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August 2025 – 13th Scottish Adventure
Scotland
‘family adventure’
day 5 of 7
Sunday, August 24
Beautiful Horseshoe Munro
I had read a lot about the Culra Bothy in preparation for this adventure.
Find this a fascinating phenomenon anyway;
you don’t know in advance with whom you’re going to spend the night in a Bothy.
Or that you lie alone but mostly what you look forward to the most in advance.
I know I am always delightfully alone in my own little tent.
Right this period I have enough to myself and enjoy the silence.
Conversations with yourself.
With the voice in your head but also the flow in your body.
Pains and fatigue after a long day of walking.
In addition, a feeling of euphoria because you enjoyed yourself in the most beautiful environment I know.
The elements have been allowed to experience another day in a silent alliance.
If I long for anything it is the wind, the rain, the cold but of course also the sun.
Not as your enemy but rather as companions who always come along on adventures.
At night in my tent,
as I enjoy my meal
While my clothes hang to dry
I embrace the very fact that I get to experience this alone.
Passed this beautiful Bothy today on the way there and back
to this day’s 2 Munro’s.
2 Munro’s this day:
Beinn Bheoil – Ben Alder
Again, these Munro’s planned based on information from fellow Munro-Baggers on WalkHighlands.
Below are the links to the day’s Munros:
Beinn Bheoil
Ben Alder
I capture stories through video and photography.
My good friend Edwin Veer transforms them into stunning visuals.
Instagram: @Edwin Veer – Website: elightartproductions
Most Beautiful Video
I accept that my Scottish friends do not do markings on stones, directional signs (signs), stacked stones and other things that point in the right direction.
Can even really appreciate that stubborn vernacular!
In this case, I was glad I did not walk this descent in bad weather with a full backpack!
(And yes I am a Dutchman who does not have mountains in his backyard but take a look at these, beautiful, images). Several places where I could have appreciated a, small, arrow!
If you run the Ben Alder in this Horsehoe version then my tip is “counter-clockwise!!!
Details
this day
1. PANIC!!!
If you look on the Gear Page at Powerbank you will see that I have since gained experience in that area as well. The current X Storm brick is reliable. I knew the brand itself from previous purchases with even a solar collector during one of the earlier adventures. Again, see the Gear page for experiences.
This time, and I still don’t understand this, I woke up at night and the brick was “dead. When I went to sleep it was still over 80% while I had my Garmin charging. Few hours later completely empty !!!????
Garmin wasn’t even completely full either so at that moment i.d.d. PANIC (capital letters). Of course I have my map and compass, watch (with all the routes) but the SOS function is, literally, vital. Without it I run as fast as I can out of the mountains because, in my personal opinion, it is not responsible to walk around alone under these conditions.
2. Solution
Fortunately, my Garmin was “almost full” though which meant I would make it through Day 5 (today) and Day 6 (spare battery for my Garmin) anyway. Even enough for the trip back to the station (day 7). In that case, in the ‘inhabited world, I then also had my watch and phone so I just managed.
Had this happened a day (night) earlier I would have shortened my adventure. word for crossing a river.
Have yet to contact X Storm as I have this story to send but every confidence this will be resolved nicely.
3.Backup of the Backup
Of course everything breaks down sometime but not this way. I myself am a big fan of contingency planning. In my previous life (ITIL within ICT) already contingency planning but somewhere it stops of course. A spare battery of the spare battery is not only an extra brick of weight but I simply don’t have the space anymore. If I am soon, hopefully, also allowed to bring a larger camera and a drone I will really have to start thinking about a cart regarding space.
This link will take you to the sixth day
If you want to go directly to a specific day click on the text and/or image below
to go to that particular day!
Via this link return to the home page of this adventure.
Day 1
By train to Dahlwinnie .
Day 2
Beinn a’Chlachair in the fog.
Day 3
2 Munro’s, round the lake and a wonderful place to have lunch.
Day 4
Memorial Day at the most beautiful place ever!
Day 5
Beautiful “Horseshoe” with equally beautiful Munros.
Day 6
Longest day rewarded
Beinn Èibhinn.
Day 7
Back to Dahlwinnie station and eventually Inverness.
Lairig chru
The best
stories and images
in one book!
b
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