Weather/Conditions: Overcast with sun breaking out for last light. Otherwise strangely muggy - or maybe that's just how I felt.
Distance/Ascent/Time: 3.6km / 400m / 1h 17m
Accompanying: Alone

This was a funny one. I actually went because I knew I needed to get out the house. In the evening I'd had curry, which I would later realise I was taking some kind of reaction to. This reaction resulted in migraine, which I wasn't so switched onto at this point in time.

For the first time, I regretted having it and it sat heavy in my stomach. I was restless toward the end of the evening, and could feel the horrible staleness that had been coming down over me. It was a staleness of body and in mood. Knowing I wouldn't sleep if this was the case, I knew I had to act, and in the last light of a midsummer evening I drove out to Dumgoyne, knowing I'd feel better after a walk. But it was overcast and strangely dull.

I headed off with the food heavy in my stomach - it really knocked the shit out of me. Just above the fields and on the open hillside, the sun broke through a gap in the clouds and bathed the place in soft, crisp warmth. It occured for just for a moment, and I really noticed it; really appreciated it.



On one level, the sour mood was because I was away with the band the following morning. Now I really love StillMarillion and what we do. But I find that when I'm pulled away from Scotland, it just feels wrong. I can't really explain it. I just miss it intensely. That said; the SM weekend ended up being just awesome. And once I was there I was so glad.



The summit of Dumgoyne was cool with a gentle breeze blowing. I sat in the shade of the summit stone just watching the world... Glasgow was covered in wisps in mist, which made the lights look nice. The sun was burning out over the Highlands. I was knackered - my ascent time wasn't wholly unreasonable but I really felt like my body hated having to work out after dinner. Moving was hard work, my stomach in turmoil. My head felt in a degree of turmoil too. But I descended in last light, back to the car in a marginally better mood. On the way home, I was... sad, but about what I don't know.



Addendum Aug 2017 - Later in the year and in the start of 2017 I really discovered I was having more migraines. This evening on Dumgoyne was one of them, but I don't think I fully appreciated it. The surprising thing was there sometimes seems to be a link between the migraines and depression. That rarely occurs, and on this occasion I tried to sort it out with a hill day - which didn't work.