
Letter from Maol Bhuidhe bothy 5/1/2025
Dear Mr Tesco,
On Tuesday last, I visited your Milngavie superstore and purchased a 10kg bag of 'Premium Smokeless Fuel' at a cost of nine pounds. I decanted 4kg of it into my sturdy rucksack and carried it 20km into the remotest of our remote mountain shelters in the British mountains. You may imagine that, for a two night stay, your Premium Smokeless Fuel was not the only item in my 'rucker'. This proved toilsome over the last hour of pathless peat, heather and tussocks and in fording the River Ling. Nevertheless, my long-suffering wife and I were buoyed by the prospect of a blazing fire akin to that depicted on the bag of your Premium Smokeless Fuel.
Imagine our disappointment and chagrin when, on arrival at the shelter, the Premium Smokeless Fuel could not be persuaded to ignite despite the addition of top quality 'wrapped' firelighters (also purchased at your Milngavie store), a quantity of kindling wood and several pages from last Sunday's Observer (also purchased...). This, despite the skill and guile of my wife, who is expert in these matters. We tried the open fireplace in the smaller, cosier room and, having failed, we attempted with the Dowling 'burn all' stove in the larger, more spartan room. The result was the same. You will note the date at the head of this letter and will correctly surmise that the night was almost the longest of the year and that ice had formed on the inside of the windows, while outside all was deep and crisp though not particularly even.
The night was saved by a Mr Rab, who supplies exceedingly good sleeping bags at a price considerably in excess of nine pounds. It may surprise you to know what tasks may be achieved by the experienced camper while cocooned in such a sleeping bag. A convivial conversation was held and there seemed to be no grudge between us. We both knew of a comfortable lodging near Gairloch but dare not, of course, mention it. Sadly, I understand that Mr Rab is not a purveyor of combustible fuels, smokeless, flameless, heatless or otherwise.
Should you wish to test the quality of this particular batch of Premium Smokeless Fuel, I can happily supply the location. A refund of nine pounds would hardly cover our disappointment.
Yours
Andrew Heald (he/him)
The next day we climbed An Socach in deep snow by the unvisited northwest side. If anybody reaches the summit in the next days and sees our prints, they will think 'where did they come from?'. Then, back to the bothy for another fireless night but on this occasion, like a Scotland football supporter, we had no other expectation.
Area :
Glen Cannich to Glen Carron
This area covers the peaks north of Loch Mullardoch and south of the A890/A832 Strathcarron to Garve road. The fourteen Munros in the area are handily split into two ridges either side of Glen Strathfarrar and a cluster of five to the north and west of Loch Monar. Sgurr na Lapaich (1150m) and An Riabhachan (1129) are the highest peaks on the southern side while Sgurr a’ Choire Ghlais (1083m) is the tallest on the northern side. Mountains in the list are all about 900m. The area to the south of this is Glen Affric and Kintail.