Shalloch on Minnoch, 15th March 2026
I've managed to get a hill of some sort in every weekend in 2026 so far, except for one in January where I decided road running was a better idea (what was I thinking?). With my winter boots still away for repair, I've not been able to get up any more Munros, but with some better weather and longer days arriving, I've been dreaming of going fast and light in the hills again. I had a good opportunity this weekend to head back to Galloway for a Corbett I've been thinking about ever since we visited the Merrick in January. I dropped Isa at yoga at 0830 and headed down the M77, feeling a bit surprised to see some snow at the side of the road over the Fenwick Moor, then it was down past Ayr and Straiton and then out towards Stinchar Bridge. The last 3 miles saw the road covered in what looked like snow or ice, but once I got parked up, it turned out to be hail that had frozen and been flattened (or graupel). The van thermometer said 2C, so it was quite cold. Graupel or fro...
