The 21 hills of Colonsay aren’t as easy as they look – even with the benefit of advice from a seasoned island expert!
KEVIN BYRNE had agreed to meet us off the Fridayevening ferry to Colonsay in the island’s only bar. We were surprised to find him dressed in a suit and
bow-tie, although honoured that he thought our weekend visit to the small Scottish isle worthy of such splendour.
I confess I felt scruffy in my walking trousers, boots and lightweight Puffa jacket but Kevin didn’t seem to notice.
It turned out he was about to have a meal with his wife, Crista, for his 69th birthday – and he was more focused on the map he held in one hand and the glass of wine in the other.
It was clear my partner Gordon and I would need to be sharp-minded if we were to follow Kevin’s directions. As he talked us though the walk we had planned for the following day, we struggled to keep up.
It dawned on me, too, as he detailed a route of some 32km (20 miles) via all of Colonsay’s hills of at least 91m (300ft) – and one on the neighbouring isle of Oronsay – that he must also be pretty physically fit.
“If I’m on my own I can walk them all in about seven and a half hours, but if I’m guiding someone it will take at least an hour more,“ he told us, without boastfulness.
Last summer, Scottish adventurer Mark Beaumont set an impressive pace to complete the MacPhies, as the group of hills is called, in around six hours. But Glasgow runner Jethro Lennox has the record of under four hours.
Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Bliss Of A Bothy
After a strenuous walk, a mountain shelter can offer all you need
The Long Way Round
When you can only just see the stepping stones under a river in spate, it's time to re-think the route, as two Highland adventurers found out
The New Oyster Cult
A community is helping to restore the once rich biodiversity of Loch Craignish, one species at a time
A Poet's Sanctuary
Hidden on a hilltop, writer Dominic Cooper is inspired by the wild, stormy winters of the Ardnamurchan peninsula
A Rural Housing Crisis
Across Scotland, locals are being priced out and crowded out - but communities are now working hard to address the issue
A Historic Centre
Glasgow's Mercat Cross may not be as old as it appears but it's still seen many changes, along with an ebb and flow in prosperity
A Bird With A Brain
Jim's encounters with the raven in several northern countries have only increased his respect for its intellect and ingenuity
The Warrior King
On the 750th anniversary of his birth, Robert The Bruce's legacy as cultural keystone and historical enigma continues to fascinate
All Going Swimmingly
From Tutti Frutti to Shetland, Monarch Of The Glen to Granite Harbour, Dawn Steele's heart will always be in Scotland - and the sea
Following The Coos
The latest charity art trail aims to a-moos-e and delight visitors to Perth and Kinross this summer
