Scottish Meet, Cairngorms

Meet Report: 20-28 May 2022. Scottish Spring Bank Meet at Kincraig in the Southern Cairngorms.

This was an active meet in a relatively quiet and attractive part of the Cairngorms which provided a variety of activities in a week of showery and windy weather with sunny spells.

Six of those signed up for this meet arrived at the Ladies’ Scottish Climbing Club’s Milehouse early on Friday evening. Both Mick and Mike had already had a week or so out in Scotland. Mick arrived on Saturday having climbed Ben Loyal. Paul and Tamsin arrived from the north a couple of days later.

Scottish covid-related restrictions on hut use having been lifted, we were allowed the full week and without segregated use of facilities by dormitory. Milehouse has two each of dorms, toilets and showers with a large combined kitchen, dining and sitting area, plus a drying room and larder.

The weather was mixed; generally windy with scattered showers and prolonged rain on a couple of days. There were sunny spells and the rivers were not too high – indeed Paul finding a bridge over the Feshie had been swept away, waded across only to find a sign informing him of an alternative bridge 2½km away. Further dismay followed as Tamsin was waiting to pick him up back on his original side of the river.

The wind and rain did not discourage birding. Ospreys were watched on neighbouring Loch Insh and at the Loch Garten centre. A snow bunting sang on Ben Macdui and crested tits were heard. Capercaillie were not seen though in Anagach Woods beside the River Spey. The few deer seen were by the Speyside woods and the absence of herds on the mountainsides was perhaps a consequence of culling for habitat restoration.

Adjacent Glen Feshie unsurprisingly had several visits. Rounds were made from Auchlean to: Munro Sgòr Gaoith with its four outliers, the newly renovated five-star Ruigh Aiteachain bothy and further up, Munro Mullach Clach a’ Bhlair with Mick taking one party via Coire Garbhlach’s scramble by the upper waterfall. Above the Milehouse, the Inishriach Forest’s lochans had a couple of visits with Mike spotting a red squirrel.

Suffering a painful foot, Tim hired an electric hard-tail mountain bike and cycled the 50km of the west side of Glen Feshie and back to Milehouse. The bike made quite an impression on him. Despite this he was out again on the eMTB from Milehouse to Loch Morlich, up Glen More to Ryvoan then Bynack Stable returning via the Cairngorm Club footbridge and the Speyside Way. He later tried walking above Bridge of Brown then in the Rothiemurchus Forest but regretted it and headed home.

When on Sgòr Gaoith low cloud limited the view down east to Loch Eanaich, so Helen and Michael walked to that Loch from Loch an Eilein. Water spouts whipped up from its surface rose a couple of hundred metres before being blown towards the crags.

The higher mountains attracted a few visits including Ben Macdui, Derry Cairngorm and Cairngorm. Regarding the last of those, Helen regretted including it once the afternoon’s heavy rain started as she had not packed her overtrousers. Descending near the funicular allowed inspection of the £16m (public funds) extensive track repairs in progress. Nearby, the Corbett west of Glen More, Meall a’ Bhuachaille, was traversed onto Creagan Gorm and Craiggowrie with a return around Loch Morlich.

Chris and Mike took a two-day route from the Northern Corries through the Lairig Ghru to overnight in the busy Corrour bothy. Rain and wind scotched their plan for Angels’ Ridge so Coire Odhar was taken to Devil’s Point. Going west took them over Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor to drop into Glen Feshie.

Further afield, Chris walked up Munro Meall Chuaich near Dalwhinnie. The bridges and rivers of Sluggan, Carrbridge, and Grantown-on-Spey were examined, and near Tomintoul Mick walked from Bridge of Brown up Carn na Farraidh returning northeast via Fae. Michael fought his way directly up through fallen trees to the Dun da Iamh hill fort west of Newtonmore, then found a path on the far side. Mike went up Creag Bheag above Kingussie.

Away from the hills some spent part of a day at the Highland Wildlife Park, the Highland Folk Museum, the Frank Bruce Sculpture Trail, Ruthven Barracks or, of course, shopping for their turn to prepare the communal evening meal.

The meals followed a similar trend to those on another recent meet – a general increase in complexity through the week. Starting with Smiths’ beef stew with baked potatoes then cheese through the addition of Chris’ pea & ham soup and on to Martyn’s cottage pie with seasonal vegetables followed by home-grown rhubarb crumble. Tim provided Mediterranean chicken cacciatore, a choice of crumbles, and Lairig Ghru and blue Mull cheeses. Tamsin and Paul upped the culinary stakes with crudités, spaghetti alla Bolognese with avocado salad, then sticky toffee pudding and cheeses. Follow that Mick! He rose to the occasion with chicken coriander pie with cider, mustard and apple then a fresh fruit salad and cheese board. None went hungry.

Thanks go to the Ladies of the LSCC for the use of Milehouse and to Tim for organising the meet.