The High Life

Cairn Gorm is the 5^th highest mountain in Britain although the starting point for the simplest and most popular ascent to its summit begins almost ½ way up the mountainside.

However once on the plateau between Cairn Gorm and Cairn Lochan things change. Much of the landscape is featureless and paths become indistinct whilst the route hugs the cliffs above Coire an Sneachda and Coire an Lochan. In poor visibility this walk takes on a more ominous guise where real care combined with good navigational and map-reading skills are required. But on a clear day this is one of the finest walks along the Cairngorm massif with views extending hundreds of miles.

The Cairngorm range is known in Gaelic as Am Monadh Ruadh, which means The Red Mountains, because of the red granite that they are formed from.  It was during the 19^th century, when hillwalking and mountaineering became popular leisure pursuits, that  the whole range took the name from Cairn Gorm, The Blue Mountain, seemingly because it held the most noticeable position from Speyside. Although marred by the summit observation mast the panorama across the plateau to Cairn Lochan, Ben Macdui and Braeraich from Cairn Gorm’s top are superb.

The Northern Corries is a wilder landscape, much of it featureless, paths indistinct and where the weather can change in an instant. It is an Arctic tableland, where snow can hold well into the spring – Coire an t-Sneachda translates from Gaelic as Corrie of the Snows and even the most experienced walker can become disorientated in poor weather. However when the cloud lifts above the plateau the view is extraordinary, from big brutish mountains such as Bynack More and Bheinn Mheadhoin, down by the lower foothills of the Cairngorms and across the great forests of Rothiemurchus and Glenmore to where the eye can finally rest on the sprawling upland table of the Monadh Liath.

Only the hardiest of flora and fauna survive at this altitude including moss, lichens, the mountain hare, snow bunting, dotterel and the hurried wanderings of the ptarmigan, a resident of the high mountains of Scotland and the chameleon of the bird world. Ptarmigan change their plumage during the year to reflect the changing landscape and to camouflage themselves from a variety of predators.

Meall a Bhuachaille from Cairn Gorm

Cairn Lochan

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Dunure’s Dark Secret

The picturesque Ayrshire village of Dunure is built around its small harbour, which is home to a small number of working fishing boats. The harbour was improved in 1811 by the Earl of Cassillis and for a time it became one of the industrious fishing ports along Scotland’s West Coast.

Overlooking the harbour and village is Dunure Castle, which from the 12th century was the original base of the Cassillis Kennedy Clan (during this time much of the land along the coastline was owned by the Kennedy Clan and with separate Kennedy factions, including the Bargany and the Cassillis Kennedy’s, the history of the clan has been a hostile one with much blood shed over the centuries).

Although hard to believe today, owing to its derelict nature, for several hundred years Dunure Castle was more important than neighbouring Culzean Castle. In 1563 Mary, Queen of Scots stayed at Dunure Castle for three nights as a guest of Gilbert Kennedy, the 4^th Earl of Cassillis (much more of him later) as she made her progression through the country. The magnificent vantage point overlooking the Firth of Clyde to Arran’s serrated profile provided the Kennedy’s with an easily defendable situation and excellent lookout post. As the Kennedy’s position of power and wealth grew so did the castle, with many rooms being added to the original building, including a prison.

Dunure Castle has a very dark past culminating in what has infamously become known as ‘the roasting of Allan Stewart’. Stewart was the Abbot of Crossraguel Abbey a few miles along the road at Maybole and a dispute arose between Stewart and Gilbert Kennedy regarding who owned the Crossraguel’s lands – abbey’s were very powerful institutions at the time and came with much influence and wealth. After a number of heated arguments Gilbert took matters into his own hands. Along with a number of his men, Gilbert captured Stewart and led him down into Dunure’s ominously titled Black Vault.

It was here that Stewart was stripped, bound and slowly cooked over a large, open fire until he signed over the lands of Crossraguel Abbey. But the gruesome tale did not end there. After a week or so, in which time Stewart (and his untreated wounds) was still imprisoned, it came to light that his first signature was invalid. Therefore Gilbert demanded Stewart sign the deeds again before a witness. At first he refused but after he was strung up again and roasted, Stewart succumbed (under what must have been unbearable pain and suffering) and signed the lands over to the Earl.

