[dave]

alright you rimlickers; scotland - whats the credos yeah?

not talking about bouldering really, just the generaly vibe. Lets me break it down to you, westcoast, like Ft Billy area and Skye. shit thats illin, nuff photogenia, wildlife and a badass scene. particularly skye, maybe somewhere round the cuillinz and ting. Elgol? looks awesome fucking welles but remote. question?

i also fancy a chiggy check on Eigg, does they do boats there from Skye? They'd better.

Now before anyone says "its midge death up there" etc, lets make it clear that we're going to scotland, its decided, so theres no point pulling out all the midge horror stories. However feel free to offer places that are less bad - presumably stuff in the wind/coast is better. looking at June anyway so shoulnd't be at its worst then.

Of course any bouldering is a brucey bonus, looking at glen nevizzle, but theres some on skye too (looks a bit wack/si-o/long walks). i've got the abysmal stone country book of knob-waffle, but to be honest its about as much use as a dick in the ass. might venture onto the etive slabs but again have heard some midge horror stories - wait for a windy day? is tower ridge a good afternoon solo?

So any hommes with experience better spit the fact x importance. hit me. i'm all ears.

[SA Chris]

Firstly if you lay some jive talking like that on some local lads they will probaly pop a proverbial cap in yo' sorry ass.

Dave, how long a trip you planning?

I have travelled around up in the NW quite a bit and can assure you it's bloody beautiful. If you are up here before June or after September, midgie are just about tolerable. Otherwise bright sunshine and breezy days keep them at bay, but a good idea to avoid camping if possible. I went to Skye for the first time last Autumn, and can assure you it's bloody great. Amazing scenery, great climbing, beautiful beaches everywhere. Even if you don't intend doing any routes in the Cullins, the scenery is fantastic, and Coire Laggan an atmospheric place. Bouldering looks good, but scattered, we had a look from halfway up the Cioch, and some looked impressive indeed. Check out the mini guide available for info.

Not been to Dumfries and Galloway yet, but looks great Hendo is probably the one to fill you in on that.

All the islands look excellent, but not been yet, planning an Arran trip for end of April, and hopefully climb/surf on Hebrides early summer.

Applecross/Torridon is great; again great scenery, plus some boulders / routes to divert you. From Ullapool, Reiff is a good diversion, new guide just out to bouldering in the area. The Coast all the way up to Cape Wrath is littered with boulders and beaches, plus sea kayak is a great diversion for a day to see things from a different angle. Oldshoremore and Sheigra have great climbing, and Sandwood Bay is worth the 4 mi walk for one of the most beautiful and remote beaches in the UK.

Not done section from Durness to Wick, but the Sunderland Coast is pretty barren and deserted, no trees and pretty bleak. Only place you can actually see Oil Platforms from (if that moves you). Feels like the Clearances only happened yesterday. Black Isle and around Inverness is nice, Chanoary Point, near Fortrose is apparently the best palce to see dolphins in the UK.

The Cairngorms are excellent, Aviemore is a functional base, but has little charm. Loads of nice spots along Moray Coast, but towns are pretty charmless. Aberdeen is OK, nice base to access surroundings, with some OK bits.

Dundee can be avoided by heading inland and stopping at cheap bunkhouse and great food at Glen Clova hotel. Edinburgh is definitely worth a day or two if you have never been; great city.

Basically I would plan not to have a plan at all, just go as the weather and mood dictates. If you avoid the dreary central belt towns you can't really go wrong.

Drop me a line if you want any more specifics, Or I will yabber on for ages. I have most of the guides if you need to know anything. The new SMC Scottish Rock Climbs Guide is worth checking out for a fleeting visit. Lacks cover of NE though.

[Andy B]

It's midge death up there!



We went up the west coast in June, but there had been a late frost in May which really set back the midges that year, so we were dead lucky and only had bother with them on the very last day of a month trip. So hope for a late frost this year.

