Another quiet day as I prepare for 5 or 6 big days on the trot.  I still managed to tick off Meall Dola, 323m or 1060 feet.  However the highlight of the day was spending about half an hour watching 2 otters fishing in an estuary.

Marilyns climbed 1
Total Marilyns climbed 585
Distance walked 22k
Height climbed 295m

I managed to sneak up one more Marilyn today, despite the day being very wet and cold.  We were out early and mountain biked into the foot of our target hill just outside Durness.  We climbed in  a snowstorm.  It is supposed to be May!  It was an easy hill despite the appalling weather.

GN returned to Edinburgh at Lunch time.  I was treating this a sort of rest day so spent the afternoon biking to Kinlochbervie and using the time to re supply at Mr Mackay's General purpose stores which is pictured and is Well worth a visit.

Marilyns done today - 1

Total Marilyns climbed 584

Height climbed 710m

Distance walked 6k

Distance  biked 23k

The picture below is of the view from Mr Mackay's front door.

The Cape Wrath Peninsula in the top NW corner of Britain, is a wild place with no roads and only a few deer tracks. Underfoot it is often boggy and tussocky and very hard to walk across.

Tuesday's walk was a gruelling 10 hours long. We (Graham Nash and I) saw no people and no buildings. Our only reminders of the outside world were 2 small ships out to sea and warning notices on a MOD fence. The sun shone most of the day, although at times the wind was bitterly cold.  The hills were inspirational.  In the distance, Fionavon was snow capped and serene.

Marilyns climbed 4

Total Marilyns 583

Height climbed 980 m

Distance walked 27k

May 6th.  I am now in Sutherland thanks to a lift from Graham Nash.  The hills are snow capped. Sutherland is empty of people and full of wildlife and as an example, today we saw a golden eagle.  Two more Marilyns climbed including Ben Stack which is pictured below.

Marilyns climbed 2
Total of Marilyns 579
Height climbed 1150m
Distance walked 13k

Another superb day despite being bitterly cold when on summit ridges.  Two more Marilyns climbed thanks to lots of support from Fiona and Graeme.

The picture shows an old man (that is- me) approaching the top of Beinn a'Chuallaich 892 meters.

Tomorrow I move from Perthshire to the Far North for the next part of the adventure.

Marilyns climbed 2

Total Marilyns 577

Height climbed 1220 meters

Distance walked 19.5 k

Day 2 and the target was Marilyns above the Drumochter Pass.  Overnight there had been snow to impove the look of the hills.  Two Marilyns climbed -Meall na Leitreach and Sgairneach Mhor - across a grouse moor where there were several vicious looking traps presumabley to catch an unwary stoat. There were many grouse and a few mountain hares, but no raptors.  Despite this it was another great day accompanied by Fiona and Graeme.

Marilyns climbed 2

Total Marilyns 575

Height climbed 1020 m

Distance walked 20k

Today was the first of my latest Scottish adventure and it was spent on the three Munros of Beinn a'Ghlo. All three are also Marilyns so my total is now 573.  A superb hill round undertaken on a fine day with occasional snow showers in the company of Fiona and Graeme.

Amount of ascent 1270m

Distance walked 23k

Marilyns climbed 3