I’ve motored past them so many times but never ventured up onto the Ochils until today. They clearly haven’t been short of company in my absence though: I haven’t seen so many people out on a range of hills outside the Lake District!

From the south these hills shoot up steeply to about 400m from the Forth plain and then you’re in for an easy day of wandering over grassy tops and talking shite about what such and such a mountain further north at the limits of your eyesight might be.

The soil is clearly very rich and I rather think I’ve visited at the wrong time of year. In the summer they must be covered in flowers.

There are photos. :O]

Climbing out of the car into the rain wasn’t the best of starts.

Things improved, though, when a mate slipped, turned his ankle and skelped his face hard off the road during the walk in. I was relieved when he raised a hand to be helped up, and he was quick with praise for rescuing his whisky that was catapulted down the road before coming back to help him.

At the end of that night, a guy in the bothy turned out to be a psycho and started picking a fight. He was one of those repetitive pillocks as well so there wasn’t even any entertainment to be had out of him. Drunken diplomacy won out in the end—sort of.

The next day was an easy stroll up Beinn Bhreac for us, but two lads came in late that night without the dog they’d set off with. It had ran out onto a frozen loch and gone through the ice, the poor wee thing. They said they’d tried to smash a path through the ice for the dog to swim back to shore but couldn’t manage it in the end.

It was a nice dug as well. Mad for sticks but then you expect that from a collie.

I only took a few photos on the way up Beinn Bhreac.

• Ben Hope - November 2007
• Conival and Ben More Assynt - November2007
• The Forcan Ridge - September 2007
• The Five Sisters - September 2007
• Meall Glas - August 2007
• Meikle Bin - August 2007
• Sgor Iutharn, Geal-charn, Aonach Beag, Beinn Eibhinn and Carn Dearg - July 2007
• A’Bhuidheanach Bheag and Carn na Caim - June 2007
• Mallaig to Aberdeen Braemar - April 2007
• Ben Avon and Beinn a’ Bhuird - April 2007
• Bynack More - February 2007
• Sgurr Ghiubhsachain - January 2007
• Meall a’ Bhuiridh - January 2007
• Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh - January 2007

• Meall Buidhe - December 2006
• Beinn Bhreac and Beinn a’ Chaorainn - December 2006
• Morven/Morrone - December 2006
• Liathach - October 2006
• Beinn Alligin - October 2006
• Slioch - October 2006
• An Teallach - September 2006
• Corserine - September 2006
• Stuchd an Lochain - August 2006
• Ben Lawers Ridge - August 2006
• Glen Finnan - August 2006
• Creag Mac Ranaich - July 2006
• Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’ Chroin - July 2006
• Beinn Narnain, Beinn Ime and The Cobbler - July 2006
• Broad Law - June 2006
• The Mamores - June 2006
• The Aonach Eagach - June 2006
• Buachaille Etive Beag - June 2006
• Beinn a’ Chlachair, Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil - May 2006
• Derry Cairngorm, Ben MacDui and Carn a’ Mhaim - April 2006
• The West Highland Way - March 2006
• Ben Lui and Beinn a’ Chleibh - March 2006
• Binnein Shuas - January 2006
• Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’ Chroin - January 2006

• Stob Ghabhar and Stob a’ Choire Odhair - December 2005
• Beinn Chuirn - December 2005
• Glen Lyon - December 2005
• The Lakes - November 2005
• Merrick - November 2005
• The Tarmachan Ridge - November 2005
• Glen Doll, Mayar and Driesh - November 2005
• Drumochter (Beinn Udlamain, Sgairneach Mhor and The Sow), October 2005
• Drumochter (Geal Charn and A’Mharconaich), October 2005
• Lochnagar and Glenshee, October 2005
• Glen Tilt, September 2005
• Merrick, September 2005
• Kinlochleven, August 2005 (video clip)
• Glenshee, August 2005
• Glenshiel, July 2005
• Glenshee, July 2005
• Wild Camping in the Lairig Ghru, July 2005
• Devil’s Beef Tub to Grey Mare’s Tail, June 2005
• Ben Ledi, May 2005
• Buachaille Etive Mor, May 2005
• Ben Venue, April 2005
• Criffel and Knockendoch, January 2005
• Ben A’an, January 2005

• Allermuir from Dreghorn, September 2004
• Glencorse and Loganlea Reservoirs, September 2004