I've got various route/ scramble guides you can borrow.
For a nice scrambly day out with Helen, traverse the Anoch Eagach (spelling?). Less of a walk in than Tower Ridge. There are several good scrambles on the other side of the valley too, or scrambles in the Cuillin are even better still. Etive slabs are probably one of the worst places for midges but the routes are ace. I've been twice and got rained off twice though. Helen would probably cruise Spartan slab, or you might have more scope of taking her up something harder here than elsewhere as a snug rope on easy angled friction slabs will be pretty effective. Just make sure to choose a route where the overlaps aren't too hard.

I would agree that Reiff is brilliant. Amazing, accessible rock, and good routes of all grades. You could do a really nice soloing curcuit there a la grit.

[dave]

cheers for the beta. don't worry, i don't work like a japanese POW for 5 days a week to spend my holidays in a tent. i've actualy camped wild in torridon years ago and don't remember any midges, maybe we were lucky.

specifically looking at 2 weeks, maybe a week round Ft Billy, glen seb coe, nevissport, craig david meagaidh etc, and then a week on an island. was a toss up between mull and skye, skye won. have been up glencoe in the winter before but not in summer. have spent 2 weeks up in grantown on spey years ago, and breifly been up torridon, but deffo nailed it down to skye etc want to be coastal, and inside 15hours drive from sheffield. Will avoid aberdeen unless I need to buy a shit load of heroin.

I did suggest we could try and do the cuillin ridge in a day but she wasn't biting. anyone know if the bouldering in glen nevis is any good?

[SA Chris]

Forgot to mention, the further east you go, the less midgie it becomes, so you can always escape if it's bad. And they do get worse than in Etive.

[Johnny Brown]

Nice Dave, good to see a return to the illin posting style.

Skye is amazing, its big though - I think the fourth biggest island the british isles. Take lots of fuel and check out -
Elgol - no more remote than anywhere else, in fact less so as the road branches off soon after you get over the bridge (now free too). Not worth stopping the night unless you want to shoot dawn or summat.
Camasunary - bothy 4 miles walk from Elgol road. Hell of a place to spend the night. Watch out for mice.
Cuillins - make sure you get up on to the ridge, Coire Lagan circuit is a good start. If I ever stop to boulder you can shoot me. Do a big easy route on Sron na Ciche. Camp at Glen Brittle.
Storr/ Trotternish - northern peninsula - well brown, Check Old Man, Quirang etc.
Neist point - looks amazing, haven't been though.

Eigg is well brown, ferries go from Arisaig (little one) or Mallaig (cars). I haven't been since they built the RoRo terminal but I wouldn't bother taking the car. Check out the Sgurr and Bay of Laig (cover of Jizzle Cornizzle's book).

Sounds like you want a shortish trip, without driving too far. I'd go up to Fort Bill, drive out to Arisaig for a night, (or Mallaig), get ferry over to Eigg for a couple of nights, take car ferry over to skye, motor down to Elgol, then roundabout, go back over bridge to fort bill, maybe check plockton etc.

As Andy sez, Coe/ Etive is a good stopping point on the way.

Another option, which we did last year, is to go to Oban, cruise Mull, then ditch the car and get a ferry to Barra. Well brown, best beaches I've ever seen, including during three months in the south pacific. word

[Andy B]

anyone know if the bouldering in glen nevis is any good?

I've spent an afternoon bouldering in Glen Nevis (on a rest day from Winter climbing), and it was ok. I can't remember the names of the boulders but they were near the road and had a good selection of steep problems on decent rock. I think they are in the guide you've got but i couldn't identfy what i'd done a while afterwards when looking in the guide in a shop.

If, as JB says you are stopping in there on the way elsewhere, there should be enough to keep you happy for the day.

[dave]

near the road.....steep.......decent rock.

Sounds like i've got my 2 weeks sorted then.

I like the sound of travelling around doing a few days here and there, but after the trauma and hassle of thailand we'd be quite psyched to just pick 2 places and have a week at each, get some in depth flavaz. i'd be up for a more travelling ting on a subsequent visit when got the measure of the area. one possible plus point to staying put would be that in the event of wack weather (i am acutely aware this is scotland we're talking about) you'd have more chance of getting some good at each place. probably looking at Gites anall whihc tend to be week lets.

