Recent runs and Mick Tighe's museum

Last week we went to Bohuntin to the home of Mick and Cathy Tighe. Mick is a mountain guide who has decades of experience in the mountains  both for pleasure, for clients and  in the Lochaber Mountain Rescue. He has also amassed a horde of mountaineering artefacts from skis to clothing and books.He has now started a museum which you can view on line on Scottish mountain heritage collection.  It was open to the public for the first two weeks of October.
 After spending a happy hour looking at the collection, we sat in the sunshine drinking  coffee eating cake and  chatting with other friends who had come to see the artefacts. I have never had such great welcome at a museum!
 Bohuntin is at the start of a glen famous or its 'parallel roads' These are a series of horizontal and parallel identations in the slopes of the  valley sides. From a distance they look like perfectly enginered roads. For many years they puzzled scientists. Charles Darwin thought they marked the shore line of ancient seas but failed to find any sea shells to prove his theory. In 1840 Louis Agassiz postulated that glaciers had blocked the glen forming inland lakes . The freeze thaw cycle had carved out the parallel roads. This is now accepted as the most likely cause.
We drove up the glen  and then climbed Beinn Iaruinn a beautiful hill with fantastic views  of the valley and  beyond.
During  the week I had to go to Lochaline a  village on the on the Sound of Mull, I sketched the picture below on the way home

The Road Near Laudale

On Friday I had the privilege to go to Rum. On the way back the ferry was accompanied for about 10 minutes by a pod of dolphins. I was amazed by the ease at which they kept pace with the boat.

Later on the sun sank lower between the islands of Rum on the right and Eigg on the left.

Below is a painting of the view (from a photo )

Today we ran up Melantee and then across to the CIC hut. It was surprisingly hot and  we were dripping with sweat on the climb. It is always a lovely run and today was no exception.

Towards the CIC hut ( Ben Nevis on the right)

Ben Resipole

I thought the weather forecast was bad for last weekend but that was because I only listened to the headline, which referred to the weather in the south of England.For once there was a role reversal and we had sunshine and the south had rain and wind.
 On Saturday we took the Corran ferry across to Ardgour and drove to Resipole. After a quick look round the gallery we climbed Ben Resipole. The weather was unbelievable for the time of year warm and sunny with a mild breeze. Clouds scudded across the sky patterning the hills with shadows. The oakwoods haven't changed colour yet but the bracken on the hills is starting to develop a gorgeous red russet tone.
 The path up to hill is very boggy and much of the time we were wading  through gloop. However as we climbed we were treated to wonderful views of the hills, the coast, and the islands of Muck , Eigg and Rum. We could also see some very distant islands on the horizon which might have been Mingulay, Sandray and Barra.
The last section of the hill was steep and rocky but the panorama from the top was well worth it; mountains lochs,sea and islands as far as the eye could see. We could see the village of Acharacle but apart from that there was no sign of man's impact on the environment.
After we had slipped and slithered our way down I had a quick dip in the loch before meeting some friends in Strontian.
On Sunday it was an equally glorious day and we ran up towards the CIC hut under the north face of Ben Nevis. I sat in the sun and sketched; amazingly it was warm but there were no midges.

The North Face of Ben Nevis

Indian Summer

We have been enjoying some great weather recently. In addition there have been some beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Last week I had to go to Arisaig in the evening and was fortunate to arrive there at sunset. The clear blue sky became tinged with yellow and orange which was  mirrored in the calm sea. On the horizon the islands began to fade in to the haze. It was sublime!
It is hard to convey the beauty of the area; The combination of the rocky coast, the sea and the islands of Eigg and Rum in the distance are unbeatable. I took lots of photographs but unfortunately didn't have time to do a sketch on the spot.

Painting of the view from Arisaig from a photo

Sketch of a similar view in the daytime

Sketch of the view from Ardgour looking up loch Leven  towards Glencoe

Evening view of Eigg and Rum

Eigg and Rum from Arisaig

Yesterday driving back from Morar the view of Eigg and Rum was stunning , did a very quick sketch because I couldn't find a good place to stop -eventually parking up on the verge .