IT FELT LIKE A WALK IN LOCH AFFRIC!

For those of you who missed the May walk - be very grateful! Be very grateful indeed.

For one of the very few times since all this walking mularkey started the date of the walk was changed from the third Sunday of the month to the fourth Sunday. Well that was a big mistake as the walking weather gods clearly were displeased. It apparently lashed down with rain and the walk had to be curtailed so bad were the conditions. As it happens, Sharon and I had just got back from Devon and had a bit to do before we went back to work, so we didn't make the walk - how lucky was that?

The general consensus was that this was even worse than the Mac and Janet walk in Glenlivet. You will recall that this involved getting to the viewpoint and being so utterly exposed to the elements that conversation was hopeless and the view was non-existent.

It clearly started badly - hoods up, heads down - no fun walking like that.

The raging torrents might have been a clue that there had been a bit of rain.

Anyway, they pressed on and, indeed, it looks below as if there was a bit of a let up and an almost idyllic scene was developing.


But it didn't last. In fact it got a bit like the wild west. Here we have the not so High Plains Drifter meeting up with Hopalong Cassidy.

Here are the intrepid souls still heading west - no hoods up - had it stopped raining or were they so wet they just didn't care anymore?

By now the hills were alive with the sound of rushing torrents.

I don't know why they thought it was worse than Glenlivet - you can see the hills!

By now some of them were prepared to swing rather than carry on.

The obligatory bridge photo is next - I wouldn't be standing on a bridge for too long with that weight of water flowing under and around it!

More trees and misty mountains - it makes you wonder if there would be gorillas next.

And help ma boab here they are.....not sure what the one at the back on the right has on his head.

The next bit needs to be spoken in hushed David Attenborough tones.

"The attentive black backed male tenderly hands his mate a gift of a banana - she responds by saying "That won't get you anywhere, mate. All I'm after is a hot bath, a cup of horlicks and an early night.""

Don't they look very wet - drookit in fact. However, that couldn't keep Sandra from exhibiting some star quality with her shades on.

The next set of photos are the highlights of the walk as they involve pictures of a slightly warmer and drier group having a nice cup of tea and biscuits at the Priory Clinic in Beauly.

Hugh looks as if he has almost thawed out.

A shortbread biscuit.

A scone with what might be lemon curd, it might also be apricot jam - you know these are the ones that are always left over after everyone has had the strawberry and raspberry ones. I actually made lemon curd last week and very good it was too!

A cup of tea without milk - just the way I like it.

A Cappucino.

Unfortunately, I don't have any more pictures of their suffering - or of their foodstuff, but it looks like they came through a trying time, with a degree of humour. They won't be changing the walk date again, though!