[dave]

Check it out, trying to plan ahead to Summer 2017. Wife come down with chronic vestibular neuronitis, so short of a drastic recovery in the next couple of months we can't bank on anything involving boats, planes, or the hassle of going abroad. So we're looking at NW Scotland.

Keen to find somewhere as a decent base/s for a week or two up there with wife and kids. Beaches, scenery, photography, stuff to do (not necessarily "attractions") but also some bouldering. Will be up there end July/early August, so prime midge season, so I'm mainly thinking places that catch a bit of breeze, and trying to find a base within striking distance of good bouldering.

Obviously certain places spring to mind, Torridon, Reiff, Ardmair and whatnot. Keen to avoid shit that'll be midge death, waterlogged landings, shite rock, stuff needing tons of pads etc. I must admit Reiff looks great, hard to tell from the web how well documented it is, how spread out etc. As any parent knows time may be at a premium for climbing windows. Is Ullapool a decent base? Lochinver? Any knowledge gladly received.

There's always Skye too, but my limited experience of bouldering there made me think the bouldering is a poor second to the main event, and being in the shadow of the ridge but probably unable to get up there might kill me.

[Johnny Brown]

So a ferry is out but not a massive drive? I'd go to the Outer Hebrides, but there's a ferry obvs.

[bigtuboflard]

I'd suggest Tiree for an all round family holiday but not one necessarily with loads of bouldering, though it really depends if you want somewhere which is mainly a family holiday with the odd option of a spot of bouldering on an afternoon here and there, or, somewhere with extensive bouldering options and then try and find somewhere nearby which ticks most of the remaining boxes.

As an island, its superb (well, in my opinion anyway), no midges to speak of as generally breezy, lots of wildlife (seals a plenty, otters, even orcas), some of the best beaches in the UK, lots of water based sporting options (SUP, windsurf, kitesurf, just surf). Just don't expect a prime bouldering venue...

Also, does really depend on what Johnny B says, are long car journeys in but long ferry journeys out? As its about 4 hours on the ferry there from Oban.

[Johnny Brown]

Ah, labyrinthitis. There is some previous discussion in the forum.

[fatneck]

Ah, labyrinthitis. There is some previous discussion in the forum

Indeed (although I couldn't find it), my missus is now nearly fully better but it was proper grim for a while - feel free to PM for more info Dave...

[SA Chris]

Dave, been round that area a lot, got loads of options, but as first option of things to do with wife, binlids etc, then Ullapool would be a good choice. We had a great week at a cottage near Rhue lighthouse, great views to summer isles, up Loch Broom, across to An Teallach.

There is some bouldering in walking distance and on ardmair beach, reiff in the woods about 20 min drive, Reiff an hour. Ullapool has loads of walks, boat trips, swimming pool, play park, tons of eating options from caffs to fine dining. Some goods jeeptrack cycling if you want to take bikes plus can hire row boats etc down at campsite at Ardmair. The Ullapool bouldering guide lists tons of options I never explored.

Alternatively

[dave]

Reminder folks, a ferry is a boat too. Shitload of water underneath it is the clue there.

Ah, labyrinthitis. There is some previous discussion in the forum.

It's not labyrinthitis, vaguely similar type of thing but distinctly different.

Cheers for the Ullapool knowledge Chris, it's sounding like a decent bet at the minute. Another thing going for it is that going up via Inverness it looks actually a shorter drive than Skye, despite being a shitload further north.

[Johnny Brown]

Wikipedia does not agree with you.

[dave]

Sucks to be wikipedia right now. Both terms often used incorrectly to describe anything with broadly similar diagnosis, but labyrinthitis is supposed to be inflammation of the labyrinth (cochlea & vestibule) whereas vestibular neuronitis is infection/damage to the vestibular nerve. Obviously.

