The Skye Trail is a challenging 80-mile trek across the Isle of Skye, from Rubha Hunish to Broadford. Skye is a truly spectacular place and considered one of the most beautiful of the 790 islands in Scotland!!! Passing by rugged cliffs, lochs, ruins of deserted villages, the Trotternish Ridge and the Black Cuillins. This trail is recommended for experienced backpackers due to the need for self-reliance and is not waymarked so requires strong navigational skills. I got lucky with 5½ days of hot sunny weather though it was really tough carrying a full rucksack for the 7 days trek.

The Skye Trail is typically completed in 6 or 7 days. I was debating whether to hike the trail in 6 days but if you’re going add-on the Bad Step / Loch Coruisk alternate route then it’ll make the hike much more difficult in 6 days. If you want to take your time and enjoy the scenery, your best hiking the trail in at least 7 days.

If trail runners can run the Skye Trail using trail running shoes, then there’s no reason why you can’t use hiking shoes. It’s the first time I’ve used hiking shoes on a long-distance trail. If you’re expecting some dry weather then you could just use gaiters to prevent water and dirt getting into the shoes and walking poles to help with stability. But if you’re expecting really wet and boggy conditions then obviously use hiking boots.

Day 1: Broadford to Camas Malag Bay

I was just about to start the Skye Trail in Broadford when I noticed a leak in the rucksack. Turns out a can of ginger had burst inside the food bag. It was kind of fortunate this happened at Broadford since I could clean the stickiness in the toilets. So, I had the opportunity to spend more time in Broadford but was delayed by 1hrs 30mins. After starting the hike, I wanted to find somewhere to test a new drone. Sadly, the drone did not work and mistakenly thought there were flying restrictions in Skye. Later found out at home, it was a faulty USB connector cable. Just thought that the Skye Trail is going to be an eventful journey!!

The start of the trail is very scenic while walking alongside the Red Cuillins. Once reaching the coast, it becomes very tranquil with beautiful views of the sea and the mountains of the Isle of Rum!! Passing by the abandoned village of Boreraig which was brutally cleared during the Highland Clearances in the 1850s to make way for sheep. Then walking along by the coast with high dramatic cliffs towering above. The path suddenly disappeared and in front looked impassable due to the high tide. The GPS was not accurate and thought the route was supposed to be on top of the cliffs. So, I spent half an hour trying to figure out how to continue on the trail. I met a couple of people going in the opposite direction and they were oblivious to the issues here when walking South to North. Backpackers would not have had this issue when walking the most common direction, North to South.

I was really behind with time now. One of my shoulders started becoming sore probably due to the rucksack being too heavy. So, I got in the bad habit of relieving the pain by placing a hand on the shoulder while the other hand had the 2 walking poles. I was on a stony path with very slight decline and I went flying and landed on the ground with my face just next to the ground!! Within half a second, the heavy rucksack pushed my face into the ground with small stones!! It seemed like my head was burst opened!! I felt trapped on the ground because the heavy bag was on top of me. I managed to stop the bleeding pretty quick once getting up although my knee and hand were bruised. Lessons learned: Don’t use an overly heavy rucksack and always use a walking poles with each hand.

It’s difficult to find a place to camp here and I could not locate a stream to refill the water. In the first couple days, some of the streams had a funny colour and did not taste as nice so best to bring a water filter. Luckily, I discovered a cracking place overlooking the Camas Malag Bay. I just felt so sore that night and wasn’t sure how the Skye Trail was going to go.

Day 2: Camas Malag Bay to Elgol

There was still quite a distance to the small fishing village of Torrin, the planned destination for the end of first stage. I stopped by Camas Malag Bay to make some breakfast on the beach and then swiftly walked along the road to Torrin. This is a very scenic village at the bottom of the Red Cuillins!! The second stage is supposed to be easy so I had to make up for the lost time. I was hoping a shop would be open as I was really wanting some fizzy drinks but wasn’t looking promising. Then to my delight a burger van was open that had a fantastic viewpoint of Blà Bheinn (also known as Blaven)!! This was another really warm day and I questioned if long distance treks during hot conditions were for me.

You can add Blaven on to your walk on this stage therefore missing out on Elgol. Blaven is one of the easiest Munros on Skye although it’s a really steep mountain. It’s worth noting there’s a tricky intimating scramble to a Munro-top before descending the South ridge to Camasunary Bay. I decided not to hike Blaven to conserve energy and really wanted to see the airy coastal path near Elgol.

The views of the Black Cuillins are absolutely amazing from the Blaven summit!!! The Black Cuillins is the most complex and challenging mountain to climb in the British Isles!! There are about 36 peaks along a narrow 12 km ridge and there’s no other mountain like this in Scotland. This includes Scotland’s most difficult Munro, the Inaccessible Pinnacle which requires a graded rock climb and an abseil.

After leaving Blaven carpark, the trail ascends 475ft through a boggy forest. Once on top, there’s stunning all round views of the Red Cuillins!! The main road to Elgol heads up on a hill but the path is down towards the coast. You walk through this massive forest and some bits were eerie and not signposted. After reaching the small settlement Glasnakille, there’s a trek through moorland to reach Elgol.

There’s an impressive cave near Glasnakille called the Spar Cave but you must check the tide times. You only have access to the cave 1 hour of either side of low tide. You need to be well-equipped as even at the lowest tide the water could be at least knee deep. There’s also the Prince Charlie’s Cave near Elgol which is only accessible a couple of hours either side of low tide as well.

It was great timing to have my first visit to Elgol during an amazing sunset so I had good first impressions of Elgol!!! Much of the village is actually on a hill and it’s difficult to find flat land to pitch a tent because of the hill. Elgol is really beautiful with the Black Cuillins mountains across Loch Scavaig and the mountain that stood out the most is Sgùrr nan Eag!! I actually planned to have a fish and chips here but was too late and also never seen the van anyway. It’s worth having a rest day at Elgol as there’s boat trips to places like Loch Coruisk.

Day 3: Elgol to Sligachan via the Bad Step

This is the stage I was looking forward to the most and was the hardest hike with 4,652 ft altitude gained. I made the decision to hide my drone and some other stuff so as to lighten the rucksack. Which meant extending the trip by 1 day and coming back to Elgol. This is the day of the Bad Step and it’s not a good idea to scramble this with a rucksack that’s too heavy.

After Elgol there’s an airy coastal path that has numerous sketchy steep drops down to the sea below. It reminds me of the end of Loch Lomond on the West Highland Way but it’s sketchier. I wouldn’t underestimate this as it’s a little nerve racking at times but it’s all part of the adventure. Once finishing the coastal path, you’ll reach Camasunary Bay which is one of the finest bays on the Island!! There are no roads here and it’s a couple hours hike from Elgol. If taking the Bad Step / Loch Coruisk alternate route, you must cross a river but it wasn’t difficult when using my crocs sandals.

Then the path heads around the coast towards the notorious Bad Step while taking in absolutely amazing views of the Cuillins!!! It’s about a 1-hour hike to the Bad Step and the closer I got the more anxious I became. I had no idea how this was going to work out. The Bad Step is an airy grade 2 scramble about 15ft above the sea so you’ll need a good head for heights. It’s at a very remote location though other outdoorsy people do travel to Loch Coruisk but mainly by boat. The reason I choose South to North is because it’s easier traversing the Bad Step in that direction.

The path directly led to a scramble that resembled the Bad Step which is another issue when hiking South to North. I ascended this first and it’s more dangerous and includes a rock climb. So, I came back and had a wee nosey to see what was lower down nearer to the sea. I scrambled up another route and wasn’t sure if this was the Bad Step. So came back again and was about to give up and head back to Camasunary Bay. Then I made one last attempt and was very relieved to make it across the Bad Step without any issues. The exposure is not as bad as I thought and if I was to do it again, it would be a lot easier. I’m not going to lie, it was nerve-racking and taking the wrong route at first made it more daunting!!

