Friday, 31st. May, 2024:
After a week in the hills and with Alex and Stefan slowed by some form of food poisoning, only Chalky and I were fit to leave Ullapool reasonably early and begin our journey south - stopping first at Balsporran Cottages on the A9 to the south of Dalwhinnie. Arriving there some time after midday, we completed a pretty routine round of the four Munros to the east of Loch Ericht in better weather than we had enjoyed on the west coast. Apart from some extensive views from Beinn Udlamain as far as the Black Mount and Ben More to the south west, the only real points of note were a rather large ceramic dish / pipe on the bealach between Beinn Udlamain and Sgàirneach Mhòr and the intensive nature of the grouse rearing on the northern slopes of the latter hill - as ever, dressed up as wildlife conservation.
The last two and a bit miles back alongside the A9 didn't make for an especially fine end to the day but we got down in good time and checked into the excellent Old School Hostel in Dalwhinnie where we were surprised to meet Alex and Stefan, recovering from a bout of food poisoning but still too delicate to travel to their homes. They were, understandably, keeping pretty quiet and it was left to Chalky and me to mark the end of our trip with a terrific curry in Kingussie's Royal Tandoori - superb Chicken Madras - before our long drive back to the Kent lowlands on the following day.