Who mentioned the joe cornish book? thats brown, pretty big motivator for going. hopefully i'll not be carrying 20keys of camera around.

[SA Chris]

If you want to get shots of Waterfall and Kilt Rock, it's worth doing first thing, as it faces east. Woulld love to get a shot of someone on Grey Panther in early morning light. Likewise the loch at Old Man of Storr is worth an early start to get the reflections on calm water.

Amazing sunsets from Talisker Bay. You can scramble / do severe up onto Cioch for obligatory Highlander Sword Fight. Aparently plastic swords now in situ. SYHA / Independents are an option if you want to do a couple of days in each spot. Most have double rooms these days. Otherwise B & Bs abound. Trossachs / Loch Lomond are pretty amazing too.

[richieb]

Im fairly new to the whole Scotland thing but from what Ive seen so far I agree with what them other guys said. Hit the West/North West, get a bit of luck with the weather and you cant really go wrong. The word is May/June is the best chance for good weather on Skye, a popular time for ridge attempts what with the extra daylight and all.
Ive done a wee bit in Glen Nevis, I believe this is one of Scotlands essential ticks....Maisie Gunns magic midge cream V4. Well worth a quick drive up the Glen from the Fort.

[Somebody's Fool]

What a grotty little thing that is.

[dave]

word, looks alright. do those landings get waterlogged or are they OK? just looks like it what with the long grass etc.

[richieb]

Not really sure, only been there the once. That was September and it wasnt a problem back then.
Its a good point though, if you fancy a boulder in places like Torridon, Ullapool or Applecross, or walking into some areas of Reiff, wellies are a standard part of kit....even in June I guess....   

[SA Chris]

Word on the wellies. Good idea at Reiff if you are going to venture further than Pinnacle Area. And you definitely should.

Dave loads of good info here including Classic Scottish boulder probs. Carn Liath on Skye looks good too, apparently "highest concentration of boulders in Scotland" http://stonecountry.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2006-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z&updated-max=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z&max-results=41

[sharkey]

Some of the bouldering is more akin to DWS so  water wings or a canoe might help, the landings at the maizie gunn bloc are perma dry, others in the glen are a little squelchy, beware the midgies just love the glens sylvian pleasures too, they are like helicopter gun ships here, will certainly go medievel on youre ass, so later than mid june avoid like the plague.

You have the right idea a moving target, Tower ridge is a great scramble to the summit of the venomous one as is Curved ridge on the Buchaille, incredible vistas from these, you may need facial hair and red socks for these though!

[dave]

believe it or not i've actually done curved ridge in winter conditions. look at me.

[sharkey]

Bit of a closet Munro bagger are we Imho the best area for the landscape,wilderness and some incredible climbing/bouldering opportunities is the Coigach area, including Stac Pollaidh(outstanding rock climbing, or just a fine stroll to the summit), Reiff, Torridonian sandstone at its best, good height for soloing,  Reiff in the woods nr Pollaidh is a very pleasant bouldering venue, pristine wilderness, worth an afternoon just to take it all in. As someone has already said Sandwood bay to the north is reet bo,a real eldorado unspoilt golden sands with good bouldering at the far end of the bay, so taking the boots is a must.

[SA Chris]

The ridge on Stac Pollaidh looks great too, yet to make the effort to get up there. Some of the best seafood in the UK can be had in that area.

[SA Chris]

http://www.stonecountry.blogspot.com/

A few useful topos available to download from here.

[dave]

i've also  had the word "edgehog" mentioned to me as a well jackson route to do in glen nevis - whats the credos?

[SA Chris]

Not done it, but friend of mine did and reckoned it was "pretty scary". One of those that hovers around the E3/4 grade, but may well suit a seasoned gritstoner.You might do with investing in the "Scottish Rock Climbs" Guide, covers all the routes you have muttered about thus far; Glen Nevis / Etive / Reiff / Ben Classics.