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Interview with the Vampire

Interview with the Vampire


Postby BlackPanther » Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:23 pm

Munros included on this walk: Ben Klibreck

Date walked: 22/08/2021

Time taken: 8.25 hours

Distance: 20.6 km

Ascent: 1124m

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"So you've been here for sixty six years? All that time? Poor old thing..."
She is looking at me curiously. Her eyes are the lightest shade of blue I've ever seen in a human being, her skin is near snow-white with a slight tint of pink. She could be a vampire herself.
Yes, I have been lying here for over half a century, on this God-forsaken mountain slope, overlooking the vast sea of Sutherland moorland. Hot summers and harsh winters passed and all I could do was just watch them go by. I have been trapped here since that tragic day in spring 1955. Today, I'm struggling to remember anything about that moment in the past. It's been too long now.
Usually I'm asleep. I wake up occasionally when people come near. Most of them just walk past, not aware of my presence. Some stop by, look at my final resting place, take photos. But she is the first one to actually talk to me.
"I could tell your story, you know" she whispers "I might not be the best blogger in the world, but I can try."
I think I'm going to agree. I have nothing to lose. I spent so many years on this windblown Scottish mountain... I'm not even sure how the world functions today. Do Vampires still fly?...


OK, I'm no Anne Rice so forgive me for this poor attempt at writing - my own version of "Interview with the Vampire" :lol: :lol: To make things clear, the Vampire in question is (was) De Havilland DH.115 Vampire T Mk 22 which crashed on the NE top of Beinn Klibreck, called Meall Ailein on the 17th of March 1955, sadly killing both crew. I have been fascinated by this crash site for years but the location proved to be a pain in the *certain body part*. We eventually managed to visit the Vampire in 2021 and it was a poignant journey. All crash sites are emotional journeys for us, but there is something about this one, the remoteness, the silence, the solitude... It woke up the romantic part of my writing abilities. I hope this whole report doesn't sound silly - if it does, my apologies.

We knew the location of the site from several sources as it is marked with an impressive memorial, marked on OS maps. Originally, we planned to cycle in from the east, past Ben Armine, and climb into the NE corrie below Meall Ailein from Alltalaird, but when studying maps, Kevin invented another route, that from the NW, from Altnaharra. This approach is actually a very nice alternative to the usual climb from Vagastie Bridge (which we had already done twice). We had our reservations about the wet lower slopes of Meall Ailein and Meall Meadhonach but there are decent tracks/stalkers paths following Allt a'Mhuillin. Apart from visiting the crash site, we were eager to explore the less popular side of Ben Klibreck and visit the summit, of course.

Track_KLIBRECK VAMPYRE 20.6KM.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


There is a good parking area at the start of the track leading to Clebrig; the initial 1km of walking is on tarmac, with lovely views down to Loch Naver:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 006.JPG

We left the road just before reaching the farm and took off across a grassy meadow to a gate we spotted in the deer fence. On the other side we spied an estate track alongside Klibreck Burn:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 009.JPG

The second gate, this one gives access to the open moorland and the slopes of Meall Ailein:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 015.JPG

Klibreck Burn was easy to cross today, but in wet weather it could be a problem (there is no bridge anywhere!). The track shrank to a path but it was still obvious to follow:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 022.JPG

We could see the zig-zagging line of the old stalkers path above us but it was easier to follow the stream for the first 200m of ascent; the ground was partially overgrown with heather but nowhere near as wet as we initially thought. And views were opening up as we gained height.
Ben Loyal from half way up the initial climb:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 029.JPG

Beinn Griam Mor & Beag:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 042.JPG

Looking south to the summit from the zig zags of the stalkers path:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 040.JPG

The eager beaver emerging on the flatter section of the ridge just below the top of Meall Ailein:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 302.JPG

Panoramic snap of Ben Klibreck from Meall Ailein:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 069.JPG

The Caithness "weirdos": Morven, Scaraben etc.
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 070.JPG

We decided to visit the crash site first and then, if time allowed, climb to the summit. The plan was to follow the south eastern shoulder of Meall Ailein and locate the memorial cairn (NC 619305).
Kevin looking for the crash site (the memorial cairn is visible in the upper left section of the photo):
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 319.JPG