[GazM]

I'd second Chris on the Ullapool shout Dave - it probably get better weather than Skye too. Plenty of pleasant walking, from coastal bimbling to munro bashing.  Easy access to sandy beaches up Lochinver way and plenty of good bouldering. Ardmair beach is a very family-friendly bouldering spot but Reiff in the Woods is probably a better venue.  Stuff at Reiff is good too but a bit more spread out. IanT is probaby the best to give you local beta, he frequents UKB but him and Lawrence work in Northwest Outdoors so just drop in for a chat if you're about.

[dave]

Anyone know where this is? Looks Reiff-ish.

[tomtom]

Cool, Craig-y-longridge by the sea

If you go there and film, please try and have less than 2:45 of 'getting to the crag' shizzle before any climbing

[dave]

It'll all be eyepopping spherical fisheye drone footage, timelapses, and distracting slider shots n shit.

[Coops_13]

Don't go to Reiff too late in the summer, it is basically one big big on a peninsula. Worst midges I've ever had...

[dave]

Don't know what a "big big" is, but we'd be there end July/early Aug, non negotiable.

[Johnny Brown]

but labyrinthitis is supposed to be inflammation of the labyrinth (cochlea & vestibule) whereas vestibular neuronitis is infection/damage to the vestibular nerve. Obviously.

Well the Vestibular disorders association says:

"Neuritis (inflammation of the nerve) affects the branch associated with balance, resulting in dizziness or vertigo but no change in hearing. The term neuronitis (damage to the sensory neurons of the vestibular ganglion) is also used.

Labyrinthitis (inflammation of the labyrinth) occurs when an infection affects both branches of the vestibulo-cochlear nerve, resulting in hearing changes as well as dizziness or vertigo."

So effectively neuritis is a subset of labyrinthitis. Not 'vaguely similar' as you put it. The more important diagnosis seems to be whether the root cause is viral (usual supposition) or bacterial). Obviously I'm not here to dick wave about my medical googling ability; I have some experience. Ellie has suffered from Labyrinthitis for years, as has Falling Down (chronic I believe). El Mocho was struck down with it severely (literally couldn't walk) a week before our Bugaboos trip. He got some strong drugs, we delayed our transatlantic flights by a week, and he complained of of finding onsighting 5.12 a bit harder than usual. People live with and around this. Writing off boats and planes six months up front seems extreme given the information you've provided. FD particularly might have some advice for you. Good luck with it anyway it seems minging.

[Fiend]

Faaaark. Didn't see this was about Scotland not like Nova Scotia.

First up some random shit I sent to my brother about a general Scotland tour:

Scotland West Coast tour:

I suggest:

Glasgow > Crianlarich > Glen Coe > Oban > ferry to Craignure (Mull) > Fionnphort > Tobermory > ferry to Lochaline or Kilchoan > Fort William > Mallaig > ferry to Armadale (Skye) > Sligachan > Dunvegan > Portree > Kyle Of Lochalsh > Applecross > Torridon > Gairloch > Ullapool > Scourie > Durness > Tongue > (optional detour to Thurso/Orkney) >Inverness > home.

This will basically take you around the most awesome scenery and locations around, skipping over some of the lesser bits and without much doubling back. There's a bit of zig-zagging but it's for a reason, to get the best out of the area. Have a look on a map and it should all make sense. I haven't given details for all the places below as they are either obvious or easily Googled. Town-wise Ullapool is very pleasant, Tobermory is quite cute, and Portree seems nice, Fort William and Oban less so.

Views & Walks:

