So far I've published two puzzles based on two of my hobbies or interests. But before I had mini elpth my main hobby involved regularly heading north to the mountains. So I thought I'd tell you a little about some of my favourites as nowadays I don't get to go so often.
Let's start with Stob Ghabhar as that was the first mountain that our dog went up. It was a big day for a young dog so we only did the one hill and I have yet to return to its neighbour. She was exhausted that night in the pub but it was the first of many great hill days together. Another time we did The Angel's Peak (Sgor an Lochan Uaine) together and it's that hill that stands out from the whole trip because the bad weather broke just as we got to it and the relief from persistent low cloud and rain was amazing. Plus it's always a bonus when you can see for miles!
Talking of seeing for miles, Schiehallion is a favourite of mine not just as it's allegedly the centre of Scotland but also for quite a different reason. It was used in an experiment to estimate the mass of the Earth by considering the deflection of a pendulum. When I've been up there I've often wondered exactly how, especially given the conditions you often get up a Scottish hill. An impressive achievement.
Wind and poor weather always make me think of Creag Meagaidh or "Smeggy Meggy" as it was known amongst my friends. Despite intending to go there on many an occasion, it wasn't until eight years after my first intended trip that I finally got to the summit. Even then it was a close thing as there was a white out! So favourite for eventual achievement. People tend to say "west is best" when trying to avoid poor weather but some of the worst mountain weather I've ever been in was on Braeriach, which isn't. And has put me right off returning even though it's meant to be a lovely mountain!
Moving to the other side of Scotland, I have a soft spot for Carn Mor Dearg as opposed its more famous neighbour. The arrete is fun not just for the scrambling but also watching scared tourists who seem to find their way onto it. A safer option for them would probably be something like Am Bodach in the Mamores. It means "old man"! Or just sticking to the ski lifts and cafés on Aonach Mor perhaps?
There are so many other mountains I could talk about (and will if you ask me at an event) but that's probably enough for now. Enjoy the spot this cache takes you to. It's a lovely peaceful place and I couldn't resist putting this particular cache there when I discovered the hiding place.
This cache is placed with the permission of the landowner.