Paul's blog

Pure paradise - Winter snow in the Cairngorms

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:36:05 +0000

After a drive through blizzards, then under clear skies lit up by a full moon, I finally arrived at the cairngorms to be greeted by a traffic jam. Not a traffic jam as southerners experience around London on the largest toll free car park in Europe but more of a wait for the hard working park staff to clear the roads. Did not have to wait long before our line of cars slide and slided up the steep road leaving a few stragglers along the way until we all parked in a nice long line beside the ski centre underneath the glow of sunrise with the bright moon hovering over Aviemore, both it and the sun starting to cast the grey oranges over the skies cloud. carry on reading about my trip here.

Rise of the ancients

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:32:48 +0000

carrying on from the short story about ewan and the fire beacon. I continued writing a series of shorts about the adventures of this lad until it got so big that as of last week, I combined all these stories into one - called the Rise of the Ancients it is about the lads growth over the years and a vairety of problems he had to over come as he headed unknowingly towards a prophecy that he was destined to fullfill - learn more on my book page here .

Here’s an image of the front cover

The Moray Way and Ben Macdui Trail - Guide Book

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:16:38 +0000

The Moray Book is finally published quite a few months eariler then expected. As discussed in eariler post this book about two long distance hikes within Moray, Scotland. It contains maps, loads of photos plus loads of infomation about the routes and Morays history, not forgetting details about the superb landscape the walks take you through - from pristine beaches, fertile lowlands, rivers jumping with salmon to high breas full of illicit whisky lore and finally onto some of the highest mountains in the UK.

Not avaliable from amazon yet - it is from my publisher here, or look on my book web page here and click on the ‘Moray way’ icon for more details.

Beinn a ghlo above Blair Atholl

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:06:39 +0000

Do not know why but as I drove down the A9 on a -5 cold early Sunday morning to atholl, unheeded by any cars (a miracle) I was feeling guilty. Guilty of nothing in particular, just the usual married man stuff , of me going off for some fun while the family are stuck at home sort of guilty. It could be that just because today was the first in many months when it did not rain or was very windy but then again my days of taking them places does seem to be over, as they would rather ‘hang’ with mates then parents now. It is the ‘Can’t live the parent’s day’ I am really waiting for, feels like it will never arrive. But back to the guilt stuff, don’t know if anyone else ever feels it, but if today was guilty day for all walkers then I saw at least another 20 odd cars around parked in the going munroing places, so I guess I’m not totally alone. To read and see more photos click here.

Lochnagar

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:06:24 +0000

Lochnagar – it is quite a funny name when you look into it, for a start, reading it as it is you get the impression that perhaps the name came from an old Giza who once lived in a wee cottage by loch Muick, who was perhaps feared due to having an ability to moan people to death or nag. Whereas if you look at its Gaelic meaning ‘Hill of laughter or noise’ you get the impression of an old Giza who lived in a wee cottage by Loch Muick who was perhaps a bit of a comedian and had the ability to lighten the hardiest of moments. To read more and see more photo click here.

Ben Avon - A secret

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:22:07 +0000

Another walk I did a few weeks ago, had planned to do this walk purly to verify if you could see the moray firth from its summit, but found a heck of alot more then that - read on here.

New publications - craft books

admin — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:04:34 +0000

The A4 size leather and wood craft book I released a few months ago is full of various crafty things I have made or got upto in the last decade. It is full of things to make such as bows, quivers, armour, bullwhips etc, etc. I have had recommendations that it would also be good to publish some chapters within their own book, making them cheaper and enabling potential hobbyist to read about just one subject and not many, so I have just created four new books from various chapter and they are A5 size making them easier to handle and stuff in the pocket. Please follow link to find out more about them - http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/paul2610.

A short story - Ewan and the fire beacons

admin — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:56:15 +0000

A few weeks ago before the nights started to close in and it stopped raining, I had planned a fair trip upto Ben Alder, but due to stuff happening I never got round to it, instead I wrote a story about a kid living in the area around the time of Culloden. Follow link to read all about his adventure to Ben Alder - http://mtn-m.co.uk/web%20components/Ewan%20and%20the%20fire%20beacons.pdf

Highland panoramic’s and pipers stone above cromdale

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:27:23 +0000

Despite the west coast having major rain tantrums these past few weeks, me and the pup did manage a few walks be it not to exciting rugged mountain terrains of knoydart and torridon - well its not as if they will go any where soon!!! Instead we visited the heights of Ben Rinnes, that promonent peak rising above Aberlour and as I found, offering a view over Moray which is, in my humble opionion, fantastic from the coast all the way to the cairngorms and of most of the distilleries running along River Avon.

Second little outing was to the Hills of Cromdale, much talked about in my coming guide book and well worth a side visit if only to see the pipers stones, the memorial cairns on the summits and to walk the hallow soil of the battle site.

But beware, for on days when the wind howls and the rain falls in heavy sheets it is said that the piper, a man named Hamish, tends to appear before unsuspecting walkers, tempting them to follow him to where he fall amongst his comrades…….!

I’ve also made a panoramic of the battle site and the stone which is now uploaded to my freebies page along with some other highland images - most are quite large and might take some time to download.

Circular hike around Slioch

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:28:14 +0000

Finally the monsoon is showing signs of moving on and the west coast of Scotland is open once more to her wonderous views - much to my pleasure. read report of the trip here.

Also managed to get some great pans of the mountains from the top - towards torridon, towards Mhaighdean