I spotted a large bird of pray hovering above us but by the time I pointed my camera, it flew away. I only managed to snap one photo (the bird can be seen to the left of the picture). A golden eagle? Quite possible. We had seen them in this area before.
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 321.JPG

We found the monument easily. Apart from the memorial cairn with a plague built in, there's also a small stone cross nearby:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 072 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
The plague has the names of the lost crew of the Vampire (Lt Peter Leslie Beers, 24 and Lt John Knight, 23) as well as words "Died here in a flying accident 17th March 1955".
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 329.JPG

Next to the memorial we found a small pile of parts from the DH Vampire:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 076.JPG

The most recognizable part in the pile was a wheel hub:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 077.JPG

Other small pieces of the plane, gathered near the monument:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 081.JPG

2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 086.JPG

We knew that the monument was built on top of the ridge and well above the actual impact zone. We didn't have the exact grid ref for the crater, but having seen photos of it, we were hopeful we'd be able to locate it. But first, we walked to the end of the ridge, to enjoy the views down to Loch Choire and across the water to Ben Armine:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 348.JPG

Kevin's pano:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 093 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
Looking back to Ben Klibreck and Meall Ailein:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 096 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
As Kevin worked with his camera to get the best panoramas, I began to study the northern slopes below us, searching for any suspicious looking holes in the ground. My attention was drawn to a small rocky area with little vegetation around it. I pointed it out to Kevin and he said, well, we should investigate it. Just as we started to descend towards the potential crash site, we came across a few small metal pieces scattered on the grassy ground. Bingo, said my husband, we are in business!
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 357.JPG
He knows where he is going...

The first remains of the Vampire found en route to the impact zone:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 108.JPG
Part of the airframe

The second wheel hub:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 116.JPG

2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 367.JPG

We crossed a tiny burn and on the other side we spotted a larger pile of wreckage, hidden in a shallow depression in the ground:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 373 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
More plane debris hidden in a second peat hag:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 118.JPG

With Kevin still lagging behind, photographing bits of fuselage stuck in peat hags, I was the one to reach the impact zone first. The barren surface in a shape of a circle, with hundreds of small pieces scattered around, is an obvious spot where the Vampire hit the mountain:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 381.JPG

Standing on the edge of the impact crater, I stared at the sad remains of once a proud jet aircraft. What brought you here? Why did you dive into this remote slope? I almost heard the plane talking to me... Hello stranger... Welcome to my resting place... Please tell my story... Oh, come, on, it's just the wind whispering something into my ears!
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 388.JPG
Some parts were lying on top of rocks, obviously they have been moved by previous visitors.

I left my rucksack propped against a nearby rock and walked carefully around the impact zone, trying to take the best snaps I could (it was hard to pick the best bits for this report, again I produced over 200 photos of the crash site alone). Kevin soon joined me and he was the first to notice the long shape of a machine gun... No, wait! Two guns!
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 196 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
Kevin with one of the guns. The Vampire was armed with 4 of these 20mm (0.79in) Hispano Mk.V cannons with 150 rounds per gun. They had an unusually short barrel as for machine guns, which meant that they could be mounted in the wing of a fighter plane, thus reducing drag and making the gun less prone to freezing and mechanical stress.
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 459 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
Panthers are born for meowing, not for aiming guns :lol: :lol: :lol:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 192 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
As there were supposed to be four guns, we looked around for the remaining two; they had disintegrated on impact but fragments of them are still laying around:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 404.JPG

A squashed electric motor:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 185.JPG

Some more debris we found in the crater and just below, tangled into the vegetation:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 394.JPG

A hydraulic or water valve:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 399.JPG

Small parts from the engine:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 152.JPG

2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 389.JPG

Main airframe fragments:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 447.JPG

Despite my best efforts, I found very little information about the circumstances of this crash. The plane was De Havilland Sea Vampire XA103, flying with 736 NAS FAA RN at HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth, Morayshire. On the 17th of March 1955, it took off from Lossiemouth base on a training exercise. Sources state that the jet "crashed after the pilot lost control of the aircraft". Sadly, both crew were killed. The description that the Vampire "crashed into" rather than "collided with" the slope might suggest that the plane dived down to meet its fate rather than just flew into the mountain side (like so many other planes did in cloudy conditions). But this is just my speculation.
The jet was reported missing when it didn't return from the training flight; soon, an angler fishing in the area of Ben Klibreck (probably in Loch Choire) reported "seeing a flash in the sky an hearing an explosion near the summit of Ben Klibreck".
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 464 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
The search for the lost plane started the next morning, with RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue team involved in the recovery. The crash site was located after 6 hours of meticulous searching, sadly, nothing could be done for the two young crew, who both had died on impact. Weather that day was described as "wild" which could mean anything: rain, snow, hail, crazy winds. It was very early Scottish spring after all...
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 434.JPG
A fragment with serial number still visible

