Well, as Burns rightly said, 'The best laid plans o' mice an' men gang aft agley'.
Laid low with a bad cold, Scotland has been postponed for a couple of weeks. Still, it gives me more time to prepare, and a change of itinerary beckons. 470 miles of hard driving will land me in Inverpolly in the far north of Scotland, at the same latitude as Canada's Hudson's Bay. A land of ancient weathered mountains and hills, lochs and burns, crags and islands. A two day walk will take me far into the wilderness around Cul Mor to camp by the lochs at its base, explore an area I've never visited before, get some good photos, and just relax.
There's that lovely feeling when your systems slow down and you begin to melt into the landscape. I remember when I used to work as a National Park ranger how I'd fall asleep at lunchtime regardless of the weather. Either soaking up the sun, or pulling my coat around me as I curled in the heather and felt the rain beat down. Having streams, moors, hedgerows and crags as your workplace was something special. And you never really lose that ability to mould your movements to the terrain, forget the effort it takes and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.
So here's hoping for no colds, fine weather and clear nights.
Laid low with a bad cold, Scotland has been postponed for a couple of weeks. Still, it gives me more time to prepare, and a change of itinerary beckons. 470 miles of hard driving will land me in Inverpolly in the far north of Scotland, at the same latitude as Canada's Hudson's Bay. A land of ancient weathered mountains and hills, lochs and burns, crags and islands. A two day walk will take me far into the wilderness around Cul Mor to camp by the lochs at its base, explore an area I've never visited before, get some good photos, and just relax.
There's that lovely feeling when your systems slow down and you begin to melt into the landscape. I remember when I used to work as a National Park ranger how I'd fall asleep at lunchtime regardless of the weather. Either soaking up the sun, or pulling my coat around me as I curled in the heather and felt the rain beat down. Having streams, moors, hedgerows and crags as your workplace was something special. And you never really lose that ability to mould your movements to the terrain, forget the effort it takes and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.
So here's hoping for no colds, fine weather and clear nights.