I now kind of understand why some people say you’ve not done the Skye Trail if you’ve not conquered the Bad Step. Walking towards the Black Cuillins and then through Loch Coruisk is so much more beautiful than hiking the usual route from Sligachan to Elgol. Loch Coruisk is a hidden freshwater loch surrounded by the peaks of the Cuillin mountains. It’s truly a hidden gem and the water has a beautiful blue-green colour!! The only way to reach Loch Coruisk is via the Bad Step or 11km hike from Sligachan or a boat trip from Elgol. It’s worth noting it’s very dangerous to traverse the Bad Step in wet conditions or blowing a gale as there is a risk of falling into the sea.

After the Bad Step, it’s not like you start on a nice path, as there’s more scrambling over large boulders. The max temperature was 26 degrees and it must’ve been one of the hottest days of the year on Skye!! Once reaching Loch Coruisk, I was so thirsty I drank one litre of water!!! Then had an unexpected 1000ft climb up to the bealach of Sgùrr na Strì though it was really tough carrying the full rucksack. When reaching the bealach I was rewarded with amazing views of the Red Cuillins and Blaven!!! The other side of the mountain range that I saw the previous day. I was debating whether to tick off Sgùrr na Strì but it’s worthy of a return visit to camp on top of the sub2000. As the summit has supposedly one of the finest views in the British Isles!!

Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to walk the 6 miles to Sligachan campsite. It was a relentless walk and arrived there just before it became really dark. Sgùrr nan Gillean is an astonishing looking mountain from Glen Sligachan!!! I’m not surprised to read it’s possibly the most famous of the Cuillin peaks!!

Day 4: Sligachan to Portree via the Braes

After the amazing weather I had the first 3 days, the weather took a turn for the worse on the 4th day. The batteries had run out on my camera so I’ve struggled to find more decent pictures for rest of the trek. But did capture this phone shot showing the Skye climbing pioneers John Mackenzie and Professor Norman Collie admiring the northern part of the Cuillin mountains!

The start of the hike alongside Loch Sligachan was very atmospheric!! The only issue here was sometimes you would leave the path and unnecessarily hike over difficult rocks on the beach, but by ascending you’ll find the correct path. Once reaching the Braes peninsula you walk on a road along the coastline but it was dreich for much of the remaining hike. The last 2 miles from Portree is quite adventurous with walking alongside a river, through a forest and by the sea.

Unfortunately, I ran into some bad luck!! Firstly, I got soaked when walking through a narrow path with wet vegetation and then the elastic cord of my waterproof overtrousers ripped off. I’m so glad it stopped raining in Portree as I couldn’t see anywhere to shelter from the elements!! It’s not fun walking about a busy wee town on your own with a heavy rucksack. The only positive thing to happen in Portree was indulging in a lovely fish and chips!!

I planned to travel by bus to the campsite though the last bus had already been. Somehow, I misread the timetable online or the website was inaccurate. Then waited at the taxi rank but frustratingly there were no taxis anywhere. The last check-in time was approaching which put more pressure on getting to the campsite. According to Google maps it’s a 30min walk to the campsite with 200ft climb so should’ve done this sooner. It was much more peaceful once reaching the campsite and had the chance to relax.

Day 5: Portree to Bearreraig Bay

Portree is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Skye and is the main town to restock supplies. Usually, tourists shop at the Co-op near the harbour although this is a tourist trap. There’s a much bigger Co-op 20 mins walk (also get bus) which has a wider variety of products and at a cheaper price. I had a pleasant morning in Portree which made up for the rubbish time I had there the previous day. It was really good timing that I had an issue with the overtrousers in Portree as I bought new overtrousers from an outdoorsy shop. I felt much better after having a shower, drying wet clothes/shoes and charging a powerbank at the campsite.

The walkout from Portee along the coastal path is very scenic!! This is the first time walking on top of the cliffs though there is a steep ascent to reach the top. I was very impressed with the views, especially looking down the steep cliffs. There is an alternative route for this stage that heads up Ben Dearg which is the southern end of the Trotternish Ridge but I am glad I chose the coastal path as I think it’s more scenic. It was back to being a lovely sunny day and even passed a couple of 1000ft summits overlooking the sea.

I planned to camp at Bearreraig Bay which involves a very steep descent. I was really low on water and just couldn’t find any. At first, I did not know how to reach the bay but luckily downloaded a Walk Highlands route. Bearreraig Bay must be one of the most beautiful bays in Skye but sadly spoiled by a Hydro-electric power station. When reaching the bay, there’s a river in spate making a lot of noise, probably due to the power station pumping water too fast. I think you could have found a way across but I refilled water and headed back up to the top of the cliffs to pitch the tent overlooking the bay.

Day 6: Bearreraig Bay to Beinn Edra

This stage is really long and the most demanding hike of the trail. The Trotternish Ridge is very exposed and has little escape routes if encountering bad weather. Be prepared and always take a paper map and compass with you. It’s worth buying the Skye Trail XT40 (1:40,000) from Harvey Maps. The Trotternish Ridge is a truly spectacular place and if you get lucky with the weather, you’ll see beautiful awesome scenery!!! I split the last 2 stages more evenly so instead of one extremely tough day, the 1st day was 14 miles and the 2nd was 16 miles. This is only ideal if wild camping and not staying at accommodation in Flodigarry/Staffin.

The Old Man of Storr is a prominent rocky pinnacle on the mountain called the Storr. The trail is a very popular tourist attraction on Isle of Skye and not surprisingly very busy. The Storr at 2,359 feet is the highest peak of the Trotternish Ridge. The summit is not actually on the Skye Trail but you can hide your bag and take a detour to bag the Fiona. The Storr really is a stunning mountain and the views on top are fabulous so really worth the detour!! Hartaval is another Fiona on the Trotternish Ridge and at 2,188 feet is the highest point on the Skye Trail.

The weather could have turned either way but fortunately, the weather turned for the better. In fact, I was actually concerned the weather was forecast for more hot weather with clear skies. There’s no water on the ridge, apart from streams around the Storr mountain, but once leaving Storr, there’s no water until reaching the Quiraing car park. I refilled 2.3 litres of water which adds like 2.3kg of weight to the rucksack. If you’re going to attempt this ridge between Storr carpark and Flodigarry in the one day then maybe best to hike from North to South as you’ll have much more energy. I summit camped on Beinn Edra which had an incredible sunset over the Outer Hebrides with the Quiraing slightly over to the right.

Day 7: Beinn Edra to Shulista”

The weather forecast for this day was sunny with rain arriving at 5pm. So, this was perfect to hike the Quiraing. The Quiraing was formed by an ancient landslip that left behind an area of dramatic and bizarre rock formations. It’s situated on the northernmost part of the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye. The Quiraing is very popular due to its breathtaking and dramatic scenery and is one of the best hikes on the Island!!

I’m glad I did not attempt to reach Flodigarry the previous day as it took a further 4 hrs to reach Flodigarry with fresh legs. I stopped by at the Flodigarry hotel for 2 pints which was actually my first opportunity to have a pint. Normally I would sit outside during the hot weather when having a drink. But because I’d been in the hot weather so much during the trail, I just needed a relaxing drink indoors. The chilled 2 pints were lovely and a great way to rest as there was still a further 4 hrs to walk until reaching the Lookout Bothy at Rubha Hunish.

This stage has more coastal clifftop walks with a couple of bits unexpectedly sketchy. The forecast was correct and rain started at about 5, so I was more interested now in reaching the bothy. The bothy was busy and there’s only limited flat land there to pitch a tent. As the evening went on, it became busier and just wished now I camped somewhere away from the bothy. This is technically not the end of the Skye Trail but it’s really nice to camp just on the clifftop. The end (or beginning if travelling North to South) is at the phone box on the Shulista road end which is only a 30 min walk. If you have spare time, you could walk around Rubha Hunish headland but probably best to download an offline route as the descent is near steep cliffs.