1 - The Lost Valley, Glen Coe
Glen Coe is pretty spectacular in itself, and this 40 minute stroll up a steep path and river gorge leads to a delightful hanging valley.
2 - Erraid, Mull
Drive on past Fidden, park at the road end farm, walk down the track and across tidal sands to Erraid. Walk south-west for 20 minutes and you'll reach one of the most beautiful hidden beaches anywhere. Picnic and swim.
3 - Steall Bridge, Glen Nevis
Drive into Glen Nevis and to the road end. Park and walk 15 minutes up the gorge path to pop out into a stunning surprise meadow and waterfall. Picnic and explore.
4 - Neist Point, Dunvegan
Drive out from Dunvegan. When the road stops, you've reached the furthest Westerly point you can drive to in Scotland! The panorama of 100 miles of Outer Hebrides with the lighthouse in front is unmissable, and yes I have climbed the big rock spire .
5 - Old Man Of Storr
Well worth a walk up to this dramatic rock spire amongst a bizarre otherwordly landscape.
6 - Diabeg / Torridon
Just a beautiful place to be. Drive through Torridon hamlet towards Diabeg and partway along you get an amazing viewpoint back up Loch Torridon. Continue to Diabeg for a lovely wee hamlet there.
7 - View down Loch Maree
Worth a 5 minute detour up from Kinlochewe to the viewpoint near the top of the hill en-route to Achnasheen.
8 - Corrieshalloch Gorge, Braemore Junction
A splendid hidden gorge and waterfall. Really rather good.
9 - Boat trip, Ullapool
The Ullapool area is stunning in itself, taking a boat trip out around the islands puts the magnificent coastline in even better perspective.
10 - Lochinver
Detour around beneath Stac Pollaidh and Suiliven to see some of the most beautiful mountainscapes around.
11 - Sandwood Bay, Kinlochbervie
Park near Sheigra, and follow a well-used track for 5 miles to the epic beach at Sandwood Bay. Camp out or just paddle. And yes I did climb the stack
12 - Talmine Beach, Tongue
The whole North Coast has beautiful beaches, but this one has cows that roam on it too. What will Bamba think?

Campsites:

1 - Fidden, Mull
Normal, lovely campsite at the very end of Mull. Very spacious and well exposed to avoid midges, stunning sunsets.
2- Achintee Farm hostel, Glen Nevis
Not a campsite but if you fancy a bit of luxury this peaceful B&B / hostel is nice and friendly.
3 - Sligachan, Skye
A useful and scenic campsite with an apparently good pub nearby. Also one of the midgiest sites in Scotland along with Torridon. Dunvegan campsite or wild camping at Neist are alternatives.
4 - Torridon
A proper campsite with flat ground, showers, toilets, all for the bonus price of completely free. Beware midges.
5 - Loch Maree wild camp
Drive down the little track to the North West end of Loch Maree. Skim, swim, and sleep.
6 - Gruinard Bay wild camp
En-route from Gairloch to Braemore Junction. Look for the excellent expansive beach. Gets a little bit of traffic but convenient and great views.
7 - Ardmair
A normal campsite in an exceptionally nice bay with mountain backdrops and a good pebble beach nearby.
8 - Scourie
A normal campsite above a beautiful bay that cleverly has lots of flat tiers so everyone gets a sea-view.
9 - Sheigra semi-wild camp
Drive down to Sheigra just past the Sandwood Bay parking. Just past the cemetery is well-used camping in guess what another delightful bay.

Food & drink:

1 - The Drover's Arms
Touristy but quirky and friendly, honest pub food and they've got a genuine stuffed haggis in the entranceway.
2 - The Clachaig, Glen Coe
I've only been once but food was nice, it's got a good reputation and can be busy.
3 - Ninth Wave Restaurant, Fhionnphort
I haven't been but I've seen it advertised and it looks really nice posh cuisine, even good enough for Mum!
4 - The Nevis Inn, Glen Nevis
Pretty much the opposite to the above - a single barn room full of benches and scruffy walkers. As close as it gets to an old skool Viking vibe, and pretty good pub food.
5 - The Granary, Portree
A cafe restaurant in the square in Portree. I've only been once but we had a marvellous fish lunch - crispy baby squid and trio of smoked fish salad were pretty much flawless.
6 - Ben Damph, Torridon
A good pub adjoining the Torridon Hotel, sort of gastro-pub food and rather nice.
7 - Mountain Coffee Company, Gairloch
Good coffee, even better cakes, and a nice hippy vibe inside. The scones are so big they have their own gravitational field and could last you all day.
8 - Chinese takeaway, Gairloch
I've been twice. It's good. Not as good as a proper authentic restaurant but definitely a cut above the Glasgow average.
9 - Old Gairloch Inn, Gairloch
Good normal pub food and generally a pleasant place.
10 - Ceilidh Place, Ullapool
More upmarket gastro-pub food, usually very good. Nice breakfasts too.
11 - Curry house, Ullapool
Like the Chinese, a pleasant surprise to get good quality exotic food this far North. Definitely worth it if you fancy curry.
12 - Cocoa Mountain, Durness
Enough chocolates to kill a horse. Go in hungry, come out fat (and poor!). Good coffee too.

