A short diary to counter the family criticism that I failed to mention either of our daughter’s birthdays in the last edition! Of course, what everyone forgets is that the diary is written about a month in arrears, so that there is usually lots of topic to choose from during that period. So, with ears burning, here we go...
Thirty years ago I had been at RSPB Loch Garten for just three years and on the 26 May 1979, England were playing Scotland at football. As the final whistle blew Laura made her entry into the world, not that I had any clue as to what the score was because I was deep in the bowels of Raigmore hospital holding Janet’s hand, lending moral support (but little of the pain) whilst witnessing that most amazing event, a natural human birth. Apart from trying to strangle herself with the umbilical cord and spending the first twenty-four hours of her life in an incubator, Laura was fine, mum and daughter were re-united, and settled into the routine of feeding and nappy changing. Amazingly, in the maternity ward at the same time was the wife of the couple who had moved into the cottage on Rum, where we had lived whilst working for the old Nature Conservancy Council (now SNH) up until the time we moved to Loch Garten! Kathy, the wife of the boatman/joiner/handyman on Rum was also in the same hospital suffering from severe back pains.
Meeting up with the couple from Rum whilst at Raigmore I found
out that Ian, the husband, was dossing in Inverness, so I offered him a bed down at Loch Garten. On the evening of Laura’s birth we both returned to Loch Garten to a meal of mince and tatties and, thinking back to our move from Rum, I remembered that we had brought with us several bottles of home-brewed Yuletide Ale, a strong, dark beer traditionally brewed for special occasions like Christmas. Well, we had a special occasion, but would the beer still be okay three years after bottling? Opening the first bottle went well; there was a wee hiss as the cap was removed, and the beer smelled fine. We had a trial sip and the warming glow that we felt made me realise that we had something special. It was so powerful however that we decided it was safest to stick to sherry glass sized measures! It was then off to celebrate Laura’s birth with the rest of the osprey staff and volunteers at the then “Osprey Camp”. Three days later Ian also became a dad but before mum and baby would be heading back to Rum, Ian would have to return briefly to get everything ready.
Now the journey from Boat of Garten to Rum by public transport is not easy and, knowing in the back of my mind that there was a rare alpine flower growing on a mountain top somewhere along the road between Fort William and Mallaig (the ferry port) I offered to give Ian a lift as far as Glenfinnan. It was the 1 June, it was very hot and sunny, and this would be the last day before my life would change for ever, Janet and Laura were due home from hospital the following day, and the learning phase and responsibility of being new parents would begin. A quick stop at Corpach just outside Fort William to buy a map then it was cheerio to Ian and the climb up the side of a very steep mountain began. A couple of hours later and with a bit of intense searching around the summit area of the mountain (the old fashion type of search pre GPS!) and there I was, looking down at the flowering cushions of Diapensia lapponica, or Diapensia as it is commonly called. This is a plant that is found on nutrient poor ground often on high mountain tops throughout the world. However, in Britain it is only known from one mountain top, being discovered there in 1951 by a birdwatcher! It’s amazing what we “birdwatchers” turn up! At the site there are many cushions of flowers but you need to be on site at just the right time to see the flowers open and at their best. In 1979 the 1 June was just about right, and there was a brilliant display of big white flowers in amongst the rocks and gravel. One thing though that did shock me was the obvious evidence of clumps having been removed and it would appear that this wasn’t just a “one off”. See the Independent article at http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/black-market-threat-to-britains-rarest-flowers-496453.html for more information on this illicit trade.
Fast forward 30 years, happy birthday Laura, and happy birthday Ruth for earlier in the month. To celebrate the occasion we all met up for lunch at Logie Steading, near Forres, good food, good ice creams and a nice antique furniture shop where Laura treated herself to a wonderful kitchen chair for a birthday present. The day was very hot and sunny, with the settled spell of weather due to last into the start of the new week. The start of the new week was 1 June and I was starting to wonder – would it just be possible to make a repeat visit to a mountain top near Glenfinnan? I had the map but would wonky knees and hip get me there? If the sun shone and problems did start to develop there was always the option of going looking for chequered skipper butterflies, something else I hadn’t seen for almost 30 years. THE TRIP WAS ON!
