| Not a big expedition, but a
very successful one, we achieved all the objectives and some
of us hardly got wet at all. We had four explorers, Calum
R, Fern, Robbie L. and Rowan; five adults, Howard, Pamela,
Philippa, Richard L., Sandra and Sharon; plus Ellieas our
only dog.
We assembled at Dalnabreac from several directions and started
off at the ‘triangle’ a patch of ground between
Anna and John’s croft and the deer fence. This was where
the tinkers used to camp in the old days, apparently a baby
was born there.
Then we went through the gate and started across the hill,
covering the site of the old rabbit warren, now silent since
myxomatosis. We had to be careful crossing the hill since
the recent rains had made the going very slippery, but everyone
arrived at the other side in good order, and had a look at
the isolated croft on the west of the ridge.
Since we had done so well at the Torr Mor Lookout, I tried
to get everyone into the Dalnabreac Lookout and we almost
made it, although it was quite a squeeze. The real danger
was from the brambles among the rocks and everyone negotiated
the boulders without a problem.
Then it was a long slog to the top of the hill and the rocking
stone. You may recall that this fell silent for a time, until
I reset it. I don’t think it is as loud as it used to
be, but Rowan and Fern still got quite a convincing boom out
of it. This was a convenient point for a break so we passed
the Tunnock’s round and had a breather before the next
stage.
It was easy getting down the hill but once again the very
wet ground around the lochan slowed us down a bit. I told
the explorers how they used to send small boys into this lochan
to collect leeches in the old days. We didn’t see any
leeches, but as we climbed the next hill, Rowan and Fern found
a nice pool with two masses of new-laid frogspawn in it.
Near the flat hill there is a spring, discovered by Margaret
Jane on a previous expedition, and it was flowing well this
time too. Everyone stopped to look at it and a stick was used
to measure the depth before we set off up the hill.
This hill is the best place on all the expeditions for rolling
down, but it really was too muddy this time, so rolling was
rather limited. We had a quick look at the badger holes and
a possible fox den before going down to the stream where the
explorers had a great time creeping through a small ravine
under the heather.
They were willing to follow the burn down to the road, but
I turned them off to the west side and we crossed the hill
again until we reached the old track called the Bealach na
Marbh. We followed this down to the gate and Robbie found
a metal cylinder in the heather, possibly an offcut from the
construction of the TV relay aerial.
John
Dye
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