A recent survey of the Seven Wonders of Britain failed to mention any north of the border so David McVey suggests his own list for hill lovers.
Of the recent plague of silly season best-of lists, perhaps the strangest was the "Seven Wonders of Britain" malarkey. Reflecting the results of a survey carried out by Yellow Pages (check the News section at www.yellgroup.com), there has been understandable Caledonian consternation at the absence of Scottish sites. Few would argue with listed wonders like Hadrian's Wall or York Minster but there are baffling inclusions such as the London Eye (it's a fairground ride!) and the Eden Project (it's a greenhouse!).
Why no Cairngorms or Cuillin or Buachaille? Well, apart from the unfortunate decision by these sturdy peaks to take up residence in mere Scotland, the Seven Wonders list was restricted to man-made objects. Which still hardly explains why you'd include the Angel of the North but not Skara Brae or the Great Hall at Stirling Castle, or...
Suppose, though, we compiled a Hillwanderers' Seven Wonders of Britain? Seven features of the built environment that have a significant impact, for good or ill, on hill-users? And suppose, reversing the trend in the Yellow Pages list, we chose mostly Scottish sites, and nothing at all from south-east England? A suggested list follows. Feel free to discuss it, disagree with it, suggest alternative items, or proclaim a fatwah against me, if you wish.
At Number Seven, we have the Sutherland Statue on Ben Bhraggie above Golspie. Quite the most preposterous object you'll find on any Scottish hill (except perhaps Richard Briers during shooting of Monarch of the Glen). It is visible for miles around and seems to crush the hill beneath as its subject did his people. We may not like it but for sheer physical effrontery, it has to make the list.
The Patrick McGoohan of the list, at Number Six, is the Whales's Jawbone Arch on North Berwick Law. Truly, the remains of a sizeable cetacean are, at the top of a hill, not something you see every day.
Our token trip furth of Scotland takes us to Wales, for Number Five, the Summit Shelter on Cadair Idris. This is not one of your drystane makeshift efforts that never keep the wind out. It's actually more like a bothy, with a watertight roof, a glazed window and bench seating inside. I've tried before to find out why such an elaborate structure was felt necessary on this particular hill but without success. In fact, cleverly and tastefully constructed, it blends in splendidly with the rocky summit setting. As luck would have it, on my only visit there the weather was dry and clear, so no shelter required.
For Number Four we travel the short distance to the Campsie Fells for the combined drystane dyke and barbed-wire fence on Dumbreck, both for its unique qualities and as an exemplar of all the other increasingly common variations on the Hindenburg Line erected by landowners to discourage hillwanderers. This particular example runs from the depths of the Fin Glen right across the south face of the hill and it takes quite a toll on brain and body to figure a way across at the end of a tiring Campsie bog-plod. Still, as you rip another pair of Ron Hills on this or some other mountain Maginot Line, you have to admire the energy and engineering know-how involved in their construction, don't you? Well, all right, maybe not.
A more positive application of drystane technology, and an alternative Number Four, might be the wee shelter below the summit of Innerdownie in the Ochils. Now disused and roofless this is still a beautiful example of the art of drystane construction. Similar structures can be seen near the summit of Carn an Fhreiceidain in the Monadhliath and on Mam Sodhail, the latter built by 19th century OS surveyors. The Innerdownie shelter was built in the 1890s by drystane dykers as they built the walls that still criss-cross the Ochils landscape. This was their home during the two summers they worked on the project. Surely all of the drystane walls in our upland areas are wonders with a purpose, installation art more worthy than anything by Emin and Hirst?
We're getting close to the business end of the list, now, pop-pickers, and at Number Three we return to the Campsies, and to drystane construction, to laud Graham's Cairn. This is a small, hollow, circular cairn that marks no particular point of interest. Halfway up (or halfway down) a ridge between Slackdhu and the Clachertyfarlie Knowes, the cairn is a feature on every map but its origins and purpose are obscure. This is Graham country for sure but why was the cairn built and why was it given the name? I once wrote an article in The Herald about the cairn and invited suggestions but with no luck. Perhaps this time? Graham's Cairn adds a bit of mystery to our list.
Loch Ossian Youth Hostel takes the Number Two spot. In a delectable site just next to the eponymous loch, this is one of the few locations where you can still experience hostelling as it was meant to be. Basic accommodation in a special place with no telly, no traffic and very few rich globetrotting layabouts banging on about how the sunsets in Bali are just amazing, mate. Walkers, cyclists, birdwatchers, botanists and other outdoor folk are the core clientele here. We could also regard the hostel as a symbol of others of its type, including Craig, Glen Affric, and, south of the border, the wondrous Skiddaw House. Long may they flourish off the beaten track.
And with a mighty drum roll, we reach the coveted Number One spot, the uppermost man-made wonder in the hillwanderer's world. That spot, surely, belongs to the West Highland Line. Despite ScotRail's best efforts to discourage passengers by running ghastly Sprinter trains and charging punitive fares, this engineering and scenic marvel continues to confound economics and pack them in. Its engineering wonders include colour calendar favourite the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the brushwood raft route across Rannoch Moor, and the tunnel and castellated viaduct at Craigenarden on Loch Lomondside.
It still opens up a large number of hill areas for day trips or longer visits but, further, some of its restored stations - at Bridge of Orchy, Corrour, Tulloch and Glenfinnan - now provide simple independent hostel or bunkhouse accommodation for walkers and other visitors.
If you habitually head for the hills by car, I recommend that you try a change and take the West Highland train on your next trip. And after a good day on the Rannoch hills, say, as the train chunters towards Crianlarich high above the Fillan, and the panorama of Ben More, Stobinian, Ben Lui and other great peaks spreads around you, reflect that some benighted souls actually think there's a nice view from the London Eye...
David McVey
15/8/2002
Dave Hewitt will be back next week.
