May 15th

Inn Pin, a birthday present to the wife – dead romantic. But what a memorable day, vertical rain, the cold damp EXPOSED conditions (Scottish summer!).
What a view, what a scramble, FANTASTIC – thanks for a great day and letting us become ‘on first name terms’ with the (Inn) Pin 8).
Thanks Roy

Steve & Nicky

To add to Malcolms comments, The weekend started off with low cloud, snow and hail, but finished in glorious sunshine. And that is how our moods went, from seeing the ridges in Cloud and then the elation of getting to the top safely. A fantastic weekend with so much packed in, i'm still remembering things we saw and did. Roys knowledge of the Area and its Flora and Fauna was brilliant and having him with us saved us so much time with finding paths etc. I only wish we had met him earlier at the climbing Wall in Inverness. We are now frantically trying to find 'spare' weekends to fit in more adventurous outings.

John

If you want a great day out, or two, then get Roy Stark to take you out in the hills and mountains of Highland Scotland. In over 5 years of occasional walking, this was the first time we used a guide, and I was impressed.

We had walked in the hills a bit, bagged a few Munros, but we wanted to something a bit more adventurous – rock scrambling, mixed in with fine walks. On Day 1, Roy took us up a toothed rock scramble, securely tied by ropes, and at a pace that suited us. I felt safe and secure. These scrambles can look daunting, but it’s very manageable when you have an expert with you and all the right gear.

On Day 2, there was another new experience for us - walking up the snow-covered ‘goat track’ in the Corrie of the Snows. Ice axe in hand, and roped up for security, we tackled the steepish slope, and before long, we were at the top. Not a goat to be seen! Then a walk across the plateau to Ben MacDui, with superb scenery. Our sharp-eyed guide spotted a mini flock of 7 Dotterels on the summit – a treat. Ptarmigan seemed to be having a day out too.

Roy provided the rope, helmets, ice axe, and most importantly, the know-how. I supplied the Murray Mints, and John the Fisherman’s Friends.

Having an expert guide saves lots of time, and we learned so much more about the local area, the flora and the fauna. Highly recommended.

Malcolm Tyrrell

He Roy,

Thanks for another GREAT week of climbing in your beautifull country. It was despite for the weather a really fun & good experience. I learned a lot and we had great fun (even by drinking 'hot-water' out of a thermos :-)) I'm sure to come back in the wintertime to do some more Gully-climbing with you, my little Hobbit friend. Also thanks again to your family, it was nice to meet them.

Looking forward to see you soon again (in Holland or in Scotland)

All the best from your CDB-friend.

Remco