Day 8: Bus trip to Elgol and camp at Broadford

I still had to pick up the drone in Elgol so this was an opportunity to spend one last day on the Isle of Skye. The Stagecoach app was really helpful for planning the 3 bus journey from Shulista to Elgol. If travelling by public transport, I would recommend using this app to plan bus routes and check bus times. The last bus at Elgol is at 4.30pm on the Friday and with no more buses until Monday. I had a 20 min window to pick up the drone and catch the last bus. Fortunately, everything did go to plan apart from getting soaked when getting off the bus.

I found a nice spot to camp on Glen Sligachan, just outside Broadford (campsites were full). Since I never had any celebrations when finishing the Skye Trail, I had the opportunity for a wee celebration at Broadford on the Friday night. So, I ate fish and chips at the sea front and then hit the Gabbro Bar for the night.

I had a choice of hiking other long distance trails but after reading about the Skye Trail last year, it was a no brainer to pick this one. So I would highly recommend doing the Skye Trail but best to gain more backpacking experience by walking the West Highland Way first. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my Skye Trail adventures. If I can inspire just one person to hike this trail then writing this blog would be all worthwhile. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments and I’ll reply as quickly as I can.

Strava statistics

Altitude gained: 15,973ft (4869m)
Distance: 90.7 miles
Time: 65 hrs

Hiking/camping gear List

Rucksack total weight = 12.9kg

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The post Hiking the truly spectacular Skye Trail via the Bad Step first appeared on Fraser King Photography.

Day 1: Drumnadrochit to Cannich (15 miles)

Glen Affric is often described as the most beautiful glen in Scotland, stretches for 30 miles from Kintail in the west to Cannich in Strathglass. The glen contains the third largest area of ancient Caledonian pinewoods in Scotland and much of the woodland consists of Scots pine.

This is my first long distance self-sufficient hike so was kinda out my comfort zone. I waited for a nice weather window as I wanted to practice multi-day treks without the issue of rain. The first 3 days were forecast to be warm and sunny and the 4th days forecast was rain!! The prediction was 100% correct!! Blue sky day on the 2nd day but rained all day on 4th day!

AKW starts at Drumnadrochit and then runs through forestry above Glen Urquhart. The first 2 days are through forests and these are the longest with most altitude gained for the whole way. The 1st day should not to be underestimated as this is when the rucksack is at its heaviest. A couple of times walking along narrow tracks in the forest with poor lightening in the evening. There was absolutely no one around and felt eerie!!

I chose this multi-day hike as it’s something that can be done with public transport. There’s a bus from Glasgow to Drumnadrochit and the return bus is at Shiel Bridge which is a 55 min walk from the end of the AKW. It’s worth noting that 2 sections of the road to Shiel Bridge have no pavement but there’s a path just off the road. I wasn’t sure about doing this trek as I’m lacking confidence with backpacking. Worrying about things like what would happen if the strap that holds the tent to the rucksack snaps.

At one point the GPX route led to an A road which meant walking on the verge for over 1 mile. The verge wasn’t great for walking on and had to walk on the road sometimes so it was sketchy. I downloaded one GPX file of the whole route on some random website on the internet. If you have the choice between downloading individual day hikes on Walk Highlands then I was recommend doing this as their routes are kept up-to-date. With the Walk Highlands route, your only on the verge for about quarter of a mile.

So there weren’t many views but I was pleasantly surprised with the walk-in to Cannich. It actually turned out a really nice evening but it was tough and I ran out of water. You could see the Glen Affric mountains in the distance and felt incredible walking to these magnificent mountains in the Northwest Highlands!!

I reached Cannich just before it became dark and stayed at campsite. Cannich is the last village to stock up on things as there are no more villages until the end of the way in Morvich. Cannich has a shop, campsite, cafe, pub, restaurant and bus routes.

I lost my USB charging cable at the campsite in the pitch black and just couldn’t find it!! Thereby unable to charge my phone and use the battery pack. So there was no way to charge phone until I got home. Luckily, the shop assistant gave me a free cable at the Cannich shop. Modern mobile phone batteries can last for 2 days and longer when phone is switched off. There was not going to be any signal anyway but need phone for GPS and offline OS Maps. I learned a wee tip afterwards. Turn on airplane mode if you’re in an area with no signal to save battery.

Multi-day trekking is a different ball game than single day treks if you’re not used to carrying a full rucksack. I was sorer than I anticipated after the hike on the 1st day. One of my shoulders was so painful!! Just didn’t know if I was going to finish the AKW!! That’s 2 long distance hikes I’ve did and both times experienced pain that I’ve never had before while day hiking. Fortunately, this pain never came back again for the rest of the hike and probably just wasn’t used to carrying full rucksack.

I hiked the West Highland Way at the start of summer and the only issues I had regarding hiking and camping is I never took enough sun tan lotion and had very sore feet with blisters. Using the luggage transfer service just made everything so much easier as my suitcase had tent and loads of spare items. With this self-sufficient multi-day trek, I nearly ran out of food, ran out of water once, the phone could’ve run out of battery and most of my clothes got soaked.

Day 2: Cannich to Glen Affric (14 miles)

This was the best day in terms of weather!! It was a beautiful blue bird day!! But like the 1st day, just walking along hilly forestry tracks. Sometimes the sign posting was poor on the way especially at one point on stage 2. A small crossroad signpost was hidden at the side of the forest with a faint path leading away. I missed this and walked on the wrong side of the loch for half an hour on hilly land so was delayed by 1 hour.

After returning back to where I thought the correct route was. The GPX route was heading down the side of an inaccessible gorge!! You would probably die if you followed this route!! So had no idea how to get down to the Dog Falls carpark. Luckily, I downloaded the first 2 stages the Walk Highlands GPX route before losing the 4G signal. But you would’ve found the poorly located sign post by retracing your steps anyway.

There was still a 5 mile walk above Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin before the end of stage 2. I refilled water at the river next to Dog Falls which I would recommend doing. As the streams on the south side of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin have a funny colour. Sometimes it’s difficult to find places to refill water on the Affric Kintail Way which means you’ll have to carry more water in rucksack. It was a relentless walk for 2 hours above the loch and only managed just over half way along the loch before finding a place to camp. This is around where the phone signal was lost and never gained a signal for another couple of days.

There was like to nowhere to camp apart from 2 flat spots with fantastic views over looking the loch. Some guy had grabbed the first one but thought my luck was in when I found a second spot. My good luck soon turned to bad luck when a large swamp of midges just happened to be there. Though I think this must be a popular place to camp and they probably live there just waiting for humans coming along.

The camp spot is 800ft high and facing West where the sun was setting. It’s a fabulous view but sadly spent most of the time inside the tent!! I was planning to make a meal for the first time ever using a camping gas stove but due to inexperience, I thought the gas had run out. So settled for some cold dehydrated Pasta Bolognese. This meant that the other meals I bought for the gas stove were useless and the 3rd day was heading into the remotest part of the hike so far with limited food.

Normally I take the DLSR camera Nikon D850 or sometimes Nikon D3200 while hiking but this time just had a compact digital camera. To save from having to spend over a £100, I took a Sony DSC-H3 that I bought something like 15 years ago. It’s an 8 megapixel camera with 10X optical zoom and manual exposure mode. Apparently, there’s been no new innovations with compact digital cameras in the last few years. But maybe this camera is too old as the picture quality is poor.

I had some Vodka while relaxing after the hikes. I’m someone who never drinks spirits apart from cocktails on special occasions. Strapping a six-pack to your backpack isn’t a great idea. Vodka/whiskey weight to alcohol ratio makes this an easy choice for multi-day trips. I filled Vodka into 2 x 200ml travel bottles and double-strength diluted orange juice in a 100ml bottle. So could get approximately 16 single vodkas or 8 doubles. The 3 bottles weighed about the same as 1 can of larger.

