Munro Bagging, Man Eating Midges & A Slug In My Shoe

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Munro Bagging, Man Eating Midges & A Slug In My Shoe

Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland » Fort William
June 24th 2006 by Lou Fitzgerald

Central Highlands of Scotland (Weekends of 1st/2nd July & 7th-9th July)

Quite unexpectedly I moved to Edinburgh for three and a half weeks for a job at the Royal Infirmary Hospital as my job at the Royal Free came to a sudden end due to funding cuts. As did my previous job at Northwick Park. I worked on the Combined Assessment Unit at the Royal Infirmary next to Accident and Emergency. The unit takes patients both from A & E and directly from GP referrals. The idea is that patients are assessed and moved out of the unit within 48 hours to either their own home, to a ward in the hospital or another facility. It was a great team to work with and I also had the opportunity to do some work in A & E.

I stayed with Clint and Carly which was great. I was truly spoilt while staying in their home. Sorry Nic, I know you told me to stay away from Haggis but Carly cooked Haggis with Tatties (mashed potato) and Neeps (turnips) one night and I really enjoyed it! What's Haggis? A very traditional Scottish dish made with sheeps lungs, kidney and liver

Glen Nevis Camping Ground

and minced with onion, oatmeal, barley and spices. It is traditionally boiled in the animals stomach. Okay, so it doesn't sound good!

What is Munro Bagging? In Scotland there are 284 munros. A munro is any mountain over 3000 feet (or approx. 950 metres). When you climb a munro you have bagged it and that is munro bagging!

Over two weekends in the Central Highlands of Scotland I bagged 3 munros! That means I only have 281 munros to go!!! (if I choose to take on such a challenge!)

The first weekend I caught the train to Glasgow and the bus to Fort William. I camped at Glen Nevis and climbed Cow Hill (but didn't see any cows!) in the afternoon to get a better view of the mighty Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in the UK at 1343 metres). On the Sunday I got up very early and climbed Ben Nevis reaching the summit by 10am (after 3 and half hours). Despite the good weather the summit was still covered in cloud, as it is for 355 days of the year. It wasn't my lucky day! Great views coming down though over the valley. A little

Ben Nevis
Looking across the valley to Ben Nevis from Cow Hill.

hard to believe that a T-model ford once drove to the summit!

During the second weekend I also got the train to Glasgow but then got off the bus at Glencoe (before Fort William). Glencoe is also where Hagrid's home is for Harry Potter fans. I camped on the Coe River at the Red Squirrel Campsite. Just as I got off the bus I met Brenna (from Canada) and her boyfriend Pete (from South Africa). They were also headed to the same campsite. The midges (little biting flies) at the campsite were out in force in swarms. Although a midge net over your head isn't a good look, I can see why english campers wear them now. We headed to the Clachaig Inn (1km up the road) that evening and over a drink I told them all about Nepal where they are hoping to venture in the future. The following day the three of us climbed Bidean nam Bian (1150m) and while we were there also bagged Stob Coire (1115m). The weather was quite ordinary. We got rained on and then the cloud came up from the valley swallowing the sheep that we could see on a nearby hill.

Ben Nevis
Looking across the valley to Ben Nevis from Cow Hill (close up you can even see the snow).

When the cloud came across the summit, Pete took us the 'short-cut' down through lots of skree! Dinner at the Clachaig Inn was sensational (appreciated even more when you are cold, wet and muddy). Thankfully we got there just before the kitchen closed!

It continued to rain through the night and the Coe River continued to rise. My tent was safe however Pete and Brenna had hidden their milk and OJ among some rocks in the river to keep them cold. They were really hidden now as the river had risen about a metre! Brenna was on a mission though and rolled up her trousers to go in the river and find them. That cup of tea was very important to them both and they aren't even English! Eventually they were found but then coming out of the river Brenna fell and the rolling up of the trousers didn't really matter after all!

The same morning as the milk and OJ rescue mission I put on my runners/trainers checking the insides of them first for creepy crawlies. I didn't see anything. But then on my way back from the toilet I felt something slimy between my toes. Couldn't

Ben Nevis - The Facts

get my shoe off fast enough! It was a slug! And the slug left this slimy residue all over my toes that didn't even wash off in the shower. I had to scrape it off with paper. Note to self: After heavy rain, check shoes thoroughly for slugs!