CAIRNGORMS BATHED IN SUNSHINE

Glorious day on The Fiacaill a' Coire Sneachda

Ptarmigan chick, just a few weeks old

Coire an Lochain and the Great Slab

Snow Bunting

Fiacaill Buttress

Meadow Pipit

Dwarf Willow

Female ptarmigan

More ptarmigan chicks

Loch Morlich and Strathspey bathed in sun

 I often get asked whilst out guiding in The Alps 'what's the difference between trekking on the TMB and walking in the Scottish Highlands?' Of course those who walk the Scottish hills will know the answer. Most folk from the continent and USA have clearly marked signage, excellent trails and probably the biggest factor is the weather. Well this morning in The Cairngorms it was stunningly beautiful, sunny, warm and windless. Thankfully we don't have sign posts everywhere and not all trails are as good as in The Alps. The route up onto the Fiacaill a' Choire Sneachda starts off on a good trail but then becomes less obvious and rougher has you get higher, of course there are many different routes to gain this wonderful wee ridge. We also don't have ladders, cables, stemples and bits of rope dangling from exposed sections of mountains and ridges. I had the ridge to myself this morning and it was warm even at 8am. The best of the sun was early morning and this was is also the best time to see the wildlife. Amongst the numerous bird life I spotted today were at least 10 ptarmigan chicks which are just a few weeks old. After a wonderful morning of scrambling and wildlife photography I met up with my wife who had just been swimming in Loch Morlich and we had a walk over the Northern Corries, a second time for me today. Great day out and The Scottish Highlands is has equal to anything in Europe, size isn't everything.