Скачать или смотреть A Hike from Rannoch to Corrour (aka The Revolutionary Outdoor Midge Hat)

Rannoch Moor, a desolate place of bogs and lochs. At the north-eastern edge of the moor, at the end of Loch Laidon, sits Rannoch Railway Station. The B846 road ends at Rannoch Railway Station. It goes no further.

About 10 miles north-west of Rannoch Station is Corrour Railway Station; at 408 metres above sea-level it is the highest railway station in the UK. There is no metalled or tarmacked road to Corrour Station; just dusty tracks.

For this, is the edge of the world.

So why, you may ask, are we going for a walk between these two stations, from Rannoch to Corrour? Well, why not! Apart from anything, this is probably part of The Road to the Isles, or at least a road that takes you to The Road to the Isles; for the wide track from Rannoch continues beyond Corrour towards Fort William and on towards The Isles.

Leaving the B846 road at the northern tip of Loch Eigheach, we head north-west, around the foot of Meall na Mucarach, and onto the western slopes of Sron Leachd a Chaorainn.

We stop for lunch in the ruins of Corrour Old Lodge, before carrying on towards Loch Ossian, then rounding the hill of Meall na Lice towards Corrour Railway Station and our train back to Glasgow.

The solitary hours on that dusty track had us thinking. We thought about tree pollen and how badly it affects us at this time of year. Combined with what is probably also a histamine intolerance, we list our symptoms, from a cough to a runny nose, itchy eyes, itchy skin and scalp, sinus and ear problems, fatigue, bloating, poor sleep and bladder irritation. Why do trees cause us so much harm? At least at Rannoch there are few trees; just this long dusty track whose sandy grains find their way into every part of our clothing and equipment.

This is a fairly straightforward hike on a wide track, although there are some forks where you could accidentally go the wrong way. It's also a hike with stunning views of far-off mountains and sun-lit lochs. But once on the track it can become a bit of a slog where the scenery doesn't change that much and the same range of mountains follows you around. It's a walk where at times you just put your head down and go for it.

But the railway journey from Glasgow to Rannoch is by far the most scenic railway journey in the UK, if not the world.

Oh ... ... did I mention that revolutionary outdoor midge hat? A bit early in the season, to be honest, as the midges haven't yet emerged. But it's a handy bit of kit that may well come into its own in the warm days of Summer, when swarms of the little blighters can make a walker's life misery.

Although I bought my hat at the Great British Beer Festival, here's a link to what looks like the very same hat:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boland-99904...