Dunure Castle and Ailsa Craig

The Fiery Hill

Emerging from the predominantly flat lands of the Clyde Valley Tinto Hill has long been a popular hillwalking destination – the wide track leading from its base to the summit bears testament to its reputation. There are very few days that will not see footfall on Tinto’s slopes with thousands climbing to her spacious summit every year to enjoy an astonishing 360-degree panorama. A much quieter descent (and scenically just as alluring) follows a good track down over Scaut Hill in the company of skylark, lapwing, kestrel and hen harrier.

Tinto Hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its geological significance, particularly the examples of periglacial stone stripes that have developed over many millions of years on Tinto’s exposed rocky slopes due to intense freeze/thaw cycles. Furthermore much of Tinto Hill’s upper slopes are formed from a red-coloured igneous rock known as Felsite, which may explain Tinto’s derivation, from the Gaelic teinnteach, of Fiery Hill. However, a far more plausible explanation is that Tinto Hill has been an important location since earliest times as it lies on the main communication route between the Southern Uplands and the Central Belt and was used as a beacon hill, in particular a Roman signal station, hence its translation – the summit has also been used as a Druidic fire site. The local name for Tinto Hill is Tintock Tap.

Tinto Hill is not only popular with walkers but also fell runners, handgliders and paragliders. The inaugural Tinto Hill Race took place in 1984 and the intervening years has seen it become a well-established favourite in the hill running calendar. Typically around 200 hardy souls, in whatever elements the Scottish weather can muster, try and run the 4.5-mile route in the quickest time they can. John Brooks, of Lochaber Running Club, currently holds the record for the fastest time, an incredible 29 mins 58 secs, which he set in 1995.

The River Clyde and the Clyde Valley from Tinto Hill

Tinto Hill from Quothquan Law

Monastic Treat

The beautiful little fishing village of St Abbs sits perched atop dramatic cliffs above the North Sea some fifteen miles north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. The village only developed in the mid 19^th century after an Edinburgh brewing company invested in a fishing station here.

However the name St Abbs stretches back many centuries when a Northumbrian princess called Aebbe established a monastery near St Abbs Head in 635AD. When Aebbe subsequently became St Aebbe, the village was named after her.

The wonderful walk towards the National Nature Reserve of St Abbs Head actually provides the finest view of St Abbs, particularly at dawn when the warm rays of the rising sun strike the coastline, which was formed over 400 million years ago when lava flowed from nearby volcanoes. A beautiful, wild and windswept landscape offers views across a variety of twisted, rocky chimneys down to St Abbs cluster of houses and its little harbour, built into the ragged shoreline. The path keeps on to reach St Abbs Lighthouse, which was erected in 1862, initially with an oil burning light, to provide safer passage to the boats making their way along this treacherous stretch of coastline. The view along the Berwickshire coast from here is stunning.

St Abbs from St Abbs Nature Reserve

St Abbs Head

Grey Matter

Aberdeen has some of the finest architecture of any city in Britain, both in its Old and New Town’s, each of which have several extraordinary examples.

Such was the abundance of Aberdeenshire granite from the mid 18^th century that many of Aberdeen’s finest buildings were built from the solid grey stone, leading to Aberdeen becoming known as the Grey or Granite City. As the industry quickly developed it became, long before North Sea Oil, hugely important to the local economy. Aberdeen granite was first sent to London in 1764 for paving and was used in the construction of Portsmouth Docks a few years later. Other celebrated buildings that exploited Aberdeen granite include Bell Rock Lighthouse in 1806 and Waterloo Bridge in London 1817.

What today is Aberdeen Old Town dates back to Roman times (although settlements first sprang up about 8000 years ago) and the New Town from 1136 when David I bestowed Royal status and all the economic benefits that came with such a standing. Agriculture, fishing and textiles all helped Aberdeen flourish but it was the arrival of North Sea oil in the 1970’s that transformed Aberdeen economically. With a population of over 200,000 it Scotland’s third largest city.

