BLOODY MIDGES. (08/09/14)

We are all set to enjoy a week of high pressure weather so I decided to give Onich a miss and drive on to Glencoe. We arrived at lunchtime had a quick chicken sandwich and a tomato and went for a walk up the hill behind the campsite. Midges, there were millions of them. I have not suffered from them too much this year and dislike the spray stuff as it always seems to run and get in my eyes. They were even biting the dogs so we headed back to the van and lit a couple of citronella candles. I saw a grand Red Deer Stag and stupidly swapped lenses. It’s only about three weeks since I cleaned the camera sensor now it is spattered with Midge crap and even has a bit of Midge stuck on it. I’m not going to clean it again for a day or two as I noticed there is more than one in there.

   This was the walk I fancied. It follows a forestry track  from bottom right, skirts the bit they are harvesting and then heads up onto the ridge.

I am getting ahead of myself. I stopped at Glencoe Yacht Club between Ballachulish and Glencoe Village. Ballachulish is easy to say, ignore the ‘C’ and just read it putting two ‘O’s where the ‘U’ is. I suspect I’ve overcomplicated this.

   Loch Leven.

    Loch Leven again. It was so clear I was sure it would rain but it stayed fine.

The following are views from the campsite. I really like this place but it lies on the main route through the Highlands so is best avoided in summer. Were the Caravan and Camping Club to open it in winter I’m sure it would do serious business. There is some of the finest Ice climbing in Scotland here and also lots of long snowy ridge walks. Bear in mind you will be doing the beginning and end of any ten mile walk in the dark. One mile an hour is quick in winter on this terrain. Too many folk are setting out at ten in the morning and causing problems. Some of them die but that is natural selection.

       The Three Sisters. There are four and I just call them Bidean. Were I to write their names down they would warrant a post on their own. The right hand one is the longest she is called Stob Coire Sgreamhach.  I de-midged this picture.

       This is the Pap of Glencoe. It has a Gallic name  Sgorr na Ciche. It lies about due north so if the sky clears then I’ll get some star trails rotating round it. I didn’t de-midge this one.

        This is a shot of a bit of white paper at f14. What a mess and I’m sure the bit I've arrowed is a pair of wings. I think the rest is Midge crap. Bloody Midges and by the time I’d changed lenses the Stag was no longer there. I think he was a thirty pointer but what do I know. I don’t even know if you count the points on one antler or both. No matter, I was too busy getting Midges in the camera to count any of them.

Have fun.