walkwithdinosaurs: April 2017

Our walk in April was brought forward to avoid the Easter weekend.

We had decided to walk to the Fyrish Monument and assumed that because we had avoided Easter, it would be a bit less busy.

Not so - the car park was heaving and overflowing. They couldn't all be here just to see us, could they?

Later on the walk, we came across a watchtower. This prompted me to foolishly suggest that the theme of the walk might be Jimi Hendrix lyrics after the song All Along The Watchtower, which is on the 1968 album Electric Ladyland.

All Along The Watchtower was actually written by Bob Dylan, but the Hendrix version is probably the more well known.

I am guessing that I am the only Jimi Hendrix fan among the Dinosaurs, so any attempt to use his lyrics to enliven the blog will be a bit esoteric and of limited interest.

That has never put me off before, so here goes.

"But darlin' can't you see my signals turn from green to red

and with you I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead."

Crosstown Traffic also from the 1968 electric Ladyland LP.

For people like Hugh, LPs were large round pieces of vinyl that contained grooves. When these grooves were scratched by a little needle on a gramophone, sound came out. They were rotated at 33 and a third rpm and you could get 12 or more records on each one. That is why they were called Long Players, or LPs to the hip and trendy.

Sharon and Sandra discuss whether it so busy that we should postpone the walk. A bit like Dolly Mae. Dolly Mae, I hear you say - well yes don't you remember "Wait until Tomorrow" from the Axis: Bold as Love album from 1967?

You know, the one that goes like this -

"Well, I'm standing here freezing, inside your garden,.....

.......but now you're telling me that ah..

I think we better wait till tomorrow."

Well, we didn't wait till tomorrow and off we set up the hill.

"I see visions of sleeping peaks

Erupting...

Releasing all hell that

will shake the Earth from end to end"

from Valleys of Neptune 2010.

Actually it wasn't that bad - just a little steep in places.

Mac confides in Dave as Janet walks away.

" A misunderstanding of a no good woman

Yeah, lord they've both caused my heart to bleed

Yeah"

Bleeding heart from the 1994 Blues compilation album.

"If it wasn't for bad luck

Wouldn't have no luck at all."

Born under a bad sign from the 1994 Blues compilation.

This poor man and his wife had lost their dog and didn't know where to find him - his name was Rocco. Unluckily we didn't find Rocco on our travels and we don't know if he ever came home.

We were soon getting higher up the hill and beginning to see the hazy views of the Cromarty Firth.

"I might as well go back yonder

way back yonder 'cross the hill

That's where I came from."

Red House first heard on the Are You Experienced LP of 1967, but also on another 2 or 3 albums.

"I'm just a ship passing through the night

I'm just a lonesome bird flyin', makin' a midnight flight."

Ships passing through the night on the 2010 compilation album Valleys of Neptune.

Actually it is not really a ship, but an oil rig, but Hendrix never wrote a song about an oil rig.

"It's only a dream

I'd love to tell somebody about this dream

The sky was filled with a thousand stars

while the sun kissed the mountains blue."

One rainy wish - Axis: Bold as Love -1967.

"Can you hear me baby?

Crying cause you put me down."

Can you see me? - Are you Experienced? 1967

Just as well there was some baby wipes hanging around.

"And the wind, it cries croMARtY"

The wind cries Mary - Are You Experienced - 1967.

"The clouds are really low

And they overflow,

with cotton candy"

Spanish Castle Magic - Axis:Bold as Love - 1967.

"And so castles made of sand fall into the sea, eventually"

Castles made of Sand - Axis:Bold as Love - 1967.

"Well, I stand up next to a mountain

And I chop it down with the edge of my hand."

Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Electric Ladyland 1968.

Well - Ben Wyvis, really.

At the top of the hill, this is what we find. It is a bit surreal in this location.

"It puts everything on the shelf

With just a little bit of Spanish Castle Magic

Just a little bit of daydream here and there."

Spanish Castle Magic - Axis:Bold as Love 1967.

Fyrish Monument.

The monument was built in 1782 - 235 years ago - by order of Sir Hector Munro, the local to Laird. He was Commander in Chief of India from 1764 to 1765. He returned to India in 1781 and captured Nagapatam, a port in Madras. The Fyrish Monument represents the gates of Nagapatum and might be thought of as a bit of triumphalism on Sir Hector's part.

However, it seems Sir Hector was a bit more altruistic than that. He had the monument built by crofters and tenants in return for payment at a time when they had been cleared from the land to make way for sheep farms and were, therefor, destitute. I have been unable to clarify whether Sir Hector was actually responsible for the said clearances or whether the crofters were tenants of adjacent landowners.

Whatever the cause of the destitution, Sir Hector seems to have been extraordinarily philanthropic. He apparently rolled the stone back to the bottom of the hill so as to prolong the building work and extend the period of paid labour for the workers. Of course, generally people only paid for these things as they thought that straightforward charity without labour would only serve to encourage indolence - a bit like the Tory Party these days.

"You know it's a really groovy place

And it's just a little bit of Spanish Castle Magic."

Spanish Castle Magic - Axis:Bold as Love - 1967.