Day 3: Glen Affric to Alltbeithe (13 miles)

This was the easiest day and the day with the best views!! The path leads above the stunning Loch Affric while passing through magnificent pinewoods!! This is actually part of the Loch Affric circuit though you only hike the south side of the loch.

The views across the loch to the great mountains of Càrn Eige and Mam Sodhail are fantastic!! Càrn Eige is the tallest mountain in Northwest Highlands and the second-tallest mountain in the British Isles by prominence!!

Since there were issues refilling water the previous 2 days. I refilled water under the footbridge near the picnic area. Don’t recall seeing places to refill water during the first half of stage 3 but knew they’d be lots of places in the second half.

I’ve cycled along here before when hiking the Sgùrr nan Ceathreamhnan group. These are some of the remotest mountains in Britain and are miles from the nearest road!! The mountain range includes Mullach na Dheiragain which is one of the least accessible and most awkward Munros to reach!!

It was definitely a god send at the end of stage 3 in Alltbeithe. Thankfully in this remote wilderness there is Glen Affric Youth Hostel which is the remotest hostel in Britain!! I had good first impressions when walking in and they have a shop which sells chocolate/serial bars, sugary drinks, porridge and pouch meals.

For only £10, your allowed to use the hostel’s facilities and have permission to camp on their land. Which was a great deal considering I had camping meals I couldn’t use and was running out of food. When walking into the kitchen it was surprisingly lively with other hikers making and having dinner. The coal/wood fire was very warm and it was interesting to hear about everyone’s hikes in the area.

It was a good idea to take an iPod touch which only weighs 90g. It has a light, time/alarm, GPS, wi-fi (browser and weather app), notepad and plays music. This would save from having to use the phone’s battery. However, it would’ve been better if there was 2G signal to make and receive calls. The notepad is handy to note down mistakes and items to buy to make future multi-day hikes easier. I then store the text file on a computer, making it a useful resource for future trips.

Day 4: Alltbeithe to Morvich (11 miles)

This was the toughest day with hiking through the most mountainous part of the trail and in the rain for 6 hours!! However, it was very atmospheric and probably the stage with the most dramatic scenery!! Ironically there is only 692ft altitude gained for this day which is the least out of the 4 stages. The hostel is about 870ft high up so this made it an easier starting point.

You’ll see the sheer size and beauty of the mountains of Kintail!! I couldn’t agree more when people say Kintail is one of the most beautiful places in Scotland!! The steep mountain on the right is Beinn Fhada and on the left are the Five Sisters of Kintail. The scenery is tremendous even in the rain!! The main highlight is walking along the gorge of the Allt Grannda with the impressive waterfalls!!

I stopped by at Camban bothy for a break and to shelter from the rain. Though I’ll remember this visit for the wrong reasons. The door has 2 outdoor locks that you can lock and unlock from the inside. One lock was quite stiff and I couldn’t open the door for a few mins. It was very dark at the door and my claustrophobic anxiety triggered off.

I was so glad to start descending down to the lower glen but there was still a long walk along Gleann Lichd. Just did not enjoy this part as I was rushing to catch the shop before it closed. I was very low on food but luckily everything turned out fine in regards to food.

Once reaching the end at Morvich, there’s still another 55 min walk alongside the road to the campsite. It was a miserable walk as a couple of times I was on the verge of a really busy road and still raining. When reaching the Glen Shiel campsite, it appeared the warden felt sorry for me. I’m glad it was the last day I got soaked as I was heading home the following day.

Really wanted to celebrate at the restaurant with dinner and a drink. However, it’s a 20 min walk, it was nearly dark, my boots and waterproofs were wet and I was shattered!! Some of the walk to pub is off the main road and in the middle of nowhere. Just decided to have a wee celebration resting in the tent with some Vodka.

The kettle in the campsite turned out to be a hot water boiler but I’ve never seen one before. I tried to make a pasta dinner although you need boiling water to cook pasta and the water was not hot enough. The microwave was useless as there are no containers. But figured out in the morning that you can cook instant porridge and noodles with the hot water boiler.

There’s been some obstacles I’m trying to overcome for future multi-day hikes. Why are the boots letting in water even though there only a couple months old? Why does the hiking jacket get soaked when there’s a waterproof overjacket on? How do you prevent blisters? Hopefully the first two will be solved by buying a reproofing kit to enhance the water resistance of the waterproofs and boots. To prevent blisters, I bought waterproof socks, more anti-blister socks and a lightweight microfibre travel towel specifically for drying feet. It’s important to keep your feet dry as I think this is the main cause of blisters.

Strava statistics

Altitude gained: 5,084ft
Distance: 52 miles
Time: 27 hrs

Feel free to have a look around www.fraser-king.com to see the other fabulous pictures I’ve captured during my hiking journey.

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The post Walking the Affric Kintail Way first appeared on Fraser King Photography.

West Highland Way is one of Scotland’s most popular long-distance trails so it wasn’t a difficult decision to pick this as my first long-distance trek. The way runs 154km/96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William with a total ascent 12,143ft. It really is one of the most physically and mentally demanding challenges I’ve done so far!! Words cannot describe how breathtakingly astonishing the Scottish Highlands is!! I was expecting typical Scottish weather but got lucky with 4 good days out of the 5!!

I’ve wanting to hike the West Highland Way for many years so doing in in 5 days made it an even bigger accomplishment!! On average, most hikers take 6 to 8 days to complete the trek. I worked out to hike the West Highland Way in 5 days rather than the usual 7. It takes on average an extra 2 to 3 hrs per day on top of the estimated Walk Highlands times. Although it actually turned out more like hiking 10 hours a day.

Being outdoors is naturally therapeutic and getting close to nature has many health benefits. Breathing in plenty of fresh air is really good for the soul and the energetic workout improves your fitness. This enormously improves mental health so you’ll sleep, eat and feel better. There’s a sense of adventure when venturing into the great outdoors and there’s an opportunity to take some decent photography.

The baggage transfer service allows you to carry a light day pack which made it possible for me to do it in 5 days. Every day I reached the campsite/bunkhouse, my suitcase would magically appear. The suitcase weighed about 20kg and included camping gear, spare waterproofs, snacks, juice, spare accessories. However, my daypack was still heavy due to taking a small DLSR camera but still nothing in comparison to a full rucksack. You could add or remove things from the daypack depending on the weather.

In a 3 year period, I was travelling around the Scottish Highlands bagging the Munros. I completed my first round of Munros last summer. So I actually knew the West Highland Way really well even though I’ve only done it once before with a bike. Since many of the Munro routes are on some of the trail and I’ve photographed lots of mountains from the A82.

I was supposed to hike the West Highland Way in June but the rain arrived that week. So moved the trip forward to 3 weeks. Fortunately, I only lost £36 but it was worth it. Rescheduling was at short notice, so the cheapest accommodation in Fort William on booking.com was £145 but Glen Nevis campsite never showed up. They have lots of space for pitches and prices are really cheap.

July is an extremely busy month on the way. Since I was still hiking in the evenings, it was very quiet so it’s a good way to escape from the crowds. I only had 11 to 14 hours each day for sleeping and relaxation. Even though I felt terrible after some of the hikes, it’s amazing how your body recovers by the morning.

The campsites/bunkhouses only cost about £100 for 5 days but it’s sometimes very expensive when eating out. £18 for dinner and nearly £6.50 for a pint at the hotels. July and August are the warmest months in Scotland but they’re also the worst time of the year for midges. It was warm during the trek but very surprisingly seen very few midges.

Day 1: Milngavie to Balmaha (21 miles)

The 1^st day was gorgeous so it couldn’t have started any better!! I’ve been along 1^st stage a number of times on a bike but never ever walked this. I met the luggage guy at 8.30am but he didn’t have my name down on the list. Even though I booked it 18 hours before. He said he was about to leave but should be staying there until 9am. So that was the only issue I had with the luggage company.

