Winter Mountain Skills Course - Cairngorm.

Serious amounts of snow have fallen over the Scottish mountains this year, apparently the most in 50 years.

Being new to this amount of the white stuff, we felt it was prudent to undertake a little training in the skills we might need if we should be foolish enough to blunder into any wintry type weather.

Having seen an advert in our local Tiso (Inverness), we booked onto a basic Winter Skills Course.

Loch Morlich and Glenmore Forest Park from near the car park (NJ002077)

Friday evening was spent in the coffee shop at Tiso, doing the classroom bit with Emma, our instructor.

Digging snow holes by a frozen Allt Clais a'Mheirlich, Coire Laogh Mor

We met, on Saturday, in Aviemore and due to the blue skies and reasonable forecast we went up to the ski area lower car park on Cairn Gorm.

It really wasn't very far to the snow.

Digging snow holes
by a frozen Allt Clais a'Mheirlich, Coire Laogh Mor

Many ice axe arrest practises and a snow hole later, we donned crampons and headed up...

Coire Laogh Mor from the snow hole

The weather was great (a touch windy at times), the views superlative.

Creagan Dubh from the snow hole

Snow hole by a frozen
Allt Clais a'Mheirlich, Coire Laogh Mor

Frozen Allt Clais a'Mheirlich, Coire Laogh Mor

Coire Laogh Mor

Coire Laogh Mor to Loch Morlich

Coire Laogh Mor

Old avalanche debris in Coire Laogh Mor

Checking for avalanche risk in Coire Laogh Mor

Coire Laogh Mor to Loch Morlich

Crampon practise on Creagan Dubh

More crampon practise on Creagan Dubh

On Creagan Dubh

Ice axe arrest practise into Coire Laogh Mor

Feeling just a bit more confident to go up in the snow.

After glissade into Coire Laogh Mor

Whoop whoop!

Sunsets (and a few sunrises) from Hopeman - 2013

Here are a few of the glorious sunsets (and the odd sunrise) we've been privileged to watch during 2013 - here's hoping for even more in 2014...

February

Hopeman Harbour

April

From east of Hopeman

From west of Hopeman

May

Over the Moray Firth

Over the Moray Firth from Hopeman

And again - across the Moray Firth

June

Hopeman chimneypots

Across the Moray Firth

North west from Hopeman

July

From Hopeman

Looking north west from Hopeman

We have a pretty good view from our bedroom

Hopeman Harbour

August

From Hopeman

Across the Moray Firth from Hopeman

More Moray Firth

September

The Hills of Sutherland

The Moray Firth and Daisy Rock

The "Unconformity" and the Moray Firth

Hopeman and the west

The Moray Firth from Hopeman

The wide expanses of Burghead Bay... and Rafe

Before sunrise by Hopeman Beach Huts

Reflecting the sunrise by Daisy Rock

Hopeman and Burghead

The sun goes down over the Cromarty Firth

The Moray Firth from Hopeman

Looking west from by Daisy Rock

October

Morning - Dunes and Daisy Rock

Hopeman East Beach and reflected sunrise

December

From Burghead - looking east

Clashach Cove sunrise