Monty Hall's Great Escape

[Paul Webster]

Anyone else watch this?

I enjoyed it though nothing really happened - lots of great scenic shots of Applecross and over the sea to Raasay and Skye (a few shots looking to Staffin too!)

He did seem to have a bit of a talent for stating the obvious... 'I really feel like I've got away from the big city' - yes, that's because you have mate, you're in Applecross - you just said it took you 16 hours to drive here His catchphrase also seemed to be 'and I left him/her/them to it' - good work if you can get it.

I'm pretty sure the location of the Cow Shed where he lived is at Sand just north of Applecross, on the north side of the bay. It's the building in the photo on our Applecross walksindex page - and it's the start of the Sand - Applecross path.

Worth watching for that great spring weather of 2008!

[druidsam]

i watched this and thought he was a bit of a lazy sod . i wouldnt mind trying something like that if i had the money, he seems to have unlimited funds for livestock,boats etc.



.....................Sam

[mountain coward]

Nope - haven't got a telly;-) Too busy either in the mountains, researching the mountains, or writing about the mountains!;-)

[GarryH]

Yes I watched it, really enjoyed the scenic shots as we had driven all round the peninsular last April.
Could this be the barn Paul ?

[Paul Webster]

Yes, I'm sure it is. I was at Applecross just before New Year but didn't go to Sand that time so don't know what it looks like now - the photos on this site show it as a cattle shed like yours. It is one of the best spots!

[Caberfeidh]

I noticed that he edited out the constant gales, the months of rain... The endless waiting for planning permission, the fact that you can't buy a needle to mend your clothes anywhere nearer than Inverness, you can't find a shoe shop or a pair of jeans between Inverness and Fort William, and his neighbours all seem to be jolly helpfull sassenachs who haven't been beligerent or obstructive.
It's all very twee, he intends to grow veg and keep hens for eggs and catch fish from a boat, but he'll get fed up with eggs and fish (if he catches any), and the veg is a long time growing. He does indeed seem to have unlimited funds and a constant stream of "helpers"; where did all that timber suddenly arrive from?
The weather is suspiciously wonderfull all the time ~ and it's not even midgie season yet....

Cheery buggr, ain't I? We're all doomed, doomed I tell ye....

[Caberfeidh]

Update on the great escape - he seems to be coming a cropper to poor planning! His bothy is leaking like a seive, he has no water and I notice his roof is just metal sheets nailed to the A-frames, no solid wood beteen him and the outside world - it must be freezing.And the midgies haven't arrived yet. His expensive boat isn't catching him vast amounts of fish either. O how I gloat...

[mountain tortoise]

I have been watching this too. The thing I find amusing is how can he say he are going to experience being a crofter when he is only staying 6 months! April - September. That is just an extended holiday in my book. If he does not stay for winter, all those long nights, gales and freezing temperatures how can he possible have a clue.
However love the views and wildlife makes me long to be there. Roll on easter hols.

[Caberfeidh]

He's on again tonight; can't wait to see if he has to eat his own legs or at least is reduced to washing dishes in the hotel to make ends meet. If it all took place last year, didn't we have warm weather in April which woke the midgies, then it simply lashed down for the rest of the year? I was trying to do the West Highland Way in May, wearing a kilt, and encountered the unseasonably ferocious midgies. Which reminds me; does anyone have a cure for/treatment of/ means-of-preventing that horrendous affliction known as Swamp-ass?

[Caberfeidh]

At last, the wee vampires are making themselves felt ~ that sorts out the wheat from the chaff, or even the porridge oats from the chavvs. Good idea taking to the sea to avoid them. Now if he had harpooned the basking shark, that would have made good television! Anyone else read Gavin Maxwell's book "Harpoon at a Venture"?

[Paul Webster]

Yes, I have. There are supposed to still be lots of bits of basking shark rotting around on Soay.

Monty Halls is going to be climbing the Inn Pinn tonight - should be worth a watch. I wonder whether he will try to fish for mackerel from it?

[Caberfeidh]

I hope he doesn't try it tonight, the weather's terrible!! I was down at Glen Brittle today and found a scarey thing on the shore. Anyone got any idea what it is, and whether I should be using as a doorstop or a thing to poke the fire with?

[druidsam]

watched it tonight and he mentioned that there were 234 munros..what happened to the other 50, did they shrink or something


.....................Sam

[Paul Webster]

We'll have a newsflash on the demoted 50 as soon as... Lots of new Corbetts....

[Can 0f Airy]

It is very much 'coffee table book' tv, if you excuse my mixed-media-metaphors but I quite like to indulge it. However, I've heard that the locals considered it all a bit of a joke - a summer crofter continually going for meals in the hotel (gossip mode).