Weather/Conditions: Cool air (the first snow had fallen on the high summits) but sunny skies and good views.
Distance/Ascent/Time: 3.6km / 400m / 50m
Accompanying: Alone

This was an unexpected walk, since I left the house simply saying I was going out for a drive. I wanted to see if there had been any snow in the Highlands, so the Queen's View below Auchineden Hill was my first destination. When I couldn't see as much as hoped, I drove around to Craigmore and walked to the top of the crag. And then I went to climb Dumgoyne.

As it turned out, Stob Binnein had snow and that was the lot. It looked as if it had fallen thickly, been blown across the ridge, then melted, because the snow appeared as long streaks.





The other memory of the day was when I was at the summit, two mountain bikers appeared. I asked what side of the hill they were going down. "That way", one said pointing to the distillery.

"Good luck". I said. I left the top five minutes after them, and I fully expected to see them on the home straight to the distillery. But no - they were only 100m below, beside the scree chute, climbing back up slope to retrieve bikes they'd fallen off. Of course - with all the rain the day(s) before, the ground was slippery and when I arrived they were sitting on the ground in defeat, laughing at their own misfortune.

Each to their own, but my opinion is what's the point? We had a joke about it, and my next mission was to beat them to the bottom. So I walked quickly and ran parts. And when I'd arrived back at the car, they weren't half way down. Comical.

To end the day, I drove up to Mugdock and caught the coffee shop as it was closing, ending some kind of grand tour of Strath Blane and surrounding area... Not bad considering I'd gone out snow-hunting!