I set off on the West Highland Way at 8:42am. Just after Mugdock park you’ll see a 1,401 ft volcanic plug called Dumgoyne!! This hill is a well-known landmark visible from Glasgow. After Carbeth the views of Campsie Fells are fantastic!! I’ll never forget the first time I seen the distant Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond from here!! While walking along the track, the closer you get to Dumgoyne the better the views are. Over to the left is Kilpatrick hills and the right is Campsie Fells.

Beech Tree Inn allows hikers to eat their own lunch at the outdoor benches and you’ll see the first water tap. There’s lots of places to refill water so there was never any need to carry greater than 1½ litres of water. Some hikers prefer to use a filtered bottle at some sections but there’s many places that have free tap water.

It was fairly easy to navigate using a West Highland Way GPX and offline OS maps. The way is signposted so that really helps although sometimes the signs are not clear. One time I was walking towards Croftamie instead of Drymen and someone had pointed out I was going wrong way. I seem to recall making this exact mistake before so there should be better signposting at some bits.

The trail approaches Conic hill from the back which is a much quieter ascent. When walking for a couple of mins I seen a stunning view of Conic hill!! The only word I can think off to describe the colours is magical!! I was sunbathing for about 1 hour on the summit. It was really busy though!! I would’ve stayed longer but wanted to catch the last food orders in Balmaha.

I was really impressed with the Balmaha bunkhouse. It seemed like a B&B but the only difference was you share a room with a couple of other people. One of the guests had offered me some dinner but wanted to visit the Oak Tree Inn. I ate fish and chips and relaxed with a drink at the Inn.

Day 2: Balmaha to Inverarnan (24 miles)

This was the day I was looking forward to the most as I never been to the end of Loch Lomond before. It started off lovely but rain was forecast from the afternoon. The section between Rowardennan and Inverarnan is one of the most scenic but also the most difficult. North of Inversnaid is supposed to be the toughest bit of the West Highland Way and has been described as hell when taking a bike. This eluded me when I biked the West Highland Way in 3 days though it was interesting to see if I could possibly take my bike through this.

The 2^nd day was a relentless slog along practically the length of Loch Lomond and in rain for most of the hike. It took 8 hours just to reach Inversnaid but was concerned as I did not know how long it would take to reach Inverarnan. Fortunately, it only took another 4 hours before reaching the campsite.

It was just around sunset when arriving at the Beinglas campsite so there was just enough daylight to pitch tent without using a headlamp. I missed the last food orders so just settled for a pot noodle in the kitchen and a couple of serial bars. Prior to the trip, I bought my first portable camping stove with a couple of dinners. However, I was disappointed I never had the opportunity to use the stove. It was either too windy, too busy, dark or you weren’t allowed to use stoves in the campsite.

In the morning, I had a lovely full English breakfast. Then bought rolls, cold meat, small sachets of butter from Beinglas shop and made the rolls up in the kitchen. Therefore, saving me from having a 20 min detour walk into Crianlarich.

Day 3: Inverarnan to Bridge of Orchy (19 miles)

This was the 1st day of 3 great days of fantastic scenery I seen!! Although, I started to feel it since hiking for 12 hours the previous day must’ve worn me out. This is when I began doubting if I’d finish the West Highland Way but I soldiered on until the end. To make matters worse, blisters appeared on one of my feet. Even though I used plasters, this gradually got worse over the next couple days.

Glen Falloch is more beautiful than I thought it was!! I was in awe walking alongside rows of mountains of the Crianlarich hills. Then onto Strath Fillan where there are stunning views of Cruach Àrdrain and then Beinn Dòrain!! When reaching Tyndrum, I was exhausted and really sore. So had about an hour’s rest in the Green Welly café. The soft drinks and sandwiches are much cheaper in the garage shop than next door in the café. So bought some sandwiches for the following day’s lunch.

I nearly lost one of my walking poles when the pole fell through a gap on a bridge on day 3. Amazingly the handle prevented the pole falling into a deep river. Not sure if I would’ve finished the West Highland Way if I lost it.

I rushed to the Bridge of Orchy hotel for dinner and made my time slot by about 1 min. The burger and chips was really nice and had a couple of pints while watching the England game. I was surprised to see England getting through to the Euro 2024 final which they went on to lose against Spain. My feet were aching by this point after walking 64 miles in 3 days.

I then walked to the West Highland Way Sleeper which is a bunkhouse in a railway station on the West Highland Line. Conveniently they allow hikers to check-in 24 hours a day. I got there about 10.30pm and the bunkhouse was full of people in bed with the lights off. 3 women were still waking and started helping me since it was pitch dark. One of them was mothering me since she put my cover on the duvet. The following morning, I had breakfast at the Pantry which was great as it’s opened 24 hours a day and prices are cheap.

Day 4: Bridge of Orchy to Kinlochleven (22 miles)

In terms of scenery, this must be my best day on West Highland Way. The day started with a stunning wee walk up the summit of Mam Carraigh! The 1079ft hill is a fantastic viewpoint of Stob Ghabhar and Loch Tulla! It’s a short and easy 500ft climb from the A82.

However, it was the start to a really tough hike!! Equivalent to 2¼ Walk Highlands stages!! I was concerned that I was walking into possibly the remotest part of the West Highland Way with a couple of big blisters on one foot. Though this section was the busiest day with other hikers.

After Inveroran, you cross the desolate wilderness of Rannoch Moor along the old military road. The views of the Black Mount range are fabulous!! I’ve only been along here once before with a bike and that’s when I first seen how stunning the Black Mount are.

After walking alongside the Black Mount range, the trail descends into Glen Coe. This is probably the most dramatic section of the West Highland Way!! The first mountain that comes into view is Buachaille Etive Mòr, the most iconic and photographed mountain in Scotland!!

I couldn’t not stop by at the Kingshouse Hotel for a fresh orange and wee rest. Then continuing along the old military road with fantastic views of Creise and then the Buachaille!! After a long day, reached the summit of the Devil’s Staircase. Which at 1,804 feet is the highest point along the West Highland Way!!

Couldn’t stay long as I was wanting to catch the chip shop before it closed at 9pm. I knew there was a long descent into Kinlochleven though it was longer than I anticipated. The views of the Mamores mountain range are spectacular!! I missed the chippy by 15mins so bought some dinner in the Co-op and laid in my tent with a couple cans of beers. I just did not feel like going to pub as I was shattered.

Day 5: Kinlochleven to Fort William (17 miles)

Once reaching Kinlochleven, I knew that I was going to finish the West Highland Way. Last stage is the longest day for most hikers but shortest day for me.

The final stage heads to Fort William by the Lairig, which means pass. It’s a long slog around the edge of the western end of the Mamores and then into the stunningly beautiful Glen Nevis!!

Just before the end of the way, your rewarded with seeing the tallest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis!! You can just tell by looking at the south face of the ben that it’s a bigger mountain than any other in Scotland!! It really is such a beautiful mountain you see on the descent into Glen Nevis!!

What I discovered on this trail is how serious blisters can be. By the time reaching Glen Nevis caravan and camping park, I was really struggling with tired legs and sore feet!! However, the West Highland Way wasn’t finished yet. There was still a 2½ miles walk into Fort William.

The caravan park was very busy with holiday makers. I pitched my tent, had a shower, applied plasters to the blisters and put on summer shoes. Then bought an expensive fish and chips takeaway though it was really big and delicious!!

I headed for the finishing line about 1 hour before sunset. Fortunately, I wasn’t struggling as the new plasters really helped. A cheerful person stopped their car and asked if I wanted a lift. I had to decline the offer as that would be cheating. When approaching the town, I thought how did I get here. Since I always drive or get bus to Fort William. Then I realised that I actually walked it from the outskirts of Glasgow.

completing The West Highland Way

I finally made it to the end of the 96-mile walk. It was a Friday night and the pubs were playing live music. So that would’ve been a nice way to celebrate but I decided to have a quiet drink in Wetherspoons!! My feet have never been as sore as this before!! I can fully relate to the “Man with Sore Feet” statue at end of West Highland Way. Implying that everyone who finishes the West Highland Way have sore feet.

