Little did I know, in July 1959, when I took a bus-load of teenagers up Cleeve Hill, that in 2001 I would be planning number 600. First thoughts had been to return to Yorkshire, my adopted county before moving to Scotland in 1972. But all summits in the dales were closed, whereas I was assured the relative hills of Islay and Jura would be accessible. So, on 6 June 2001, the following was entered in the recording book on Beinn Shiantaidh: 'Ken Butcher, Relative Hill 599, going on to Beinn an Oir for number 600. Sunny, 9:25am.' The day was concluded with Beinn a'Chaolais whilst my wife Mary was being eaten alive by the Jura midge as she recorded Three Arch Bridge in gouache paints.
This was a year of ups and downs, as it were. It got off to a bad start with a knee operation for a torn cartilage, plus the news that arthritis was setting in in my right knee, just to add to my woes. And that was before FMD hit the headlines. Anyway, my physio reckoned that telling me to stop climbing hills was a non-starter so, instead, she advised me to start thinking about what I was doing, maybe be a bit sensible. So I looked up 'sensible' in the dictionary, thought about it, and climbed 77 new Marilyns. The sensible bit was not going out on many wet days. Best part of the year was definitely the week spent on Barra and South Uist, and reaching the Hall of Fame on the last hill climbed that week. The two days visiting the Barra Head islands were pure magic and rank among my most memorable hill days ever. The rest of the week, not to mention the superb weather, was pretty fantastic too. Celebrating my 600th on Crogary na Hoe, with a suitable dram or two of course, was the perfect end to a perfect week.
Helen McLaren (right) celebrates on Crogary na Hoe with Mary Cox
I must admit to never thinking 'Marilyn', but on writing to Dave Hewitt after completing the Corbetts he sent us a copy of the 2001 newsletter and suggested that we were probably well on our way to 600. As we had done all the Welsh 2000ft tops, all the Wainwrights, and sundry other tops in the Pennines and Peak District, we thought we had probably done about 700. On purchasing The Relative Hills and adding up we were surprised that we had only done 593 and 594 respectively. We had both tramped around mountain areas before we met, and have since repeated all our individual tops together except the actual summit of Kinder Scout, which had been my first. We quickly did a few more Marilyns in Wales to total 598 and 599, then on 4 October 2001 we both went up Penycloddiau in the early morning (my 600th) and then drove to Edale and did Kinder Scout (Syl's 600th). Our current project is high points of Scottish islands, but the Marilyns have given us something else to do which we may not have done otherwise.
A few great days from 2001 stand out, including a memorable ski tour on Good Friday over the Moine Mhor to Monadh Mor and Beinn Bhrotain. It's seldom skiable from this side, and the descent was a dream. Pity the FMD restrictions added an extra hour both ends of the day. Wonderful Rois-Bheinn and its pals gave another great day in May (more FMD nonsense though) and Beinn na h-Eaglaise in Torridon was memorable in June. Having reached 600, I can't see me making much progress over the next few years. Too many other things to do, whether walking abroad, cycling here or just hanging out.
I grew up on a farm outside Aberfeldy (opposite Farragon Hill but south of the River Tay) with excellent views of Ben Lawers and Schiehallion. I climbed Schiehallion in 1954 to collect cloudberries for the wild berry competition for children at Aberfeldy Show. The climb of Schiehallion continued annually for the next three years as it was the only place I knew where cloudberries grew at that time. I won the competition each year then grew too old for it. I climbed Ben Lawers in 1957 with a school friend who lived in Lawers school house, not only for the walk but also to look for the important wild flowers which grew in that area. I did not know what a Munro was in those days - far less a Corbett or a Marilyn - and I climbed hills for reasons other than bagging, which I had not heard of either.
For the next 30 years as a teacher and mother there was little time left for hillwalking. Then daughters grew up and I had some time to do what I wanted - hillwalking. By 1992 I knew what a Munro was, and my first Munro (as opposed to hill) was Ben Nevis on 8 August 1992. My bagging career had begun, and the long school holidays certainly helped me achieve the Munros and Corbetts in a reasonably short time. My last Munro was Beinn Sgritheall on 14 August 1996, and my last Corbett was Ainshval on Rum (with 14 friends) on 8 August 1999, when I was given a present of RHB by my aunt Jill Adam. And so Marilyns became a new addiction.
My 600th was with a friend on North Berwick Law on Good Friday 2002, a most beautiful day. I had taken my late mother's hand-woven Macphee's tartan scarf, which I had never worn. She would have been delighted, as prior to her death ten years ago I had only climbed Schiehallion, Lawers and Farragon (all several times) and also Heaval on Barra in 1965 and Tinto a year or two later. Nine days after my 600th I climbed Minch Moor with a group from Perth Hillwalking Club on another beautiful day, and Alison Wilson presented me with my mother's scarf again at the top (the champagne will also be remembered, as well as the card with over 40 signatures, many signed in the pub afterwards). Apart from Alison and myself virtually no-one had heard of Marilyns, and club members kept congratulating me on climbing 600 hills. Anyway, they were directed toward RHB and a new way of life.
North Berwick Law kilt society (photo: Micky Ross)
April 2001: FMD denied us access to Strath Vaich, and the alternative to the easy 16km cycle ride was to take the first part of the 'Am Faochagach' route from behind the inn and then head off east to Loch Vaich and the Corbett Beinn a'Chaisteil (15B). The terrain of deep heather, tussocks and peat hags is not recommended, particularly in new boots. Of course, I got blisters, it started to rain and then blow hard. The day was twice as long as anticipated. Also, I lost my favourite baseball cap.