Warnings:

Midges:
A true West Coast midge attack can't be described or even imagined, but only experienced (and *possibly* survived). They can be appallingly bad in summer, and are at their worst on still, cloudy days especially during the evening. Wind is absolutely crucial, any breeze about 5-10mph will force them to hide. Strong sunlight can also put them off. Keep checking the weather for the wind direction and make sure your camping is exposed to it. Take Mosi Guard / Deet / Smidge and a midge headnet if needed.

Ticks:
They can bad in areas with lots of ferns, heather and long grass, but are not usually a problem on trails, tracks, or beaches. Wear long trousers or socks, check your legs and undercarriage after walking through vegetation. Use a pair of tweezers or a scalpel to get them off, do not twist or squeeze them as that can leave bits behind. Better to lose a bit of skin than have a bit of tick left in you.

Weather:
The West Coast of Scotland is by far the wettest place in the entire United Kingdom, and this applies during summer too. Later in August and especially into September it should be better but it can be a complete washout too. The coastal fringes can escape the worst of it and be better than the mountains inland (e.g. Gairloch area can be much better than Fort William). Again keep eye on the forecast. If the weather is coming from the West, the East of Scotland is usually much drier but also much less interesting. Around all of the West Coast tour there are hostels and BnBs available if you need to dry out, although very little indoor activities of interest.

Highlighted some shizzle fo yo. In particular midges, fucking horrendous as you'd expect but with the right wind you'll be fine and guess what somewhere exposed right out on a peninsula gets that wind. (I've climbed at Loch Tollie Crags, in the trees, in mid-summer, on a grey day, and got away with it with the breeze).

Boulderizzle. The whole area has lots of options,being based in Ullapool would be good, you have civilisation there, can head North to boulder and South to Gairloch for more scenery etc. Reiff is great, Reiff In The Woods is good (and exposed enough), Ardmair Beach is decent but a lovely convenient spot to be with the family. Torridon OBVZ, Ardmair Crag for decent "base of the crag" stuff, Inchbae on the way has some hidden gems.

That does indeed look like Reiff, not sure where though, gut instinct says far end of the peninsula tho?? Here's some more stuff (sorry for abrupt start to music on first one):

[SA Chris]

Anyone know where this is? Looks Reiff-ish.

I might be stating the obvious, but near Stoer lighthouse? If anyone know Ian Taylor will

[dave]

Anyone know where this is? Looks Reiff-ish.

I might be stating the obvious, but near Stoer lighthouse? If anyone know Ian Taylor will

Yeah sounds like it could be.

[GazM]

Yeah, it's up at Stoer.  I've never been so not sure exactly where, but it looks beautiful.

[dave]

Obviously I'm not here to dick wave about my medical googling ability;

Perish the thought.

I should have realised that this is 2016, so the professional opinion of experts can't compete with a quick google.

[Coops_13]

Don't know what a "big big" is, but we'd be there end July/early Aug, non negotiable.

Aha that'd be big bog! Ok, pack the midgey repellent and pray for wind if you're going to Reiff.

[dave]

Nice one. Looks like potential for sitters to those steeper ones at Reiff?

[Fiend]

Yup very likely but why ruin a great problem, this isn't the Peaks you know 

There's a lot more stuff and more harder, steeper stuff around too. Dan V's development on the Bouldering Cliff has some spectacular, if high, problems, although I think the hardest one is a sitter on overhanging smears 

[dave]

Do you not have 10ft square bits of crag up there with dozens of numbered polished holds to do eliminates on? I'm not driving up there for nothing. Get your act together Scotland.