There are 2 ends to the West Highland Way. There’s the original end of the West Highland Way and the official end of the West Highland Way. The latter finishes at Gordon Square in the town centre. I didn’t realise you pass 2 bronze statues while walking along the centre. I stopped at the first one and thought this was the finish. It was nearly dark so wanted to find somewhere for a drink. The pub I just happened to go to is actually on Gordon Square.

There’s also the unofficial end to the West Highland Way and that’s when hikers summit Ben Nevis the following day after completing the way. It took me over 1 week to make a full recovery. Then I returned to Fort William and climbed Ben Nevis via the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête!! Which is the finest ascent to the summit!!

Would I walk the West Highland Way again? Absolutely, but next time I’ll hike it in 7 days.

Strava statistics

Altitude gained: 12,298ft
Distance: 102.5 miles
Time: 52 ½ hrs

5 Day Itinerary

Feel free to have a look around www.fraser-king.com to see the other fabulous pictures I’ve captured during my hiking journey.

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Some more pictures of the epic adventure

The post Walking The West Highland Way In 5 Days first appeared on Fraser King Photography.

I can now call myself a Munroist and that’s someone who has climbed all 282 summits in the Scottish Highlands with a height over 3,000 feet!!! What a day I got for completion!! It was a blue sky day and felt like one of the hottest days of the year!! Obviously, I had celebratory cake and a glass of prosecco on the summit. During the journey, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried (that was actually on a Corbett ?), I’ve had epic adventures, chatted to sooo many other hikers and munrobaggers, visited dozens of hamlets/villages, seen gazillion amount of fantastic views and captured a multitude of shots!!!

I never imagined I would ever become a Munro Compleatist when I started 15 years ago on Ben Lomond or even 3 years ago. The rate I was going at, I thought I wouldn’t live long enough to complete a round ? However, I had an ambition to climb them all over a 20 year period since I wanted to take my time. I had the opportunity now to finish them, as I do not know what I’ll be doing in like 5 or 10 years time. After registering with the Scottish Mountaineering Club, I’ve been assigned the Munroist number 7538 which coincidentally is a combined number of my birth year (1975) and my mums birth year (1938).

Ben More (Mull) is the most common final Munro for compleatists so I’m really pleased I chose this one. It was an opportunity to have a small trip to an island I’ve never been before. Ben More via A’ Chioch ridge must be the finest way to reach the summit!! It took about 5 hrs to reach the summit so it was actually quite a strenuous hike. The ascent to the summit is steep involving easy scrambling and route finding. Since I did the horseshoe route, I had the sun in front of me for most of the hike. It was absolutely amazing on the descent with the clouds and the sunset!!!

I mostly always follow the Walkhighlands routes which often involve alternative ascents/descents and full traverses. Completing a round is no easy feat as on average it takes about 7 to 8 hrs per hike. To become a Munroist I hiked for over 1000 hrs along 1624 miles with 540,650 ft altitude gained. To put this into perspective to give an idea of the sheer scale and size. That’s hiking non-stop for 51 days, the equivalent of climbing the size of 18 and half Mount Everest’s and the distance of 17 West Highland Way’s!!! (The figures above were calculated based on the Walkhighlands walk statistics)

It took me 12 years to reach the first 36 Munros. The last 3 years of my munrobagging journey has flown past as I bagged nearly 90% of them. It’s amazing how quickly the numbers flew up at certain times since I was out often doing doubles and Multi-Munro routes. It was only just at the New Year I completed the 18 Munros on the high Cairngorms, the 55 Munros of the Cairngorms National Park and all the Munros south of the Great Glen!!! In other words, completing the Grampian Mountains ? Leaving me with less than half of Munros in Northwest Highlands and the 13 Islands Munros.

At the beginning of July, I estimated I’d finish the round at the end of August or beginning of September. So it was perfect timing to get an amazing week for a 3 day trip to Mull at the start of September!! It was about 1 hour before sunset by the time I reached Mull. What an incredible evening I got for my first time on the island!! The following day I was aiming to complete a round of Munros so it was all looking so promising!!

I drove to Salen first and I could see the sun quite low in the sky. Then I headed Southwest towards Ben More to find a place to wild camp. The sunset appeared and it was sensational!!! Luckily there were lots of places to camp at the roadside and conveniently just next to Loch na Keal. I got there quite late so never had enough time to pitch my tent and relax while watching the sunset. So I just walked around the shore taking some pictures until the sun dipped underneath the hills.

The journey was stressful as everything was going wrong. Such as having issues with my rented car, issues with booking car with ferry, delays on the A82, couldn’t find where to park my car for the ferry. My car was 2nd last on the ferry so I was lucky to get on it. Tuesday was the best day for hiking so I was really wanted to get to Mull on the Monday.

I experienced depression for years and had symptoms such as constant sadness, losing interest in life, loneliness and suicidal thoughts. Being in the outdoors has helped to keep my mind positive. My life has improved because of my passion for photography and being part of a hiking Instagram community has helped tremendously!! The outdoors is such a great remedy for mental health problems and I cannot stress enough how important it is to go for a walk or cycle along the countryside, even for 30 mins, in a regular basis. Keeps you lean, builds strength, increases endurance and stamina, gains confidence, raises self-esteem, reduces depression and stress. Also encourages you to lead a healthy lifestyle which improves the quality of your life.

Out of the 282 Munros, 256 have been solo. I didn’t enjoy being a solo hiker at the first but I soon seen the many benefits. Such as deciding when and where to go, walking at your own pace, no disagreements and you get all the views to yourself ? Though it can be lonely when in some of the remotest places so hope to share some of my adventures in the next round!!

It’s such an honour becoming a Munroist!! It must be one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve achieved in my life!! I have sooo many memories in the last 3 years and it’s amazing to think that I’ve summited all 282 Munros!! I’m very grateful and feeling very lucky to have had so many days with views!! My Munrobagging journey has been an incredible experience and so looking forward to the 2nd round!!!

Some of my most memorable hikes were:-

• My 100th Munro on the narrowest ridge in mainland Britain, Aonach Eagach!!
• Bagging my 200th on An Teallach which is arguably Scotland’s most beautiful mountain!!
• The 250th on Liathach which is regarded by some as the finest mountain in the Scottish Highlands!!
• 1 week hiking/camping trip in the Far North of Scotland to tick off the 5 most northerly Munros. I was lucky enough to witness a cloud inversion on Ben Hope, the most northerly of the Munros!! This is a once in a lifetime experience!!!
• Other epic hillwalking days were on Bidean nam Bian, Ben Nevis via CMD Arête, 5 Sisters of Kintail, Ben Alder and the big three Torridonian mountains.

All my hikes were tackled in 1 day with a backpack to prevent from camping on the mountain and taking a rucksack. Although 2 hikes in Knoydart and 1 hike in the Fisherfield forest required a full rucksack to reach the start of the route. There were many times a mountain bike was needed for travelling into some the remotest places in Scotland!! It was such a blessing that I began wild camping in 2021 as this definitely made hiking in the Northwest Highlands possible for me. As I’d be shattered after long days on the hills since many of the hikes lasted 8 to 12 hrs and as long as 16 hrs. Fairly frequently it was too long to drive there and back in the same day.

Just before my final Munro, I ticked off the 11 Munros of Black Cuillin which is the most complex and challenging mountain to climb in the British Isles!! This included Scotland’s most difficult Munro, the Inaccessible Pinnacle which requires a graded rock climb and an abseil. The In Pinn eluded Sir Hugh Munro, the mountaineer who wrote a list of mountains in Scotland over 3,000 ft and called them Munro’s. So I actually succeeded, as well as many other hikers, what a British hillwalking legend failed at ? It was actually my first ever rock climb, grade 3 scramble and abseil though I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 days in the Cuillin with a hiking guide.

