1953 |
Scotland |
Strathpeffer (First English Scouts) |
The Summer Camp site was by LOCH ACHILTY, a pretty sheet of some half a square mile of water four miles from the now deserted Spa village of STRATHPEFFER in Eastern ROSS shire. We were near the great Falls of ROGIE, where we watched salmon leaping; and the Fails of CONON at the foot of LOCH LUICHART where we saw the new hydro-electric works under construction. In the cource of some 90 miles of hiking we also visited the Glen ORRIN Falls, and climbed the 1900 ft. peak of SCURR MACASAIDN. one day we crossed to the Isle of Skye, after a six mile walk to ACHTERNEED station, followed by a 50 mile railway journey to KYLE of LOCHALSH, one of the most wildly beautiful routes in Britain. Some of us were kindly afforded a motor-ride to ULLAPOOL, further north along the West Coast, seeing the colossal Falls of Measach in the Corrie Halloch Gorge; though this road traverses Scotland from East Coast to West, so sparse is the population that only three villages and moorland inn are encountered on the whole journey with a score or so of isolated cottages.
The greatest adventures if the fortnight was the 32 mile 2 day walk and climb over Ben Wyvis (3,429 ft high) into Glen Glass. We had afternoon tea on the summit cairn amid cloud, drizzle, wind and many square miles of Caledonia storm and wild. We camped overnight in an empty cottage, cooked breakfast by a stream and proceeded to find the black rock or Devil’s Gorge near Evanton. This is one of the most terrifying things in Scotland, for one comes upon it without warning of any kind. The river forces its way through a chasm nearly a mile long, one yard wide at the foot and only 3 or 4 yards wide at the top but some 120 ft deep. In the depths is an invisible but audible waterfall.
The standard of camping was consistently good the dry pits almost rivalling the Black Rock for depth. The weather after the first four days was cloudy with plenteous drizzle but this did not penetrate the surrounding foliage.
Among the fauna observed were lizards, mountain hare and red deer, Hooded Crow, red Grouse, ptarmigan, peregrine falcon and buzzard. Flora included water lily, gipsywort, gentian, marsh pennywort, wild genenium, bog asphodel, bog myrtle of course miles of marsh cotton and heather.
We are greatly indebted to the Assistant County Commissioner, Mr. Macrae for very kind and effective assistance in obtaining the site for us and for his continued services while we were there.
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