[Fiend]

Go to Dumby and get the added bonus of local culture, wildlife, and fine beverages too.

[GazM]

A few other things to whet you're appetite, mainly from over Torridon/Ullapool way:

[Will Hunt]

Just to hammer the point home about midges:

Midges:
A true West Coast midge attack can't be described or even imagined, but only experienced (and *possibly* survived). They can be appallingly bad in summer, and are at their worst on still, cloudy days especially during the evening. Wind is absolutely crucial, any breeze about 5-10mph will force them to hide. Strong sunlight can also put them off. Keep checking the weather for the wind direction and make sure your camping is exposed to it. Take Mosi Guard / Deet / Smidge and a midge headnet if needed.

  except for the bit about DEET and sprays. The only effective repellent is a physical barrier between you and the midges. Midge head net is an imperative, with hands in pockets and socks tucked into trousers. You will look stupid, but if you find yourself in Category 4 or 5 conditions then it is the only way you will get out alive. Any breeze will neutralise the threat but at that time of year, ANY moment of stillness in a grassy area will mean that they are on you. I have a rating system for midges that is based not on the count of midges in the air, but on the effect on the victim:

Category 1: No midges present, no problem. Except for the deep sense of dread that the wind will drop with no warning and you'll find yourself instantly in Category 5.
Category 2: One or two visible midges every now and again. They cause you no problem but if you don't have a powerful sense of dread then you are either sure that the wind will stay, sure that the month is April or May, or you have never experienced Category 5.
Category 3: This is where midges become a problem. Hand swatting will occur with varying regularity depending on the mental resilience of the victim. You will get bitten. In hours to come your skin will still crawl with the phantom midges that your brain still tells you are crawling in your hair. It is likely that if you're at Category 3 then you will not be able to stay where you are for more than 10 minutes or so.
Category 4: This shit just got real. It is now impossible for a conscious human being to remain still. You will be running around, desperately trying to create wind by moving through the body of still air. This will not work because wherever you run you will just be running into more midges. Your only hope is to escape as quickly as you can. If you are in a sealed tent or a single glazed bothy then you will know that this is going on outside because it will sound like it's raining. This is not rain, it is the sound of the midges ricocheting off tent fabric or window glass. They know where you are, and THEY ARE TRYING TO GET IN. This is not an exaggeration - I have direct experience of this.
Category 5: If you have truly experienced this level of midge hell, then you don't need to wonder whether you've experienced it. You will know, with no doubt. It is simply impossible to remain still. Even physical barriers will start to be overrun as the midges find tiny gaps between the layers that are protecting you. If not wearing a head net it will be difficult to breathe without choking. If you look at your arms you will see a brown seething, writhing mass as they have covered every inch of you. You no longer have any friends. Any other humans, friends, offspring, or loved ones who you are with will be abandoned as you flee. If they cannot keep up, they will be consumed. Phantom midge bites and skin crawling may continue for days after. You will never be the same again, because you will have seen Hell.



With this in mind, if the dates of the trip are none negotiable it would be worth thinking about your priorities. In the worst case it will be either raining or still on most days you are there. On these days you'll have to remain indoors or in urbanised, unvegetated areas. If this is going to be a problem then consider a trip to Cornwall or somewhere else more reliable.

[dave]

Last time I was up in August it was Arran and to be honest midges barely got past the Category 2 level above, i.e.no worse than a poorly chosen Peak summer grit venue, mainly due to diligently watching the wind and choosing activities (and crucially my evening camera outings) appropriately.  In marginal conditions I did find that Smidge stuff to work OK, but obviously avoidance is better.

[T_B]

Surely trouble and stife would prefer eurotunnel over long drive north for a combination of rain and death by The Midge?! All that shaking of the head to get the midges out of her face is not going to be pleasant.

