"A gentle stroll really. At least from the south and west. To the north and east it drops away precipitately; very dangerous to unwary tourists."
I'm not sure you're really talking about Ben Nevis @bede, as it certainly isn't a 'gentle stroll', even by the pony track, but I was talking about the Glen not the Ben. Two very different things. The Ben is best done by the arete if possible, but is dangerous at any time of year. People regularly walk off the top in the wrong direction and straight off the northern gullies in poor conditions. Every other hill in the area is a better walk anyway.
Definitely different here @gilla.walmsley especially in the last five or six years. We are getting longer dry spells in summer [four, five or six days with no rain] and more of them. One or two would have been unusual, but in the last couple of years we've had more than that. Higher temps over winter too, which means more rain rather than snow. Snow/frost is much easier to deal with. Last winter was the driest, mildest I've ever known, and I've always lived in this area, more or less.
I'd leave those too @purplerallim, just for protection. Dry cold is always easier for plants to manage in than wet cold, so even if the temps are lower than the info suggests, they can often cope, especially short term.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Anyone who loves Scotland might like to look at this wesite. Philmalpas.com go to UK gallery to see some lovely pics. I hope this isn't seen as advertising just lovely photos for forum members to enjoy.
RETIRED GARDENER, SOUTH NOTTS, SOIL CLAY
A garden is an oasis for creation, available to anyone with a little space and the compunction to get their hands dirty.
@purplerallim, I leave my penstemons until mid-March and cut them down when I can see the new shoots coming through at the base. They flower better on new shoots but you can also hedge your bets and cut some existing shoots at different heights, which will then flower at different times.
@:Fairygirl Just reread the above not sure Phil's photos[my brother] are your part of Scotland further north and west maybe? Might be of interest. He has been all over the world but Scotland is his favourite place.
RETIRED GARDENER, SOUTH NOTTS, SOIL CLAY
A garden is an oasis for creation, available to anyone with a little space and the compunction to get their hands dirty.
Hi @GardenerSuze - sorry, I just saw your post re your brother and I've had a quick look. Photos are beautiful I travel all over too, to hill walk, so many of the photos are similar to ones I also take - Rannoch Moor, Stob Dearg [the Big Bookil] etc, but I'll take a proper look just now. I can't claim to be in the same league as him though! We have a camera thread on the forum, which I usually update each year, but I've been a bit lax with that. I add photos on there of my walks, and others add photos which aren't strictly gardening related, or don't fit into specific categories. We used to have someone who also gave advice about cameras etc, but we don't get as much of that unfortunately. I haven't been out on the hills since early last year, for various reasons, but hope to get back out in the coming months. The photo in my signature strip is from much further north- about four hours drive from here, at Loch Quoich Last year's thread and possibly links back to previous ones if you want a look there https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1061778/camera-talk-2022/p1
Apologies to @gilla.walmsley for that deviation! I'll go now
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl I seemed to recall you enjoyed photography but wasn't sure where on the forum you had posted. Will take a look nothing like some lovely photos to cheer on a wet Monday in January. I did wonder what Stob Dearg means thankyou!
RETIRED GARDENER, SOUTH NOTTS, SOIL CLAY
A garden is an oasis for creation, available to anyone with a little space and the compunction to get their hands dirty.
Posts
I'm not sure you're really talking about Ben Nevis @bede, as it certainly isn't a 'gentle stroll', even by the pony track, but I was talking about the Glen not the Ben. Two very different things. The Ben is best done by the arete if possible, but is dangerous at any time of year. People regularly walk off the top in the wrong direction and straight off the northern gullies in poor conditions. Every other hill in the area is a better walk anyway.
Definitely different here @gilla.walmsley especially in the last five or six years. We are getting longer dry spells in summer [four, five or six days with no rain] and more of them. One or two would have been unusual, but in the last couple of years we've had more than that. Higher temps over winter too, which means more rain rather than snow. Snow/frost is much easier to deal with. Last winter was the driest, mildest I've ever known, and I've always lived in this area, more or less.
I'd leave those too @purplerallim, just for protection. Dry cold is always easier for plants to manage in than wet cold, so even if the temps are lower than the info suggests, they can often cope, especially short term.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
A garden is an oasis for creation, available to anyone with a little space and the compunction to get their hands dirty.
Dan Pearson
Also great tit calling.
A garden is an oasis for creation, available to anyone with a little space and the compunction to get their hands dirty.
Dan Pearson
I travel all over too, to hill walk, so many of the photos are similar to ones I also take - Rannoch Moor, Stob Dearg [the Big Bookil] etc, but I'll take a proper look just now. I can't claim to be in the same league as him though!
We have a camera thread on the forum, which I usually update each year, but I've been a bit lax with that. I add photos on there of my walks, and others add photos which aren't strictly gardening related, or don't fit into specific categories. We used to have someone who also gave advice about cameras etc, but we don't get as much of that unfortunately. I haven't been out on the hills since early last year, for various reasons, but hope to get back out in the coming months. The photo in my signature strip is from much further north- about four hours drive from here, at Loch Quoich
Last year's thread and possibly links back to previous ones if you want a look there
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1061778/camera-talk-2022/p1
Apologies to @gilla.walmsley for that deviation! I'll go now
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I did wonder what Stob Dearg means thankyou!
A garden is an oasis for creation, available to anyone with a little space and the compunction to get their hands dirty.
Dan Pearson