Certainly Sharon seems to be getting a bit groovy.

"Look over yonder, here comes the blues."

Look Over Yonder - South Saturn Delta - 1997

Blue skies at last.

Lunchtime and we got to sit on pillows of moss, or as Hendrix said - "Drifting on a sea of forgotten teardrops." Drifting - First Rays of the New Rising Sun - 1997.

From Third Stone from the Sun on the 1967 Are You Experienced album -

"Oh strange beautiful grass of green

with your majestic silken scenes

your mysterious mountains

I wish to see closer.

May I land my kinky machine?"

So said Dave, and land it he did.

We decided to make a circular out of the walk by taking the path that Charlie had walked up a couple of weeks ago. He did warn us that fallen trees made it a bit difficult.

"All you do is slow me down

And I got better things on the other side of town."

Crosstown Traffic - Electric Ladyland 1968.

"Roman the Candle, he peeps out of his peekaboo hide and seek

And grabbed little Annie from the ceiling just in time"

Long Hot Summer - Electric Ladyland 1968

You can decide who is Roman and who is Annie on the ceiling.

"Straight ahead.

Hello my friends

So happy to see you again"

Straight Ahead from the First Rays of the New Rising Sun - 1997.

Across the glen we caught sight of Ardross Castle.

"You know it's a really groovy place

And it's just a little bit of Spanish Castle Magic"

Spanish Castle Magic - Axis:Bold as Love - 1967

Here it is - the thing that started all this lyrical; malarkey.

"There are many here among us

Who feel that life is but a joke"

All Along The Watchtower - Electric Ladyland 1968.

It was getting close to the end of the walk now and we were starting to look forward to a cup of tea - well Sandra was especially looking forward to the cakes.

"Now don't you come no closer

The path is keepin' me bolder."

Mr Bad Luck - Valleys of Neptune 2010.

Soon enough it was time for tea and some very good cakes at Foulis Ferry.

A fine walk and well done to Mac and Janet for all the organisation - well except for the lack of parking spaces.

"Just got out of a Scandinavian jail,

And I'm on my way straight home to you

But I feel so dizzy, I take a quick look in the mirror,

To make sure my friend's here with me too.

And you know good well I don't drink coffee,

So you fill my cup full of sand.

And the frozen tea leaves on the bottom

Sharing lipstick around the broken edge."

My Friend - First Rays of the New Rising Sun 1997.

Who knew Jimi Hendrix wrote about us all at some little Highland cafe?

Next stop Gairloch and I won't be using his, or any other, lyrics to inform any more blogs.

The March march started from Revack and was organised by Dave and Sandra. There were a few people missing due to various other commitments, so it was a small but hardy band that set off on what looks like a cool and sunny morning. They left from the Smokehouse near Achnagonalin, just outside Grantown on Spey. I cannot find a meaning for Achnagonalin, you will be glad to know.

Dave tried vainly to get them to look at the sign that said the walk was only just over 4 miles. They did not believe him.

So, he tried a less confrontational pose when they got to the sign that said the walk had now increased in length.

Even the toads thought he was being fast and loose with the truth.

They kept on going nonetheless.

They came upon a little fishery, but not having a decent rod between them had to carry on.

They spotted a duck of indeterminate species and wished so hard that Bob and Sharon from the Young Ornithologist Trust had been there to help them with identification.

Pam got brave and stood next to a fence, behind which were some cows lying down.

The path was sponsored by Rothiemoon Farm. The Dinosaurs were sponsored by Age Concern.

A wee bothy.

Robin, the gentleman let the ladies go first, just in case there was a hidden danger.

A long view to the hills and the photographer has cleverly used the pylon and the electricity lines to draw your eye to the far distance.

A table in the woods draws there attention, but it is too soon for lunch.

On the other hand it is never too early for Dave to practise his cue action.

What to do now - Shooting in Progress - says the sign. Those wearing bright colours would clearly make the easiest targets.

So, Janet and Sandra were sent off in front, to scout things out.

They seemed to be OK....

....and had made it to a sign of civilisation, well at least a sign of Nethybridge.

Suitably reassured, the rest of them followed on.

Just to be sure, they went in Indian file. Of course, that should be First Nation's file, because they are not really Indians.

I am guessing that Hugh had a Bridge Camera with him.

They don't really look any better close up.

This reminds me of a walk we did at Glenlivet, if not a bit firmer underfoot.

A Birch tree.

A bit of a slope, which probably means nobody had the breath or the interest to notice the Juniper, which we all know is an indicator of ancient semi-natural woodland.

Janet was not long back from her skiing holiday and still had all the moves.

They were fairly striding along by the dyke here. It must have been getting close to lunch and they were in a bit of a hurry.

Sure enough, picnic time.

Hmm a bit of a blasted heath, like something out of The Road.

A bit of a slower pace after lunch.

Mac and Janet upset Dave by asking just how much further they have to go.

Not much kissing in evidence at this gate.

The three wise men try to decide which way to go now.

At this point Dave notices the sign at the house advertising a camp site. He sparks a full scale rebellion when he suggests they spend the night under the stars.