If you can't sell Font, what about Britnae?

[dave]

It's an option but for various reasons an ultra-chilled out Scotland vibe is likely to be prefered choice. If I was going to drive even further to France I'd just carry on to the Alps anyway. Obviously things can change but I'm just thinking ahead. I've been wanting to get back up north properly for years anyway so it's no hardship.

[slackline]

I have a rating system for midges that is based not on the count of midges in the air, but on the effect on the victim:

Kevin Howett gave crags midge ratings in his Constable Rock Climbing in Scotland guide.

[Will Hunt]

For context in the above system, if you're not in Scotland then it is unlikely that you're experiencing more than Category 3. I've seen mid-high category 3 at Troller's Gill, and intermittent mid Category 3 at Great Wolfrey on a perfectly still summer's day. It's bad, but it can be so much worse.

[tomtom]

One of my colleagues does summer fieldwork in North Eastern Siberia. He has said that all Scotland can offer midge wise pales to insignificance compared to the beasties there..

[Fiend]

That's all well and good but I doubt Dave is gonna get his missus to Siberia with not-labyrinthitis.

[Oldmanmatt]

One of my colleagues does summer fieldwork in North Eastern Siberia. He has said that all Scotland can offer midge wise pales to insignificance compared to the beasties there..

Four months summer Exped Greenland.
Note to self: Next time FULL BEEKEEPING OUTFIT AND AIRLOCK TENTS.
That is all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Will Hunt]

This thread has really set me thinking about midges. I've seen high Cat 3/low Cat 4 in England once. It was this summer and we had just rocked up next to Wasdale after a day on Scafell to camp. We had to cook food and put up tents. Never before has this task been achieved so fast. It was every man for himself. Dunnyg was there. He knows.

[T_B]

I have experienced Cat 4 at dusk, belaying at the top of Etive Slabs. I fantasized about untying my mate and hurling myself down the slabs. A slow, bouncing death preferable to being eaten alive.

I have been to Southern Greenland twice in summer, and whilst flies and mozzies are annoying (full body cover required), they do not compare to The Scottish Midge.

[Will Hunt]

The Scottish midge can't compete in terms of bite pain with lots of things like sandflies, but for sheer numbers they make up for it. You can swat as many as you like but more will appear from the legion to take their place. The swarm is like a hydra.

[Nigel]

Alright word, I would say Ullapool area is the place for ya, especially if you've not been up that far before. Its a nice place with all the mod cons (c.f. Fort William for example!) and as soon as you drive North the scenery is beyond belief. Well situated for Reiff and Torridon, though obvs Scottish road time warp rules apply i.e. they might look close ont map but they'll take longer than you think. Like nearly an hour to Reiff. The only other comment I will make is prepared to be disappointed with Ardmair beach bouldering, its not that good. Which is a shame as its the "local" crag to Ullapool. That said it passes the time. Ardmair crag might be better but not bouldered there. Can't see it being worse though. Bouldering cliff at Reiff and all of Torridon is ace. Not been to Reiff in Woods but looks sweet as.

[dave]

Nice one dollsnatch.

[Oldmanmatt]

I have experienced Cat 4 at dusk, belaying at the top of Etive Slabs. I fantasized about untying my mate and hurling myself down the slabs. A slow, bouncing death preferable to being eaten alive.

I have been to Southern Greenland twice in summer, and whilst flies and mozzies are annoying (full body cover required), they do not compare to The Scottish Midge.

God! Inland from Nuuk was the worst. You couldn't breath! I'd done the Labrador coast the year before and thought that was way worse than Skye, but this was something else. Belize sucked (ha ha) too, but they were sneaky bastards...

Love the "cat 3/4" reference to density, not heard that one before.

All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[SA Chris]

Ardmair beach isn't great, but good for a quick hit if passing. The pebble beach there produces the most fantastic skimming stones.

[dave]

OK anyone north of the border bought/seen/used the new Stone Country guide yet?