Feel free to have a look around fraser-king.com to see the other fabulous pictures I’ve captured on the hikes and during the journey.

Please check my Instagram post to see all the fantastic comments I received when finishing the round!!

Some more pictures of the epic adventure

The post Munro completion first appeared on Fraser King Photography.

Launch of E-commerce shop

Happy Sunday folks!

I am pleased to announce the launch of an E-commerce shop on my website!!

The shop offers a range of beautiful landscape photography prints (unframed/framed) of the Scottish Highlands!! There are 378 images of my portfolio listed and prices start from as little as £15.

Registering for an account is free and easy. The dashboard allows you manage your account, display orders, edit shipping address and re-order again. Payments accepted are Credit Cards, PayPal, Bank Transfer and all orders can be shipped worldwide.

It’s only 8 months since starting the WordPress website. So, been kind of busy improving the web design for desktop and mobile devices, writing descriptions, optimizing the website for search engines, importing products with variations etc.

Feel free to have a look around fraser-king.com and please email contact@fraser-king.com, if you have any questions or queries.

The post Launch of E-commerce shop first appeared on Fraser King Photography.

An Teallach lived up to the expectation and more for my 200th Munro!! This is my 2nd proper grade 2 scramble route. The first one was last summer when I reached the 100th Munro on Aonach Eagach. That day was just as amazing!! An Teallach is arguably Scotland’s most beautiful mountain so wasn’t a hard decision to keep this one for a very special hike!! It’s difficult to fully comprehend how amazing the mountains are and this is a day I’ll remember forever!!!

Monday was forecast for the best and warmest day for An Teallach. Drove up to Dundonnell on the Sunday for a 2 night camping trip. Couldn’t resist stopping at Aviemore for a fish and chips. By the time I reached Wester Ross, it was becoming dark. Although did manage to catch a spectacular sunset at Loch Glascarnoch!! Pitched my tent about 5 miles away with views of the whole mountain range!! There isn’t a Munro called An Teallach, the mountain comprises of a group of peaks with 2 Munros and 7 Munro Tops.

The hike started with some hazy views but was expecting it to be sunny in the afternoon. I met Iain and Keith near the start and they were kind enough to let me join them. Both of them are nearly finished their round and received tips on how to navigate with maps and entertained me with their rock climbing adventures.

When reaching Bidein a Ghlas Thuill, which has the most famous viewpoint on the hike (1st picture). We were overwhelmed by the beauty of the views!!! It wasn’t just the pinnacles; it was also the backdrop of distant mountains in the haze!!! The pictures really do not do it justice!!

Then on the 2nd Munro Sgùrr Fiona, we seen absolutely amazing views of the Fisherfield Forest!!! I’ve heard lots of stories about the Fisherfield Forest but I just did not expect the views to be this good!! The mountain that stood out more than anything else, was actually a Corbett. Beinn Dearg Mòr is not just one of the finest Corbett’s but also rank amongst the most beautiful mountains in Scotland!! The Fisherfield 6 will be my next target when visiting the Great Wilderness again.

This was only the half way point of my hike as I still had the main ridge to walk. I was on my own now so slowly hiked along the ridge taking in the fantastic views and unexpectedly treated to cloud inversions around the coires!!

I reached a path on the Lord Berkeley’s Seat pinnacle. To the right was the airiest path I’ve seen in my life. A very narrow flat path leading to a nerve-racking scramble. The path was easy to walk along but I knew, without even looking down, there was a 500m drop just right next to the path. I was thinking about walking along the path to check out how difficult the scramble was. But for all I knew it could’ve been a hard grade 2/grade 3 scramble. The Walk Highlands GPX route follows the lower bypass path that omits the hardest part of ridge. Therefore, I had no route for the crest on my phone so returned to the upper bypass path as I did not feel confident enough. In retrospect, if I headed left, I would’ve reached the summit.

Continued to walk along the path and got slightly confused as this path passes along the ridge but does not stick to the crest of the ridge. Then turned around and disappointingly realised I passed Lord Berkeley’s Seat and missed the summit. By reaching the summit, perhaps I would’ve been more confident with the exposed scrambling on the pinnacle, as I would know for 100% certainty that this is the correct route.

It was too late to turn around, so headed towards the 2nd peak Corrag Bhuidhe and this time I made sure to scramble over all the pinnacles and reach the summit. On the descent, came upon the bad step, which is a graded rock climb. Retraced my steps and then tried to navigate my way around. Still couldn’t find a safe passage and took about 10 mins to solve the problem of descending from the pinnacle.

I’ll have to wait until the next time I venture up An Teallach to summit the 1032m Lord Berkeley’s Seat. According to the legend, Lord Berkeley would sit up here smoking his pipe with his legs dangling over a mostly vertical drop of at least 500m. The “seat” itself is about 8 inches wide so not sure if I’ll have the courage to sit here but I’ll definitely give it a try.

Descent from Sail Liath was unpleasant with lots of loose scree. After reaching the road, still had nearly 1 hour walk in the dark, alongside the mountain range. Fortunately, the road was very quiet though did not enjoy the walk. When I got back to Dundonnell Hotel, it was 12 hrs since starting, so the hike was longer than expected. I was absolutely shattered!!! Drove back to where I camped the previous night and had some dinner (pasta salad) and could only manage 1 beer before falling asleep.

The following day was lovely until about 6pm. Decided to take the long way home by driving on the A82 road. The road was closed at Invermoriston though really wanted to drive along the West of Scotland so followed the diversion on the East side of Loch Ness. Briefly stopped at Dores beach for lunch and some well needed sunshine.

Some more pictures of the adventure

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Posted on 18/05/22 in blogs

Mark and I cycle along the Forth and Clyde Canal from Glasgow to Bowling. The canal’s destination is at Bowling as well as being a shipping port. The view from Bowling is great with the River Clyde and the Erskine Bridge.

On the way along the flat canal we would look up towards the Kilpatrick Hills trying to find a more splendid viewpoint since the hills are 1000ft high. The issue we had at the time was crossing the A82 road which is a very busy A-road with cars travelling up to 70mph. Even after driving along the A82 by car a number of times I was still unable to find a safe place to cross. A few years went by trying to solve the problem but to no avail.

With the introduction of Google maps and GPS on mobile phones. I discovered a single track road travelling to the top of the cliffs. After a couple of times cycling past Bowling I confirmed that there was indeed a muddy path or road on the hills after I noticed 2 very faint small dots what resembled human beings. This did turn out to be true after the dots were moving uphill. There was still the issue of crossing the A82 road with our bikes and where to chain the bikes.

One day I decided to try reach the top on my own. I found the cut-off point on the canal was at the village Old Kilpatrick. After following Google maps on my mobile phone I discovered a popular path for dog walkers and runners. There was no need to cross the road as a hidden tunnel was underneath the A82 hence why I was unable to find this when driving along the road.

So I cycled half way up the hill and then I came across a closed plain fence. The bike was chained to the fence and I continued up to the top. There was no obvious route to the eye-catching top! I ended up climbing a small grey quarry which I regretted doing so as it was not straight forward. I reached the top and the views over Glasgow were stunning! It was better than what I expected! I couldn’t wait to show Mark! It turned out there was a viewpoint at 1000ft high.

Mark and I would cycle in a summer’s evening with a blue sky and sunny warm night. The sky would be as clear as crystal with spectacular shades of pink and purple clouds. When reaching the viewpoint at Kilpatrick Hills. We would drink a couple cans of beer and eat a large packet of crisps at the same time as viewing the lovely views. I would point out to Mark other cycle routes I’ve been on i.e. Glasgow to Gourock along the National Cycle Route 7. I encouraged him to cycle the route along with me although he’s not as fit as a fiddle.

