What's coming up.

I will leave you with this last shot of the view towards harelaw reservoir from corlick hill. A few things looming large in the not so distant future. I return to the cairngorms in a month for a rock climbing course so there will be pictures to follow from that. No doubt there will be snaps of me dangling off ropes and hanging off cliffs in amongst them. I also booked my place on a climbing trip to mont blanc next summer. Mont blanc is the highest mountain in western europe. I'm sure that trip will generate some cracking alpine pics and stories when it arrives next year :-)

The gryffe from corlick

South of the summit you see the gryffe reservoirs and loch thom is further west.

Corlick hill

A few days later we found ourselves up corlick hill. The views here show more of the upper clyde in front of langbank but you don't see quite as far down the firth as you would do from dunrod hill. It's still nice though and you never see a soul. I have never seen another person in all the times I have come up here for a walk.

Dougs at cauldron hill

Ten minutes later we found ourselves at the stone cairn of cauldron hill. Dougs took a seat and sat still long enough for me to get this snap of him beside the summit. Normally he is a fast moving hairy mass. A quick look around at the views and it was time to head back home for a bath and a late tea.

Cauldron hill walk

Dougs was looking miserable when I got home from work. Losing his playmate after seven weeks of non stop fun was a shock to his wee system. I decided to take him up over the moors to cauldron hill. This cheered him up no end. We stopped by the familiar summit marker of dunrod hill before heading north to the rocky outcrop of cauldron hill. Dougs knows this area pretty well now so he often charges ahead of me on the route.

The 'number five dam'

I took Diane and Dougs up here for a stroll to help blow the cobwebs out my head after I returned to work. This is one of the dams behind the cut. This place hasn't picked up any affectionate nicknames as far as I know, which is a shame. It's just known as the 'number five dam'. There are some good sized tasty trout in here. I have caught a few in my time from this place but it seems to be better for fishing at night time. It means that you have to head home in the pitch black or camp over. I have camped up here a few times with the boys and it's not a bad spot during quieter spells in the year.

The 'Snappy Turtle'

Hi folks. I'm back. Unfortunately the cold clammy hand of work grasped my shoulder once again about a month back, so that is why my blog has been quiet over the last few weeks. Here is a condensed version of recent events to bring you up to speed anyway. I decided to spend one of my last two days catching up with my great friend Jim. He is the last of the clyde's great journeymen and craftsmen. Jim enrolled in the very last intake at Kvaerner Kincaid as an apprentice engineer before they wound down and shut up shop for the last time around 17 years ago. Over the years Jim has been using his unique skills and talents to restore boats in his spare time. The 'Snappy Turtle' below is his most recent purchase. It really is immaculate. Not a mark on her. Jim stands proud on the stern. I'm sure that there will be many happy trips to follow for Jim on this latest gem. I wish him the best of health (and weather :-) ) to sail in her.