Within the Old Town, The Chanonry is home to some of Aberdeen’s finest religious and educational buildings. St Machar’s Cathedral was developed around the 12^th or 13^th centuries although a church was established here in 580AD by St Machar who was a follower of St Columba. Within the church sits a Celtic cross that is thought to be associated with the original church. The Cathedral is also believed to be the final resting place of one quarter of William Wallace. A little further along The Chanonry, on High Street, is the stunning King’s College, and its oldest building King’s College Chapel. The university was built in the late 15^th century, making it the 3^rd oldest in Scotland and the 5^th oldest in Britain. Much of the original building still exists today and is one of the best examples of medieval architecture in Scotland.

But perhaps Aberdeen’s finest building (and one of the best in Britain) stands in the New Town. Marischal College (pronounced Marshall) was founded by George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal of Scotland, in 1593, as a Protestant alternative to nearby King’s College although the structure we see today wasn’t built until the 19^th century. Between 1895 and 1906 the building, designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, was extended to become the second largest granite building in the world, after the Escorial Palace outside Madrid (Aberdeen got one over on Madrid when Aberdeen Football Club famously beat Real Madrid in the European Cup Winner’s Cup final of 1983). Its many elaborate spires soar skywards; the highest rises to 70 metres and the entire building can’t fail to take your breath away.

Since 2006 Marischal College has been the home of Aberdeen City Council, whilst within the building is Marischal Museum, which holds a collection of national significance, including Egyptian, classical antiquities, and Scottish prehistory displays.

Marischal College, Aberdeen

Kings College, Aberdeen

John Muir – 175 and counting

With the 175th anniversary of the birth of John Muir this coming Sunday I thought it appropriate to right a little blog about this pioneering Scot and particularly his legacy in the country of his birth.

Is there a Scottish historical figure more deserving of a long distance walking path than the great John Muir? Certainly in my mind the answer would be an unequivocal no. Many regard Muir as the father of modern conservation and the concept of National Parks may not exist (including our own Loch Lomond and Cairngorm parks) if it were not for the man who was ahead of his time.

John Muir was born in Dunbar in 1838 (the town is home to the superb John Muir Birthplace Museum) and although he lived in America from age 11 until his death in 1914, those formative years living on Scotland’s east coast were key in developing his love affair with the outdoors. Muir is a national hero in America (California celebrates John Muir Day on April 21^st annually) but he has been a little overlooked in his native country. However, the John Muir Way, which travels for 45 beautiful miles along the East Lothian coastline, between Dunglass and Fisherrow, is a fitting legacy to the man who devoted most of his life to the safeguarding of the environment.

The route grants a wonderfully scenic long distance walk, traveling along great swathes of sand, through beautiful woodland and over peaceful, picturesque countryside where an extraordinary diversity of wildlife thrives; en route hundreds of species of plants can be seen, as well as roe deer, otter, kittiwake, skylark, meadow pipit, ringed plover, pink footed geese, kingfisher, small heath and common blue butterflies to name but a few.

Throughout the walk the scenery is breathtaking, with magnificent panoramas of Bass Rock, Fidra, Fife, Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh. It passes through bustling towns and villages such as North Berwick, Gullane, Port Seton and Musselburgh, offering a variety of places to take a break and relish this wonderful segment of Scotland, and a walk John Muir would surely be proud of.

Dunbar – the birthplace of John Muir

Edinburgh from the John Muir Way at Musselburgh

More Volcanic Views

It does not take long to leave Glasgow’s city confines and reach the peace and quiet of the countryside, which sits in stark contrast to multitude of buildings, busy streets and noisy traffic of Scotland’s biggest city. In fact you can leave the city centre and be on the summit of the volcanic plug of Dumgoyne in about an hour and a half.