We would watch the sun set over the mountains of Isle of Arran, not quite as good as setting over the sea but still an enjoyable view. To the North are the mountains at Loch Lomond in the Scottish Highlands. The views of the River Clyde are tremendous with the river bifurcating into the Firth of Clyde. The shipbuilding towns of Port Glasgow and Greenock are at the other side of the river. Looking to the East is the iconic Erskine Bridge which is one of the biggest bridges in Scotland. It’s pleasant to watch tiny trains travel past Bowling train station as if it was a miniature railway.

After the sun sets, the temperature starts becoming as cold as ice and the sunlight gradually changes into darkness. So we zoom down the hill before it becomes dark and take the train from Old Kilpatrick to back home. It’s a delightful few hours out in the fresh air and country side. Indulging in food and drink might offset the calories lost. However, I’ll burn much more calories in my next long distance cycle.

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Posted on 18/02/22 in blogs

Escaping from the city to the seaside when I was a child is one of my most fond memories. My mum, dad and brother Darren would visit the seaside towns Largs, Helensburgh, Ayr and Irvine on the Ayrshire coast. My dad worked as a sales man when we were really young and had a van to transport the products he sold. Darren and I would sit in the back of the van quietly when driving to the seaside! However, this was only 1 hour drive by car. It was great to escape from everyday life such going to school and doing homework. There’s nothing like getting your lungs full of fresh seaside air, unlike living in a noisy and polluted city.

The weather would be as warm as toast with a light breeze and a clear blue sky. Temperatures could reach about 27 degrees in the summer in Glasgow. This would lead me sometimes receiving sunstroke and sunburn. This could explain why I sleepwalked at the end of a sunny day as sunstroke can cause sleepwalking. It would happen at special times, for example, the night before moving house or the day we bought a new TV.

We always went swimming at the swimming baths although it’s ironic how there’s baths next to a large sea. Probably because the sea is so cold though this did not stop us swimming in the sea! Dad never swam at the swimming baths so we never seen him swim at all. He’d say if I fell into a river he’d jump in to save me and we’d see him swimming then. It’s funny how when we grew up, my dad was the one who went swimming the most!

I used to enjoy eating packed lunches my mum used to make. Even today I still enjoy packed lunches on day trips. The taste of the sandwiches were delicious and a carton of milk complemented them. At dinner time we’d indulge in fish and chips either buying from a takeaway or sitting in at a cafe. I’d be so hungry, I could have eaten a horse! I’d always love the smell of fish and chips and they’d taste fabulous! It’s still one of my favourite meals even to this day! It’s not a day at the seaside if you do not buy an ice cream cone. My favourite cone is the 99 flake with sweet raspberry syrup on top.

Mum always took her 35mm compact camera to take photos of our happy times! Our favourite activity would be on the beach sunbathing in the warm sun and with beautiful views of a calm blue sea. My mum would watch me carefully when I swam in the sea as I was still young and was oblivious to the dangers of the seaside. One of my earliest memories was having a bucket and spade on the beach to build sand castles and searching the beach looking for living creatures such as insects and crabs with my brother. It’s funny how I seen crabs when I was a child but never again at the beach while being an adult.

At the end of the day the temperature would drop and it was time to go home. My dad would say about driving home before sunset as he did not want to drive home in the dark, thus avoiding possible dangers on the road, which I wouldn’t have known much about. The day trips with my family were happy experiences I had during my childhood. Now only memories are left for me to hold. When I have my own family I will take my children to the same places!

The post The Escape – childhood memories first appeared on Fraser King Photography.

Posted on 17/05/22 in blogs

I’m feeling nostalgic so I’d like to share with you a computer demo video I created. It’s been 20 years (as of 2022) since I programmed Resarf The Multi-Scrolling Text Demo. If you would like to play the demo, you’ll need a computer with Windows XP or a prior version as it’s incompatible with Windows 7/8/10. Although, I’ve recorded 3 videos demonstrating what the demo can do and reversed the videos as the demo is bi-directional (can be watched forward or backwards). To watch the recorded videos, please check my YouTube channel or homepage www.classic-games.co.uk. It’s worth noting, the videos are best viewed on a computer monitor, laptop or HDTV.

The demo is customizable allowing the user to change the text, colours, speed, background and foreground effects and reverse direction of text. Just type some text in and watch the sentence scroll around the screen just like an artificial life form moving about. The Format menu allows you to save presets thus allowing to run any sequence through the same effects. The autopause is a really nice feature when watching the demo running fast. The text will pause at random intervals for 2 seconds.

The Resarf Sequence is a computer file with a sequence of X and Y coordinates and the longest sequence can last up to 1 hour and at the end will loop back to the start. In the Resarf demo, you can make your own sequence, watch a random sequence or one of the samples I created. I thought about writing a very basic programming language called RSL (Resarf Sequence Language) and would’ve raised even more possibilities. Although never managed to implement RSL into the program.

The reason for naming Resarf The Multi-Scrolling Text Demo. I discovered the name Resarf when watching the demo played back with my own name. This is Fraser in reverse order. Coincidentally, Resarf is a name originated from Scotland. The very first time I seen the prototype, I noticed a multi-scrolling effect. Initially I thought multi-colours although multi-scrolling sounded cooler. The Text Demo part came from since Turbo Pascal textmode could only display fonts and not graphics such as lines, shapes and images. This is the reason why the stars consist of full stops and a couple of characters what resemble full stops.

For about 7 years I designed retro games such as Football Manager 2000, Batty and Treasure Crypt. FM2000 is a remake of a famous 1982 ZX spectrum game called Football Manager and programmed around the start of the millennium. It’s the only text based Football Manager game I’ve ever seen as there’s no graphics. Treasure Crypt was cloned from a discontinued online game. What was special about this is the game no longer existed any more online, not even a picture or description of the game. Therefore, this was all programmed based on my memory.

The computer programs were written on Turbo Pascal. If anyone remembers BASIC on the 8-bit computers. Pascal and BASIC are high-level programming languages and are designed for teaching programming. I learned Pascal at college and this is what got me right into programming. Six basic commands derived from BASIC are used throughout the programs. These are Write (display text), TextColor (change text colour), GotoXY (move cursor on screen), ClrScr (clear screen), Random (random number), Delay (pauses screen). A mixture of these commands are used in formulas to display information on the screen.

One of the key features of Turbo Pascal is the extremely fast speed it complied the source code. For example, Resarf has 4000 lines of source code and this can be complied instantly. Turbo Pascal was common during the 1980s and 1990s. The only sound the application created is with the internal PC speaker (the beep you hear when starting up a desktop PC). The software only supported 16 colours (including black and white) and the default background is black. A unique feature of Turbo Pascal as well as MS-DOS. was the ability to view in true full screen mode. Unlike full screen applications on Windows where there’s usually a menu, window or mouse pointer.

Please check my YouTube channel or homepage www.classic-games.co.uk

screenshots

edited video with the song Clarity (DJ Zedd)

The post Resarf The Multi-Scrolling Text Demo first appeared on Fraser King Photography.

Ja-Da is a song written in 1918 by jazz pianist Bob Carleton

Something a little different today.

Winter is just around the corner so it’s an opportunity to start some fun indoor hobbies. For a couple years before lockdown, I had private tuitions to learn to play the piano.

Learning to play a musical instrument is very educational and entertaining. I’ve been fascinated by the electronic keyboard ever since my parents gave me one for a childhood birthday present. So, it took a considerable number of years before the opportunity arose to learn play properly. It was great fun studying for the ABRSM exams even though the actual piano lessons were challenging.

As someone who loves mathematics, I really enjoyed learning the musical notation on the sheet music. The ABRSM syllabuses consists of 4 parts. Playing 3 pieces, Sight-reading, Aural tests, Scales and arpeggios. The 3 pieces is the one you have to practice and study the most for the practical exam.

Feel free to watch the Full HD version of both videos on my YouTube channel
www.youtube.com/user/fraserking1

Blues in the Attic is a blues piece written by British jazz composer Nikki Iles

The post ABRSM Piano Exams first appeared on Fraser King Photography.