2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 465.JPG
A metal gearwheel

Looking north-east from above the crash site, the memorial cairn to the right, Loch Choire and the Armine hills to the left:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 235 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
The DH Vampire was the first single-engined operational jet fighter and the Royal Navy's first jet fighter, also the first with speed over 500mph, the first jet aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier and the first to cross the Atlantic. Nearly 3300 of them were built, serving for RAF and RN till 1966. They could reach the ceiling of 12500m (4100ft) and had a range of 1220 miles (1960 km). According to info from Morayvia Museum, 25 DH Vampires are still airworthy all over the world. So yes, Vampires still fly, though I guess only on special occasions!
2021-08-28 morayvia 011.JPG
The cockpit of De Havilland Vampire in Morayvia Museum

2021-08-28 morayvia 249.JPG
A model of De Havilland Vampire

Having said a quiet good bye to the lost Vampire and its crew, we climbed back up the NE shoulder to join the main northern ridge. The route is mostly pathless but not difficult, the only obstacles area few peat hags just below the top of Meall Meadhonach:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 476.JPG
Hag-hopping training ground

Kevin admiring the characteristic shape of Ben Loyal (which by chance also has a plane crash site on its northern side):
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 479.JPG

Over Meall Meadhonach to the summit of Klibreck:
2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 482.JPG

Na Glas-coire:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 486 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
From the final approach to the summit, we spotted a large herd of deer enjoying a skinny dip in one of the lochans of Na-Glas-coire:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 273 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
Nearly there!
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 493 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
We were a bit unlucky with our timing, when we reached the summit, we encounter a small but stubborn cloud hanging around the trig point... But it was a small price to pay for an excellent day of walking. Besides, we had seen enough of fantastic views on the way up (and would enjoy more when descending), so there was no complaining from us today!
Our 3rd visit to Ben Klibreck, Lucy's 2nd:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 285 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
The man who climbed the fallen trig point :lol:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 496 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
After a short rest and a sandwich on the cloudy summit, we started our descent. Soon we were out of the clag and admiring the views again...
Ben Loyal:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 289 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr
Instead of returning to the stalkers path, we took a shortcut from the first bealach, dropping at an angle in the direction of Allt a'Mhuillin, where we could join the path returning to the Alnaharra road. The initial descent was steep-ish and in places overgrown with scratchy heather, but we were making good progress and didn't take much time to return to Klibreck Burn, which then was crossed on stepping stones:
Image2021-08-22 klibreck vampyre 294 by Kevin Dalziel, on Flickr,
When we arrived back in the car and I took off my boots, I discovered a big, juicy tick on my leg. Thankfully, Kevin always carries tweezers in his first aid kit so an impromptu surgery was performed to remove the unwanted visitor. I was glad it ended with only one member of the wee black army; judging by the number of deer we saw that day, the N side of Klibreck must be tick-infested :shock:

She says her good-byes and slowly walks away. I can't stop her. She will go on and write about my story and I hope she does it well. I'm going to fall asleep now till the next visitor wakes me up. I'll be sleeping for many days, months, maybe even years, surrounded by this brutal yet beautiful scenery. I am the Klibreck Vampire. I'm now a part of this mountain and I know I'll never fly again...
But maybe I will - in my dreams.


Internet sources for the DH Vampire crash:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/153641
https://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/ben-kilbreck-and-the-vampire-jet-crash/
https://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/2015/08/07/munro-adventure-2015-day-98-6th-august-and-then-there-was-one-ben-more-and-ben-kilbreck-and-a-visit-to-the-the-vampire-aircraft-crash-memorial/
https://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/2020/09/13/far-north-aircraft-crashes-ben-more-assynt-conival-and-ben-klibreck-munros-with-a-sad-tale/
http://www.wtdwhd.co.uk/crash%20details/cc18/Sea%20Vamp.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire
User avatar
BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

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