The morning of 1 June 2009 in Nethybridge was almost frosty, but
the sky was clear and the weather forecast perfect if going to be a little hot. A bit like 30 years ago, the day started at 5am, departure at 6am and arrival at Glenfinnan was just before 8am and just like last time, it was hot. Boots on, sun cream on, bag packed and off I set with my trusty Leki poles for ‘support’. One thing I wasn’t hearing on this repeat trip was whitethroats on the wires by the road, though there were plenty of birds singing in the surrounding woodland. Up through the woodland and out onto the open hillside to be greeted by a wonderful display of bluebells, something we don’t see in Strathspey. Bluebells, violets and other flowers got me thinking about butterflies, and sure enough, even at 8am, a green-veined white butterfly was on the go. Another quite dark butterfly caught my eye and when it landed on a clump of bog myrtle I was pleasantly surprised to see a chequered skipper – one of my target species for the day and it still wasn’t half-eight. I was very resolute, and the camera stayed in the rucksack and I remained focused on the climb ahead. 
Gradually the richness of the lower ground gave way to the typical hill ground of the west of Scotland, the sweat was rolling very freely, and, with shirt sleeves rolled down and shirt collar up to keep the bulk of the sun off, I plodded steadily up hill. The first hour saw the views getting better and the hill getting steeper, and another half hour and I reached one of the lower hilltop summits. In the not too far distance I could see the top of the mountain I was heading for and away to my right was the massive lump of Ben Nevis (left). So far so good with just the odd meadow pipit for company overhead and the early signs of the insectivorous butterwort in the damper bits of ground underfoot.
Two hours after setting off the summit at about 2500’ was reached a
nd it was time to find a bit of shade and have a quick bite to eat. With camera weight preferable to bottle of water weight, I had been taking on water from the wee burns on the way up, wetting my hat to keep my head cool. Peeping out from the rocks all around where the white flowers of Diapensia, the timing of the visit looked to be just about right, despite the hot weather of the last ten days. I just couldn’t sit still, so I took this self portrait with the wonderful mountain scenery in the background. In the distance to my west was the Sgurr of Eigg (left), the island now owned by the community 
and next to our old home of Rum. With the heat is was quite hazy but the views were stunning all the same. My marvellous watch told me that the temperature even on the summit, was 24 degrees C, phew! Screaming overhead went a group of swifts followed by a few swallows, there was obviously plenty of insect life on the wing even this high up. And then, after a gap of 30 years, it was time to say hello properly to the cushions of Diapensia, so landscape lens was swapped for macro lens, and it was down to work, taking great care not to damage any of the plants on this rocky summit.
Thirty years ago I had been at RSPB Loch Garten for just three years and on the 26 May 1979, England were playing Scotland at football. As the final whistle blew Laura made her entry into the world, not that I had any clue as to what the score was because I was deep in the bowels of Raigmore hospital holding Janet’s hand, lending moral support (but little of the pain) whilst witnessing that most amazing event, a natural human birth. Apart from trying to strangle herself with the umbilical cord and spending the first twenty-four hours of her life in an incubator, Laura was fine, mum and daughter were re-united, and settled into the routine of feeding and nappy changing. Amazingly, in the maternity ward at the same time was the wife of the couple who had moved into the cottage on Rum, where we had lived whilst working for the old Nature Conservancy Council (now SNH) up until the time we moved to Loch Garten! Kathy, the wife of the boatman/joiner/handyman on Rum was also in the same hospital suffering from severe back pains.
