Hi All, Thanks for the kind comments! The Bonxie attacks were certainly an experience! I've encountered them before, but never with such aggression. We were well clear of the nesting area (in the bealach between Conachair and the Radar station, known by Qinetiq staff as "Death Valley"). Yo...

A friend in Strontian has a Marten visit his bird table on a very regular basis; apparently a jam piece is the bait of choice...

Good luck, they're a beautiful creature!

Kind Regards

Ian

A few images of the birdlife of St Kilda taken during a sea kayak trip in June 2011 http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr29/ianj2008/DSC02069.jpg Gannet, Boreray http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr29/ianj2008/P6140218-1.jpg The sky was full of Gannets on the paddle across from Soay Sound to Stac a...

Thanks Johnny and Malky,

It's a super little route with good views, and unlike many Cairngorm/Angus routes, is containable in a short day.

Kind Regards

Ian

What a cracking walk that looks!

Kind Regards

Ian

On the day many were heading back to work after the Hogmanay break, a fine morning was too good to miss. I set out from Glen Tanar car park for a round of Clachan Yell and Black Craig. http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr29/ianj2008/P1090084.jpg Caledonian Pines are what Glen Tanar is about really,...

Whilst assessing a Duke of Edinburgh's Award group near White Bridge west of Linn of Dee I came across this Adder ( Vipera berus ) by the side of the track. Adders are pretty common here if you know where to look, but this one was unusual in being almost completely black. http://i466.photobucket.com...

Hi Malky, Great effort and a super report. Funny enough, both my ascents of Breabag have been in idetical weather to that... Quinag has to be one of my top three hills; I've climbed it, walked around it, stayed below it and sea-kayaked most of the water around it. A magical, striking hill. Glad to s...

Hi Folks, Apologies for not replying sooner to the comments - I'm working in the Middle East at present and rarely get internet access. Thanks for the kind words - St Kilda is a stunning, superlative place - go there if you can, I guarantee it's worth the effort! rvrscum - your wait for the DVD is n...

Thanks Bod, Kinley and Chickadee, We were repeating wow every two or three minutes - it's that sort of place! I've deliberately left out perhaps the most spectacular stuff because it was kayaking around Soay, boreray and the stacks rather than walking, so isn't really appropriate for the site, but t...

I had the great fortune to be invited to join a team filming and sea kayaking on an expedition to St Kilda. We were on and around the archipelago for three days and although we were focused on paddling we got a day on Hirta where we walked a circular route including the highest hill in the group, Co...

Hi, Your host recommended well, it's a fine walk! It's always thought provoking looking around abandoned settlements like these, emptied by clearance or just depopulation. Good to see that you got out and about on a wet day; the rocky shore at Suisnish is a good place to look for fossils too. Kind R...

It's worth considering a Buffalo Mountain Shirt - softshell before the term was even invented! Suitable for use year round unless it's baking or lashing down, in which case would you wear any other softshell anyway?. A totally practical, hardwearing and simple piece of kit (just the way I like kit!)...

Gruss Gott Mancunian! What an adventure and what a great report. You've had the best and the worst of Scotland by the look of it, but it's never boring! If it's any consolation, last time I crossed at Strath na Sealga the water was waist deep - I didn't see much either :( Hope you get better weather...

Nice pictures! My favourite way up is, as you've mentioned, via the Glas Allt. It can be difficult to find in the clag if using it as a descent route though. Combining an ascent via the Glas Allt and a descent via the Clais an Rathadan is really nice, or even bothying one side or other of the hill. ...