June 2001: From Inverie to Beinn na Caillich and then SW to Meall nan Saighead and the superb north-south ridge of Druim na Cluain-Airighe (10B) - 5km of great walking to Scottas, with stunning mountain, sea, loch and island views. Magic!
Jan 2002: Stob na Cruaiche (3A): We were geared up to confront the Black Corries Lodge landowner, but it seems the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society had agreed with the local council and landowner to divert the right of way north round the lodge copse. A bit of an anti-climax, but welcome in the continual rain and westerly gale. A long hard trek over sopping moors to a lonely summit with a spacious feel. Occasional glimpses over Rannoch Moor, Blackmount, Glen Coe, Mamores, Corrour and Orchy hills made it worth the effort.
A modest ambition for 2002: to reach 40% (a pass when I was at school) and to break my duck in Wales and the Isle of Man.
At the dawn of 2001 I was well along the Corridor of Obscurity but still 18 Marilyns short of the Hall of Fame. Would this first year of the new millennium see me emerge from obscurity? The year started well enough with Beinn na Gucaig and Doire Ban (4A) on 01/01/01. Although the former had been done 23 years earlier I have little memory of that day, so the repeat was an enjoyable rediscovery for me and a tick for Frances. Beinn Lora, Na Maoilean and Airds Hill (3B) were added on 2 January. Both days were 'soft', as they say in Ireland, meaning wet overhead (and underfoot). A brief clearance on Beinn Lora hinted at the tremendous viewpoint this must be. Airds Hill was a thrash and a bash through conifers - both trig and higher ring contour were located. So, with two days gone and another four Marilyns done, things were looking good. Only 14 were needed.
We returned to Northern Ireland and began planning for the summer cycle from Land's End to John o'Groats. This was decided upon prior to FMD, but both reduced the scope for summer Marilyns. However, once a rough route had been sketched out, the nearest Marilyns were identified and it so happened that 14 lay close enough to the intended line to be feasible additions to the daily rides. Thus, a novel way of entering the Hall was devised - FMD willing. But it was not to be. Only four of the 14 were claimed. White Downs / Watch Croft on 30 June was the first - a day of 59 miles from Penzance via Land's End to St. Agnes. This was followed by Selworthy Beacon on 3 July - 42 miles from Ilfracombe to Minehead. Both hills involved some strenuous pushing of laden bikes up stony tracks. On 7 July we cycled up Ruardean Hill (38B) en route from St. Briavels to Leominster (50 miles). The gate leading into the compound with the trig point was closed but not locked. We walked in and reached the trig. As we came out, an angry man from across the road shouted at us, demanded to know what we were doing, told us we were on private land, etc, etc. It wasn't possible to make a reasoned statement of our presence, he wouldn't listen, so off we cycled. We were pleased to discover that Long Mynd (38A) was 'open', so a detour from our Leominster - Whitchurch route (73 miles) on 8 July saw us pushing the bikes from the road to another summit. The other ten intended Marilyns never materialised because of land closures, but LEJOG was accomplished.
A trip to the north of England in September allowed me to add Bainloch Hill (27C), south of Dumfries. We had tried this 18 months before but had followed the forest track from near Sandyhills Bay to its end at Laggan Hill, hoping for an easy passage along the hill crest. Excessively deep heather and a need to get to Cairnryan for the boat dictated that we retreat, and on the descent we noticed a tiny cairn at a bend in the forest track. Was this the key to a successful ascent? My September visit demonstrated that the cairn was built by someone with a warped sense of humour. The first 100 metres from the track were reasonable if rough, then head-high bracken was reached. I escaped up the steep hillside to the north, through scattered conifers and waist-deep heather, reaching the summit with more than a hint of perspiration and the odd swear word or two on my lips. I descended SW to the col and then down the line of the burn. This time there was no escape from the head-high bracken. I propose a renaming - Painful Hill would be more appropriate.
Christmas in the Highlands was the next opportunity to gain the remaining nine, but if the weather was to be a repeat of the previous Christmas that would prove difficult - days of sun and snow would see us revisiting Munros. December 22 was earmarked for several Grahams above Luss, before heading to Ballachulish for Christmas itself, but lack of parking in the upper glen forced us to go to Glen Douglas, from where we managed Tullich Hill and Beinn Bhreac (1E) - a day enlivened by finding both hills to have been rent by ancient rockslides. Beinn Sgluich and Beinn Donn (3B) on 27 Dec, then Beinn a'Mhonicag (9C) and Ardsheal Hill (3B) on 28 Dec reduced the arrears to three. Fraochaidh (3B) on 29 Dec gave us both Corbett and Marilyn, and on 30 Dec Meall Onfhaidh and Aodann Chleireig (10D) became 599 and 600 respectively. On the latter hill, I first kissed the cairn and then my wife (where have I read that before?). Frances, ever doubtful of my ability to count, suggested a couple more Marilyns before going home. So, on 2 Jan we parked on the A82 near Lochan na h-Achlaise and ascended Glas Bheinn (3A) and Meall Mor (3B), with superb views of Coire Ba, snow-covered hills and a setting moon over Clach Leathad. Needless to say the arithmetic was sound.
My pleasure at entering the Hall was doubled on discovering there are now three Wilsons listed (Dorothy and Alison being some way ahead of me). Frances is poised and may become the fourth. Having had a Wilson in Downing Street and another in England's 1966 World Cup winning team, it looks as if lunacy is rife amongst the sub-clan. (Frances wishes it to be known that she acquired the surname through marriage and therefore does not possess the genetic defects of pure-bred Wilsons. My apologies to Dorothy and Alison if that applies to them also.)