Meeting up with the couple from Rum whilst at Raigmore I found
out that Ian, the husband, was dossing in Inverness, so I offered him a bed down at Loch Garten. On the evening of Laura’s birth we both returned to Loch Garten to a meal of mince and tatties and, thinking back to our move from Rum, I remembered that we had brought with us several bottles of home-brewed Yuletide Ale, a strong, dark beer traditionally brewed for special occasions like Christmas. Well, we had a special occasion, but would the beer still be okay three years after bottling? Opening the first bottle went well; there was a wee hiss as the cap was removed, and the beer smelled fine. We had a trial sip and the warming glow that we felt made me realise that we had something special. It was so powerful however that we decided it was safest to stick to sherry glass sized measures! It was then off to celebrate Laura’s birth with the rest of the osprey staff and volunteers at the then “Osprey Camp”. Three days later Ian also became a dad but before mum and baby would be heading back to Rum, Ian would have to return briefly to get everything ready.Now the journey from Boat of Garten to Rum by public transport is not easy and, knowing in the back of my mind that there was a rare alpine flower growing on a mountain top somewhere along the road between Fort William and Mallaig (the ferry port) I offered to give Ian a lift as far as Glenfinnan. It was the 1 June, it was very hot and sunny, and this would be the last day before my life would change for ever, Janet and Laura were due home from hospital the following day, and the learning phase and responsibility of being new parents would begin. A quick stop at Corpach just outside Fort William to buy a map then it was cheerio to Ian and the climb up the side of a very steep mountain began. A couple of hours later and with a bit of intense searching around the summit area of the mountain (the old fashion type of search pre GPS!) and there I was, looking down at the flowering cushions of Diapensia lapponica, or Diapensia as it is commonly called. This is a plant that is found on nutrient poor ground often on high mountain tops throughout the world. However, in Britain it is only known from one mountain top, being discovered there in 1951 by a birdwatcher! It’s amazing what we “birdwatchers” turn up! At the site there are many cushions of flowers but you need to be on site at just the right time to see the flowers open and at their best. In 1979 the 1 June was just about right, and there was a brilliant display of big white flowers in amongst the rocks and gravel. One thing though that did shock me was the obvious evidence of clumps having been removed and it would appear that this wasn’t just a “one off”. See the Independent article at http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/black-market-threat-to-britains-rarest-flowers-496453.html for more information on this illicit trade.
Fast forward 30 years, happy birthday Laura, and happy birthday Ruth for earlier in the month. To celebrate the occasion we all met up for lunch at Logie Steading, near Forres, good food, good ice creams and a nice antique furniture shop where Laura treated herself to a wonderful kitchen chair for a birthday present. The day was very hot and sunny, with the settled spell of weather due to last into the start of the new week. The start of the new week was 1 June and I was starting to wonder – would it just be possible to make a repeat visit to a mountain top near Glenfinnan? I had the map but would wonky knees and hip get me there? If the sun shone and problems did start to develop there was always the option of going looking for chequered skipper butterflies, something else I hadn’t seen for almost 30 years. THE TRIP WAS ON!The morning of 1 June 2009 in Nethybridge was almost frosty, but
the sky was clear and the weather forecast perfect if going to be a little hot. A bit like 30 years ago, the day started at 5am, departure at 6am and arrival at Glenfinnan was just before 8am and just like last time, it was hot. Boots on, sun cream on, bag packed and off I set with my trusty Leki poles for ‘support’. One thing I wasn’t hearing on this repeat trip was whitethroats on the wires by the road, though there were plenty of birds singing in the surrounding woodland. Up through the woodland and out onto the open hillside to be greeted by a wonderful display of bluebells, something we don’t see in Strathspey. Bluebells, violets and other flowers got me thinking about butterflies, and sure enough, even at 8am, a green-veined white butterfly was on the go. Another quite dark butterfly caught my eye and when it landed on a clump of bog myrtle I was pleasantly surprised to see a chequered skipper – one of my target species for the day and it still wasn’t half-eight. I was very resolute, and the camera stayed in the rucksack and I remained focused on the climb ahead. 