Dumgoyne rises sharply from the western edge of the Campsie Fells near to the village of Strathblane. The Campsie Fells date from the Carboniferous period having been formed by erosion along the line of a geological faultline known as the Campsie Fault, where around 30 different lava flows left tiers of rock. The highest point pf the Campsies is Earl’s Seat, which rises to nearly 1900 feet in height.

Dumgoyne is only fifteen miles from the city centre. A well-worn path leaves from Glengoyne Distillery and wends its way to the 427-metre summit. It is a tough climb but any effort is rewarded with quite breathtaking views; Ben Lomond and the Southern Highlands dominate the northern aspect whilst the long, rolling ridge of the Campsie Fells extend east. But the finest view is possibly the one that extends south across Glasgow’s sprawling boundaries to reach the conspicuous whale-backed outline of Tinto Hill, sitting some fifty miles away on the horizon.

The summit of Dumgoyne, looking across the Campsie Fells to Glasgow

The Southern Highlands from the summit of Dumgoyne

Island Escape

The wonderful little island of Kerrera has over the centuries been habitually, and unjustly, labelled as merely a stepping stone between the splendours of Mull, and the bustling town of Oban. A walk round Kerrera takes only a few hours, and it is a fantastic place to take your time, and meander. As you alight the ferry you are greeted by a scattering of houses, but as you continue around to the west coast via the south of the island the landscape becomes wilder with only a few farms and cottages to convey any signs of human habitation.

Near to the ferry is Horseshoe Bay. It was here on the 8^th of July 1249 that King Alexander II died. He was in position to mobilise his army in a massive land and sea initiative that he hoped would lead to the defeat of King Hakon, and the reclamation of the Western Isles from Norway. However before the battle commenced Alexander fell ill and died at Horseshoe Bay. The army was dispersed, and King Hakon remained in control of the Western Isles. However Alexander III did eventually succeed where his father had failed by defeating the Vikings at the Battle of Largs in 1263.

At the southern tip of Kerrera is Gylen Castle, which was built by the MacDougall’s in 1587. It had a fairly non-descript existence until it was besieged by Covenanters under the leadership of General Leslie in 1647 – but it is what the castle held within its walls that is of greatest interest. The Brooch of Lorne, which is said to be one of the most important items in Scottish history, is an esteemed MacDougall war trophy, which had been ripped from the breast of Robert the Bruce during the battle of Dalrigh in 1306. The brooch was then kept at Gylen Castle for safe keeping but ended up in the hands of the Campbells after General Leslie’s assault, and did not re-emerge until the 1820’s when General Duncan Campbell of Lochnell returned the brooch to the MacDougall clan.

At the north end of Kerrera stands the magnificent monument to David Hutcheson. He, along with his brother Alexander, ran a ferry service in the Inner and Outer Hebrides with another partner David MacBrayne. The company was eventually named Caledonian MacBrayne and today the ferries, instantly recogniseable by their red funnels, provide a vital link between Scotland’s west coast islands and the mainland.

During the 18^th and 19^th centuries (whether by accident or design) Kerrera became a major drove route, and this may explain the population reaching 100 in 1861. The island’s positioning between Mull and the mainland was perfect for cattle to land from Mull, Coll and Tiree. Sometimes as many as 2000 cattle travelled from these islands and landed on Kerrera at Barr nam Boc Bay. From here many of the cattle swam to the mainland, with the bay immediately to the south of Rhu Cruidh becoming known as Ardantrive, Point of the Swimming. They would then make their way to the major trysts at Falkirk, and Crieff via the Pass of Brander.

Kerrera’s highest point is Carn Breaugach and here you have a magnificent view across the Sound of Kerrera to Oban and beyond to the muscular flanks of Ben Cruachan.

Oban and Ben Cruachan from Carn Breaugach, Kerrera.

Kerrera and the Sound of Kerrera.

Trading Places

The Merchant City is one of the oldest quarters of Glasgow with its history stretching back many hundreds of years. Following the city’s regeneration of the 1980’s, Merchant City is now one of Glasgow’s cultural hotspots with a number of excellent pubs, clubs, restaurants, shops and a great place to wander.