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,14805.msg542230.html#msg542230

Had a quick look in Outside the other day. Last one I had was the first edition which was borderline unusable garbage. This one looks a lot better superficially, although photo repro didn't look amazing (granted that's not why you buy it). Anyone who's been through it in detail care to comment on the quality and usability of the new one before I spend 8 fuckalls on a copy? Cheers

[Will Hunt]

I'm just thinking about a summer-ish holiday this year. Does anyone know when midge season starts to wind down? I know about the pre-season, in that April is kosher and early May is unlikely to be bad. What about September? In the Hebrides it looks like you get a nice settled period of less rain before the winter storms arrive, but if the midges are still rife then I need to rethink.

[duncan]

In my experience (intermittent visitor) it depends on the summer. Warm and wet means a 3rd generation of the blighters still biting in late September; dry and hot and they're mostly gone by early in the month.

[sherlock]

I'm just thinking about a summer-ish holiday this year. Does anyone know when midge season starts to wind down? I know about the pre-season, in that April is kosher and early May is unlikely to be bad. What about September? In the Hebrides it looks like you get a nice settled period of less rain before the winter storms arrive, but if the midges are still rife then I need to rethink.

Will,don't know where you mean in the Hebrides,it's quite a big area!
We've certainly been bothered Lewis/Harris as late as early October.Not unbearable but isuppose it depends on your tolerance levels.....
Don't know about the Inner Hebs/Small Isles.
Skye is usually ok from mid Sept in my experience but as Duncan said above it *can* depend on the previous summer although this isn't concrete fact.

[SA Chris]

OK anyone north of the border bought/seen/used the new Stone Country guide yet?

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,14805.msg542230.html#msg542230

Had a quick look in Outside the other day. Last one I had was the first edition which was borderline unusable garbage. This one looks a lot better superficially, although photo repro didn't look amazing (granted that's not why you buy it). Anyone who's been through it in detail care to comment on the quality and usability of the new one before I spend 8 fuckalls on a copy? Cheers

Just been browsing the new copy that arrived on my desk today. It's a great jump in quality from the last one, and has some new areas I didn't know about and keen to explore further. If you intend visit Scotland to boulder even on an infrequent basis it's worthwhile. I think after this the guides are going to be broken up into local areas, so this will be the last "bumper" guide.

[SA Chris]

Will,don't know where you mean in the Hebrides,it's quite a big area!

This. We spent a week camping on the machair on N Uist in mid August, and got bothered on just one evening, but we were very lucky as the weather was either bright sunshine or howling wind (or often both). It's a lot more likely to be breezy on the coast of the outer hebrides than inland though, or on the inner islands. The only way you are guaranteed to be midge free is after the first frost, which can be October. Are you planning on cragging or just cruising about? Bear in mind that late summer / autumn is when there can be biggest seas, rendering a lot of the seacliffs inaccessible.

[Will Hunt]

We'd be cruising in a campervan, though the possibility of a spot of bouldering isn't impossible. Ideally for me we'd visit the outer Hebrides.

[SA Chris]

At least then you would have the choice of retiring inside if sitting out got too unbearable. Just make sure the windows are netted. Hit me up closer to the time for some good "wild" camping spots.

CMB are very flexible on ferry crossings, you rarely have to actually book a spot, can just phone up and change any time.

[dave]

Update/report on the Ullapool area:

Ardmair Beach bouldering is OK, decent rock, nice spot, for anything above about 6c you're into traversing/linkup/eliminate territory - so ideal for limestone/remergence aficionados, gives you some nice steep pulling. A bit like Bell Hagg by the sea, and I mean that in the best possible way. I was staying 300yards from it for 2 weeks but only climbed on it twice because unless the wind is in the exact right direction (north westerly) it's an absolute midge deathtrap. when the breeze is up, the tide coming in and the setting sun makes the crag burn orange it feels like a pretty amazing spot.

Ardmair crag: didn't go up there, kinda forgot about it, plus stuff looked like it would benefit from a spotter or more than one mat.