Gradually the richness of the lower ground gave way to the typical hill ground of the west of Scotland, the sweat was rolling very freely, and, with shirt sleeves rolled down and shirt collar up to keep the bulk of the sun off, I plodded steadily up hill. The first hour saw the views getting better and the hill getting steeper, and another half hour and I reached one of the lower hilltop summits. In the not too far distance I could see the top of the mountain I was heading for and away to my right was the massive lump of Ben Nevis (left). So far so good with just the odd meadow pipit for company overhead and the early signs of the insectivorous butterwort in the damper bits of ground underfoot.Two hours after setting off the summit at about 2500’ was reached a
nd it was time to find a bit of shade and have a quick bite to eat. With camera weight preferable to bottle of water weight, I had been taking on water from the wee burns on the way up, wetting my hat to keep my head cool. Peeping out from the rocks all around where the white flowers of Diapensia, the timing of the visit looked to be just about right, despite the hot weather of the last ten days. I just couldn’t sit still, so I took this self portrait with the wonderful mountain scenery in the background. In the distance to my west was the Sgurr of Eigg (left), the island now owned by the community 
and next to our old home of Rum. With the heat is was quite hazy but the views were stunning all the same. My marvellous watch told me that the temperature even on the summit, was 24 degrees C, phew! Screaming overhead went a group of swifts followed by a few swallows, there was obviously plenty of insect life on the wing even this high up. And then, after a gap of 30 years, it was time to say hello properly to the cushions of Diapensia, so landscape lens was swapped for macro lens, and it was down to work, taking great care not to damage any of the plants on this rocky summit.I will leave the photos to speak for themselves, with thanks to the plant for putting on such a brilliant display.
Close by there were a few tussocks of trailing azalea, a bonny plant and reasonably common on many of our higher hills.An hour later and it was time for the hardest part of the day – the descent! I must be getting old, it took almost as long to get down the mountain as it did to get up. My estimate of where the track at the bottom of the mountain was worked out well and with the woodland below starting to get ever closer I came back into butterfly country with green-veined white and small heath being the first contacts. A stop by the bigger burn to take on a decent amount of water, and it was on down the track. And there it was again, a chequered skipper flitting about by the track. This time the camera 
was out in a flash, and making the most of these modern digital cameras, a trial shot was taken to get exposure right, and then, in an effort not to disturb the butterfly which had settled again on bog myrtle, the camera was held out at arms length, and the auto-focus was left to do the rest. I just didn’t have the energy for a long pursuit and trying to get the ultimate photo, but the end product I think worked very well and the butterfly is very recognisable. This photo is dedicated to Nigel, Rachel and the boys who did a trip to Loch Arkaig from the Firwood chalet the week before to see this very special butterfly. Down through the woodland and a green hairstreak butterfly was nice to see before reaching the road with a short walk back to the car. Soggy clothing was exchanged for clean tee-shirt, shorts and sandals and it was off via Spean Bridge and Loch Laggan-side getting back to Firwood in time to pick Janet up from school.
A brilliant day, thank you Laura for being part of both trips, perhaps I should do something similar when Ruth hits the 30-mark!
And that football match some thirty years ago, England 3 Scotland 1 at Wembley.
We hope you enjoyed this wee trip down memory lane.
Best wishes
Stewart & Janet
was out in a flash, and making the most of these modern digital cameras, a trial shot was taken to get exposure right, and then, in an effort not to disturb the butterfly which had settled again on bog myrtle, the camera was held out at arms length, and the auto-focus was left to do the rest. I just didn’t have the energy for a long pursuit and trying to get the ultimate photo, but the end product I think worked very well and the butterfly is very recognisable. This photo is dedicated to Nigel, Rachel and the boys who did a trip to Loch Arkaig from the Firwood chalet the week before to see this very special butterfly. Down through the woodland and a green hairstreak butterfly was nice to see before reaching the road with a short walk back to the car. Soggy clothing was exchanged for clean tee-shirt, shorts and sandals and it was off via Spean Bridge and Loch Laggan-side getting back to Firwood in time to pick Janet up from school.A brilliant day, thank you Laura for being part of both trips, perhaps I should do something similar when Ruth hits the 30-mark!
And that football match some thirty years ago, England 3 Scotland 1 at Wembley.
We hope you enjoyed this wee trip down memory lane.
Best wishes
Stewart & Janet
Oak fern
All photos © Stewart Taylor
