relative hills. No completions, but I only have one hill left for a fourth round of Munros. The snag is that the hill is the In Pinn.
The best day of the year (but probably also the longest and most tiring) was a traverse of the Rum Cuillin in sunny weather in June. The least rewarding (apart from the tick) was Ben Hiant in October in constant drizzle and cloud down to the level of the road.
Ben Hiant from Meall nan Con (photo: Alan Dawson)
