The Small Isles

I had the chance to go to the Isle of Muck last week, one of the smaller of the Small Isles.It is owned by Lawrence MacEwen . The whole MacEwen family are extremely friendly and welcoming , very down to earth and hardworking. I have been to islands where one gets the impression that the inhabitants are there to get away from the rest of humanity, where there is an undercurrent of unhappiness and loneliness. Maybe my impression  of Muck was coloured by it being a lovely sunny day but everybody I met seemed contented and happy with their lot. I'm sure it is different in the depths of winter but last week it seemed an idyllic place. I would love to spend more time on the island although being only one mile by two and almost entirely lacking in hills it would become frustrating for an ultrarunner after a while!
   The boat trip on the Sheerwater from Arisaig is always a great experience with a chance to see birds, seals and whales . The Sheerwater is  a small boat so the crossing can be rough but on Friday it was  calm . Returning in the afternoon across a glittering sea, the islands of Eigg and Rum were grey silhouettes on the horizon, the sky, previously a brilliant azure blue, was full of drama as the sun dipped low  and clouds built up - it was a beautiful end to a wonderful day.

On the Sheerwater

Quick sketch of the distinctive profile of the An Sgurr of Eigg

The Sheerwater moored at the slipway on Eigg ( it stops here for half an hour on the way back from Muck)

  Polly Pullar has written a book about Lawrence MacEwen and Muck called A Drop In The Ocean , it is well worth reading.

Gas Station challenge

Last Sunday I painted the petrol station at Carr's corner near Fort William in order to enter James Gurney's gouache competition. The challenge was to paint a gas station in  black and white gouache only . Not my normal subject matter but I managed to sneak some hills into the background ( Ben Nevis and  Melantee )  . I found it quite difficult  firstly painting in black and white secondly the gouache which was only my second attempt in the medium and also painting the cars which kept driving off !
Needless to say there were some brilliant entries so my picture didn't get anywhere. You can see the winners on gurneyjourney on Wednesday's post.

Corrour Station

Looking west from the slopes of Garbh Beinn

From Meall Garbh looking down on Strath Ossian

Yesterday we took the train to Corrour Station. It was a lovely day . Helen was suffering from sore achilles tendons after the Great Glen Race so we decided to take it easy. We jogged north from the station and then climbed the nose of Garbh Beinn and on to the summit of Meall Garbh . The picture above shows the stunning view down to Strath Ossian and Loch Ghuilbinn.
 The last time I was there was in the middle of a very dark night in a howling gale and driving rain ,helping a Canadian runner on a stage of the Ramsay Round . Conditions yesterday couldn't have been more different ; warm sunshine and  slight breeze.
After we had descended we had plenty of time before the train home so I sketched the station house .It is so sad that the restaurant is now closed.
I was initially  skeptical about having a high class restaurant in the middle of nowhere but Lizzie and Ollie ( and Archie the dog) made it in to a unique dining experience . Through hard work and talent they created something really special . Whenever we had visitors we would take them to Corrour for a bracing walk and then a coffee and a bite to eat in the station house - they always loved it.
 The estate is planning to re-open with an establishment providing more basic fare next week.
 Time will tell whether they will have the same enthusiasm, passion and ambition to provide excellent food and such a warm welcome as Lizzie and Ollie.

The Old Puggy Line

I had a day off today but I had to spend most of the morning catching up with paperwork in the office. Fortunately this meant that by the time I was running home in the afternoon  the rain had cleared away. I took my usual long route along the ' Old Puggy Line' This path follows the route of a disused narrow gauge railway line that was built to facilitate the construction of the dam at Loch Treig  and the 15 mile long tunnel that was bored through the mountains to the aluminium smelter.It was closed in 1971 and now forms a delightful woodland path slightly elevated from the floor of the valley and so affording some great views. I'm really lucky to have a 10 mile commuting run which apart from a short section at the start is completely off road in gorgeous countryside.
This afternoon I did a quick sketch out of our bedroom window of Aonach Mor . I'd inadvertently left my moleskine sketchbook at work so used a landscape sketcchbook sold in Waterstones  . The paper in this is really excellent and a  joy to use having just the right degree of tooth and not being prone to buckle.

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The Great Glen Ultra

We are just back from the Great Glen Ultra, a 72 mile running race from Banavie near Fort William to Inverness. Organised by the intrepid duo Bill and Mike (BAM racing )and a host of volunteers, it was as always an excellent event. Helen was running whilst I was in the car .
The start was one o clock in the morning so after seeing Helen off I was able to go home and get a couple of hours sleep before driving to meet her at Fort Augustus.
 We had feared that it would be too hot but instead it was very wet with some torrential rain in the middle of the day. Running through a glen even a great one sounds easy but the Great Glen Way takes in a lot of hills.This is the price of an extremely scenic route, Many of runners ( including Helen) took the alternative high route in error.
 To avoid congestion on the minor roads supporters were only allowed to meet their runners at Fort Augustus, Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit. I was relieved to find Helen looking  well and happy if  a little bedraggled at each of these points. .Happily the rain eased in the afternoon and she finished in sunshine.
Mike Raffan repeated last years triumph by winning the race. For Antonia Johnson (last year's first lady) the 72 miles was not enough. She ran from Inverness to the start then ran the race back to Inverness!

Very quick sketch from the Fort Augustus checkpoint