Ben Macdui! Second highest mountain in the UK! When as a young teenager, I saw my only ever sighting of a PTarmigan in person more than 4000 feet above sea level in the Cairngorms!

https://youtu.be/pD0xyNycuPw?si=PVOj8obt4kzCumuC

This was where I saw my only PTarmigan as a young teenager in the 1970’s walking up Ben Macdui the second highest mountain in the UK and Ireland. This video wasn’t taken by me but just recently by some others not very long ago. And although Cairngorme is the most well known Mountain and the range called itself the Cairngorms. Cairngorme is only the 5th highest mountain in the UK and Ireland. But Ben Macdui is right in the middle of the Cairngorme Plateau and it was an 11 mile walk by these walkers and decades ago not on this short 6 minute video, but in the early 1970’s I saw along with my parents and my brother in the middle of June two adult Ptarmigans walking along with there 5-6 young and the Ptarmigan where not at all bothered only feet away and with my brother and my parents. PTarmigan are not at all nervous of anyone, if you’re lucky enough to see a PTarmigan like myself and the rest of my family in the early 1970’s. Sadly no PTarmigans on this short 6 minute video. But shows how wild and remote some aria’s of the Cairngorms are away from the main tourist areas and skying area’s of the Cairngorms. It was an 11 mile walk there and back. We wouldn’t have done this 11 mile walk in the winter month, but during the summer period like these climbers have just done recently. But you need the daylight hours of daylight to do walks like this. Also if your lucky of which my family and myself and brother didn’t see on that occasion  are breeding/nesting Snow Buntings and Dotterels high up in the Cairngorms. Along with the mountain hares. But this short video does show how there are still some wild remote areas in the UK if your willing to walk those distances. Sadly at 71 I couldn't do that that now up in the Cairngorms. But anyone much younger should try and visit these much wilder areas that still exist at present in the UK particularly in parts of Scotland where actually Golden Eagles have increased slowly in the number of nesting pairs in recent years, of which that is at least some good news among all the bad news that keeps happening every day in the UK!

Regards,

Ian.

  • youtu.be/wE5LjfY3od8

    I don’t how many know that part of the Cairngorms Plateau is actually part of the RSPB’s second largest RSPB reserve in the UK called RSPB Abernathy or better known as Loch Garten. And Ben Macdui the UK’s second highest mountain in the UK is part of this and large RSPB reserve. Which also includes the largest remaining part of Scotlands Caledonian Forest.and this short 4 minute RSPB film is called; Mountain Rangers.

    This photo I’ve taken from part of the details of visiting RSPB Abernathy or better known as Loch Garten mentions which parts of the Cairngorms are part of the RSPB Abernathy reserve. below!

    Regards,

    Ian.

  • Fascinating account - thanks Ian.

    There is a Cairngorm funicular railway (when it's working) but someone told me that there are now restrictions on walks at the summit for fear of damage to sensitive habitat.
  • Watching that video reminded me of the time I did the Three Peaks Challenge, along with a couple of colleagues at the time, all in our mid 20's.

    The summit is very similar to Ben Nevis, a rocky plateau.

    One of the two guys didn't complete, a sprained ankle while doing Scafell in the dark!

    It was tough going, no time for stopping, photos or any niceties and changing in the minibus while on the move (not sure that wouldn't contravene seatbelt laws today, but it was pre-seatbelt legislation) ready for the next peak, not easy. So the opening text makes sense, "There is no glory in climbing a mountain if all you want to do is get to the top......"

    That put me off mountains forever, except to look at them.

    regards

    John