Cracking Ben Cruachan: one of the finest peaks in the Southern Highlands

February 11, 2026 Trip reports ben cruachan, britain, glen awe, hill walking, munros, scotland, stob daimh 0 Comment

We saved the best walk for the best day. Edita and I had spied Ben Cruachan’s airy summit and hair-raising summit ridge from the top of Ben O’Cockle two days earlier. I could also see from the map that the walk across its top and that of its companion Munro Stob Daimh featured an enormous ridge.

Ben Lui: the finest peak in the Southern Highlands (my arse)

January 28, 2026 Trip reports ben a chleibh, ben lui, britain, glen lochy, hill walking, munros, scotland 8 Comments

A short distance east of our previous day’s Munros lay Ben Lui, a mountain considered by many to be the finest peak in the Southern Highlands. I once took a photo of it from the north-east, rising majestically like a marble throne above arctic tundra. From that moment I wanted climb it. But would it live up to the promise?

Beinn a’ Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich: fowling our way up the hooded peak

January 21, 2026 Trip reports beinn a chochuill, beinn eunaich, britain, glen awe, hill walking, munros, scotland 0 Comment

It was the fifth year in a row that Edita and I would be spending the Christmas period in Scotland trying to get up some hills, and our expectations weren’t high. Icy blizzards, deep snow, freezing fog and murderous summit winds had been our usual fare for the previous four. Would this year be any different?

Craig y Llyn: zipping up the cliff of the lake

November 19, 2025 Trip reports bannau brycheiniog, brecon beacons, britain, county tops, craig y llyn, hill walking, peak bagging, wales 0 Comment

A short distance south of Pen y Fan, the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons is a range of peaks less well known to the outside world. The Rhigos Hills are home to the highest point in the county of Glamorgan.

Wetherlam to Waterlam: climbing the Old Man of Coniston in a summer heatwave

July 16, 2025 Trip reports britain, county tops, cumbria, hill walking, lake district, met office, old man of coniston, peak bagging, swirl how, weather forecasts, wetherlam 0 Comment

The whole of Europe is in the middle of a scorching heatwave. Here in the Cotswolds the grass is as brown as a hay bale and the thermometer has been touching 30°C. It seemed like a good time to go hill walking in the Lake District, where good weather seemed guaranteed for a change.

Pen y Fan via Fan Frynych: two contrasting peaks in Bannau Brycheiniog

May 7, 2025 Trip reports bannau brycheiniog, brecon beacons, britain, corn du, fan frynych, hill walkng, pen y fan, wales 2 Comments

There was forecast to be one day of glorious weather over the Easter weekend. I nabbed it to take a day trip to the Brecon Beacons in South Wales, now known as Bannau Brycheiniog, and climb its highest peak via an extended route through a quieter part of the range.

A traverse of Hergest Ridge: Mike Oldfield’s favourite hill walk

April 9, 2025 History britain, cicerone guides, county tops, great rhos, hergest ridge, prog rock, walking, walking guides 8 Comments

A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about climbing tiny Little Solsbury Hill above the city of Bath, the setting for Peter Gabriel’s 70s progressive rock classic. Two years on, here I am writing a blog post about another small English hill that was once the subject of a classic 70s prog rock album.

Christmas in Glen Coe III: the Hillwalk Terminator

January 15, 2025 Trip reports aonach eagach, beinn a bheithir, britain, glen coe, hill walking, meall dearg, munros, scotland 5 Comments

It was the third year in a row that we’d chosen to spend Christmas in Glencoe in the hope of bagging some winter hills. But, as we’ve discovered, hoping for good weather in Glencoe over Christmas is a forlorn hope. Still, you’ve got to put your chin up and get on with it. With an unpromising weather forecast, would we manage get up any Munros?

Crazy cows on public footpaths: is it time to change the law?

October 9, 2024 Opinion and advice britain, cows, fatalities, public footpaths, ramblers association, the guardian, walking 7 Comments

Twenty-two people in the UK were killed by cows in a 4-year period from 2019 to 2023. A quarter of these were walkers crossing fields on public footpaths. Is it time to address this hazard with simple legislation?

Why The Salt Path is one of the great books about long-distance hiking

August 7, 2024 Reviews and tributes britain, cape wrath trail, iceland, laugavegur trail, long-distance trails, raynor winn, scotland, south west coast path, travel writing

I don’t often read Sunday Times bestsellers, but this year I read three in quick succession, all by the same author, including one that has struck a chord with so many people over the last five years that it has transcended its niche and broken into the mainstream. The book in question is The Salt Path by Raynor Winn.

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