The highlights of the year were my three trips to the St Kilda group. The first two, bagging the summits of Hirta, Boreray and Dun, were covered in detail in Marhofn 196. In September, massed ranks of keen baggers returned to Hirta to camp in the village. We had good weather, we had big ideas. I added Soay to my list and everyone else added something to theirs. I did not revisit Boreray summit, but Rob and I found a new way onto the east side that did not involve ropes. Sadly, the main St Kilda stacs remained inviolate due to those protected gannets (CW: which Lewis men are allowed to murder in large numbers on Sula Sgeir each year). During the course of these trips we poked our noses into most parts of the Kilda coastline, getting to know the place a lot better. What had started feeling like an expedition to a strange world was becoming friendly and familiar, yet undeniably awesome.
I took the entire family to Lewis for the Easter trip. While waiting for Kilda-crossing weather, we had one of the best family holidays ever. The hills of west Lewis were bagged and time spent on sandy beaches. This would have been an excellent trip even if we had never left port. The September Kilda trip was made even more special when some of us used the final day to visit the Shiants and Seaforth Island.
There were many other good days last year. I particularly enjoyed a long solo day out from Lochivraon bothy to Poolewe, taking in the Fisherfield six. Other excellent hills that I had somehow never previously done were Arenig Fawr and Fountains Fell. Smaller hills that were unexpectedly delightful were Rubers Law, Moel y Golfa and Aberedw Hill.
And there were some hills with new friends; a great day out on Ardnamurchan peninsula, a double 1000th near Braemar, and an evening with Eric Young and our families on Watch Hill on a balmy Lakeland evening. This last one was a multi-repeat for me but nevertheless an utter pleasure.
