A quiet sunday stroll. More photographic nonsense.

Well not really. It was actually quite hard going considering it was 3 mountains. But at least the weather was nice. I thought I'd just share some of these with you.


A strange rock formation in the rapids.


A look in the general direction we'll be going.


So let's get going already!


A little higher up the first one.


A little bog we found at the top. A few stones tossed into it proved walking on it was not a bright idea.


And here we are. One down, two to go.


Another photo before we go.


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And looking back at the first two from the side of the third one.

Wow, these are great photos! You've got a good eye for nature on these treks. Thanks for sharing them with us. Standing up at the top of one of those mountains must feel like you're on top of the world.

So I guess that bog was really deep? Avoiding it was the best move. You can never tell what's going to be in or under the water in places like that.

Well there was no way you could fall in the bog, seeing how it was off the track, but I guess someone would be daft enough to try it. I've never seen one like it before though. When I threw a rock at it it went under and the surface rippled almost like water. There were deer tracks around the edges too but they never went more than a foot from the edge. Most boggy ground in this country is just waterlogged mud really, but this looked pretty nasty. We mostly have marshes here.

As for being on top of the world, I guess it would make you feel that way, but it was so windy up the top and I was so tired after each climb all I wanted was some shelter and food while I rested. I know I felt super tired when I woke up that morning and it made my hardest winter walks and climbs seem easy. But I guess you have your good and bad days.

And FYI, the first one we went up is supposed to be the 30th highest in the country. Most of them are in the cairngorms, which you could actually see from where we were. The 4th picture is directed at them actually, they're right on the horizon, though the picture size makes it hard to see. Ben Macdui is in there somewhere, a supposedly haunted mountain.

Awesome photos! Not much else to be said.

Amazing photos, Xander! Looks like quite a journey. Those mountains, clouds, and sky are simply breathtaking. Thanks for sharing all this with us. Please tell us more about the haunted mountain.

Well all I know is what I've been told. Supposedly the mountain is haunted by 'The Big Grey Man of Macdui' or 'Am Fear Liath Mor.' Usually just your usual oversized ghostly figure or whatever, though more recently someone told me they'd heard of a pointy eared, talon footed, horned humanoid ghostly figure running behind a car on the road once. Weird.

There are also stories of other unusual phenomena too. People claim to have heard echoing footfalls, malevolent voices, unearthly music and sensations of unease and terror. However, sightings and suchlike have apparently decreased.
One time I overheard an exchange in a pub in the area. (What? You can't do go around the wilderness and not have a drink at the end!) Anyway, someone was asking what had happened to the 'Big Grey Man' and the bartender told them "Haven't you heard? Macdui's too overcrowded these days so he's gone to live on..." And I don't remember the name of the mountain. It was in Gaelic. I think it was a neighbouring mountain. Not that it matters anyways.

And that's all I know. It's unique as it's the only mountain with such reports. Personally I'm not one for believing in ghosts and hauntings. Past experiences have left no room for petty fears and phobias.
And besides that, one of the bothies I stayed at a few weeks ago was supposed to be haunted by the ghost of a ghillie who hung themselves there, but I never saw or heard any of the alleged signs such as footsteps at night and the front door jamming shut. If anything, it'll be someone complaining about the door being too narrow, which it was.

Sounds like fun. Honestly Xan, those photos are wonderful. I'm thinking about stealing the first photo for my desktop. =P

Honestly, I've only had two encounters with the supernatural, The first being in my old house when I was alone with a dog who was sleeping next to me. I was watching TV and then the kitchen sink randomly turned on. I turned it off and didn't think much of it. The second encounter was in this house, I heard footsteps coming from upstairs (there is no upstairs in my house ) walking from one end of the house, to the other.

Well if you'd like it, I can get a full size picture up somewhere so you can resize it however you want Atlin. It would be better than the crappy 640x480 one here. Any size in particular?

Well, my desktop is currently set to 1024 x 768. If at all possible, something close to that would be nice. I bet it would look great on my desktop. =D

I can't thank you enough for getting rid of my random smiley with a feather I made in MS Paint in 2 minutes.

Absolutely gorgeous pictures, Xander! The last one is especially my fave. I was kind of hoping to see a shirtless, muscular redheaded man walking over those Scottish hills, but they're stunning as is.