Rhue boulders: didn't go here due to weather and I wouldn't be arsed with searching it all out, looked good if you're up for exploring.

Cnoc Breac: aka the stuff over the road and on the hillside behind Ardmair beach - didn't climb on any of this, but there looks to potentially be tons of stuff there for the devoted local. It looks to be documented to some extent in the Boulder Scotland book or whatever it's called. There was a copy in the bookshop in Ullapool I tried to memorise but failed.

Reiff crag: Climbed there once, was a bit warm and damp as it had just rained but dried up fast. Only did a few things at the Salt Pans bit, huge (semi permanent?) puddle under the traverse but good session was had. Rock quality is great, amazing location, it's like Higgar/Burbage by the sea. A lot of single track driving to get there but it's a decent road surface and fairly open so not as bad as some Scottish single track roads. The view when you drive back towards the mountains is amazing. Would have liked time to have got to the "bouldering cliff" bit to do Romancing and look at Dan's 8a+ thing, maybe next time. Plenty of exploring and stuff to do for the kids etc. There's a pub/bar down the road that looked like it did good food.

Reiff In The Woods: Wasn't expecting to be able to climb here due to the sheltered location but dropped on a windy afternoon. Most of the harder/steeper stuff on the main top roadside area would benefit from several pads and/or spotters so I was a bit limited but had a really nice circuit of stuff and tried the non-necky moves on some harder stuff. Great views and clearly even a goer in summer if it's windy, would deffo go back there.

Achmelvich beach: probably about an hours drive from Ullapool but on really good fast main road. Amazing white sand beach with tons of sort of vertical wall pottering to be had with a few steady highballs thrown in, great for knocking around with the kids etc. Rock is some kind of gneiss and and pretty solid, more solid than it looks. You wouldn't call it a big destination bouldering venue, but it's an amazing spot and I really enjoyed it.

Generally it's a great place to go on a family trip if you want a bit of climbing to keep your hand in over the holidays. Surprisingly accessible really compared to say Skye or Mull, despite being way further north. Great to bump into Ian T too. As other have said, no surprise that the landscape there north of Ullapool is just bonkers, especially if you catch some good evening light.

[SA Chris]

Sounds like you had a pretty good trip, what was travel time from Yorkshire? We really lucked in the week we spent in cottage at Rhue in late April; had an hour of rain. It was quite weird a few times I imagined there were midges when conditions were ideal for them, but none about at all. Some good offroad cycle tracks to explore disappearing into the hills too. Like to get back armed with SUP and explore a bit on the water...

[dave]

We had an overnight at my sister's in Edinburgh so it was about 4:30 to there, then maybe another 4 hours to Ullapool. I dare say it would have been quicker to go the M6 and M74 way otherwise.

On the way up we got stuck in stationary traffic getting onto the Forth bridge, and also got stuck for ages in crawling traffic between Kingussie and Aviemore where they are widening the road to dual carriageway, so that 4 hours was more like 6 on the way up, esp as we stopped for a sarnie in Pitlochry (happened upon a really nice cycling cafe http://www.escape-route.co.uk/cafe/).

It rained every day for us, one way or another. Mainly showers, only about 1.5 of the total days you'd call washouts where you struggled to find things to do though, so I still rate that as decent weather by Scottish standards. Certainly compared to what it sounds like Sheffield was having. But it did mean that the ground was constantly damp, so midge prone. Evening photo conditions see-sawed between two scenarios. Firstly it being very still after or during rain, where if you managed get the car window open a couple of inches to poke the lens out to grab a shot before being covered in a living midge-suit you were doing well. The other scenario was windy-as-fuck, so you worried that any exposure longer than 1/8th of a second was going to be ruined by camera shake, especially if you're the kind of idiot like me who insists on shooting 5x4". But, no midges!

[SA Chris]

If you can, take a punt on Easter next time. weather seems to almost always be better, but it would need some local with more experience to verify. Sadly May always seems primo, but no hols at that time.