The areas around Royal Exchange Square, High Street and George Square bound Merchant City on four sides. During medieval times the locale was home to orange groves and rose gardens but prospered both economically and architecturally when the River Clyde found itself ideally positioned to trade tobacco between Europe and the Americas. These trade routes had opened up in the early 1700’s and the journey between Glasgow and Virginia took almost three weeks less than the trip from London to Virginia. Consequently almost half of the tobacco entering Europe arrived in Glasgow with commodities like pottery and cloth being traded for tobacco. By the mid 1700’s Jamaica, Antigua, St. Kitts, Boston, Gibraltar, Holland and London, as well as Virginia were all destinations for ships sailing from Glasgow (the naming of, amongst others, Virginia Street and Jamaica Street stems from these trade routes).

This trading saw Glasgow’s population explode to over 200,000 by 1830 with the prosperity of the Merchant Quarter reflected in the construction of some exceptional buildings, including the magnificent Merchant’s House and the City Chambers. The original Merchant’s House was built around 1600 (the present John Burnett designed building was opened in 1877) as a meeting place for merchants and an almshouse for Merchants and their families who had fallen on hard times, whilst the stunning City Chambers was constructed between 1882-88.

Another exceptional building is the Trades House, which stands on Glassford Street. It was established in 1605 to oversee the fourteen separate crafts that existed within the city (such as barbers, wrights, and weavers) ensuring they were run properly and the workers treated fairly. Before this there was no official body and subsequently many disputes arose between the Craftsmen, the City Merchants, the Church and City Council over how best to run Glasgow. However the formation of The Trades House and Merchant’s House allowed for a more harmonious working relationship. This was an important step in the development of Glasgow as each craft recognised by The City received a deed of cause certifying their existence, which gave them authorisation to work within the city confines.

The Trades House foundation stone was laid on the 9^th of September 1791 and opened in 1794 although it wasn’t completed until 1802 at a cost of nearly £8000. The Trade House is one of only two buildings in Glasgow (the other being Glasgow Cathedral) still used for its original purpose.

Entrance to the Merchant City

Glasgow City Chambers

 

The French Connection

Sitting within Chatelherault Country Park is one of Scotland’s most historic and beautiful buildings as well as attractive woodland and the spectacular Avon Gorge where beech, oak and birch trees play host to kingfishers, stonechat, squirrels, roe deer and otter. You may also spot a rare breed of white cattle that were bred by the Dukes of Hamilton supposedly from the ancient wild cattle of Scotland.

Chatelherault Country Park was formerly the estate grounds of the Duke of Hamilton and surrounded the magnificent Hamilton Palace. Chatelherault Hunting Lodge was built in 1734 by the renowned architect William Adam (his most famous design probably being Hopetoun House near South Queensferry) to provide estate buildings, stables and kennels for James Hamilton, the 5^th Duke of Hamilton (1703-1743). Hamilton Palace was demolished in 1921, due to ground subsidence, but the hunting lodge remains and grants a truly breathtaking focal point to the Country Park.

The name Chatelherault originates from the French town of Chatellerault and, due to close links between the Auld Alliance of Scotland and France in the 16^th century, the title of Duc de Chatellherault was presented to James Hamilton, 2^nd Earl of Arran, in 1548 and subsequently the Duke of Hamilton.

Cutting a dramatic cleft through Chatelherault Country Park is the Avon Water, which begins its 24-mile journey in the curiously named hills of Distinkhorn and Wedder Hill above Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire from where it snakes its way through South Lanarkshire and joins the River Clyde near Hamilton. The name Avon is derived from the Gaelic Abhainn and simply means River.

From the 14^th century the Avon Gorge’s ancient woodland was once a key asset of the royal hunting estate of the Dukes of Hamilton. The oldest trees within the wood are the Cadzow Oaks, which are examples of possibly the oldest surviving oak woodland in Scotland. It is thought that they were planted during the reign of King David I (1124-1153) although tree-ring analysis date them from around the mid 15^th century making them a remarkable 600 years old.

Chatelherault

The Avon Water, Chatelherault