Saturday August 1, 2015

The Herald Magazine

THE
GETAWAY
MUNRO CHALLENGE
HOW TO TAKE PART
Polish your hiking boots and treat
yourself to a new rucksack: next
month sees the annual Isle of Skye
Blended Scotch Whisky Munro
Challenge taking place on Munros
across the country.
Following the success of last
years inaugural event, Isle of
Skye Blended Scotch Whisky, in
association with outdoor specialist
Tiso, invites everyone from novices
to outdoors enthusiasts to savour
the Scottish outdoors and support
the vital work done by Scottish
Mountain Rescue (SMR).
The Munro Challenge helps raise
awareness of the charitys lifesaving voluntary work, encourages
enjoyment of Scotlands beautiful
landscape and, most importantly,
raises money for the charity. Last
year walkers raised more than
21,000 for SMR.
Entry is simple assemble a
team of colleagues, friends or
family, or even take on a personal
challenge and climb on your own.
Complete the online registration
form and encourage everyone to
help you raise money then climb
one of Scotlands 282 Munros
this September.
Day in, day out, all year round,
SMR is a crucial resource to
all those who enjoy Scotlands
mountains and desperately
needs support.

More than 1,000 SMR volunteers

spend upwards of 30,000 hours
of their time just on call-outs every
year. They are often braving the
elements and risking their lives so
that we can all continue to walk,
climb and explore the Scottish
countryside. Annually it costs
around 1.2 million to run SMR,
with 70 per cent of that money
generated through fundraising
alone. Isle of Skye 8-Year-Old
Blended Scotch Whisky is the only
major commercial sponsor.
With hill-walking, climbing and
adventure travel in Scotland on the
increase, more and more pressure
is being placed on the voluntary
teams. Public support is key to
helping them with the provision of
their specialised rescue equipment
and much-needed additional
resources.
More information on the Munro
Challenge is available at Tiso stores
across Scotland.
To sign up or for further details, visit
isleofskyewhisky.com/munrochallenge. The closing date for
registration is September 6, 2015.

Left: Ben Venue in the Trossachs was the location of an incident that gave Nick
Nairn, opposite page, pause for thought, when a pleasant walk rapidly became
a situation fraught with danger PHOTOGRAPH: TRAVEL LIBRARY/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

his Port of Menteith cookery school, in

early January. He reached the 2,392ft/729m
summit and was enjoying lunch when he
noticed an ominous black cloud heading in
his direction. I remember thinking: That
looks quite substantial, he recalls. Four
or five minutes later, I couldnt see more
than a few metres in front of my nose.
Nairn spent an hour trying and failing
to find the path down. The wind was
picking up and it was strong enough to blow
me over. I was starting to think: This is a
bit dodgy. Nobody knew where I was and it
was starting to get really cold and snowy.
So he took a gamble. He sat on his
rucksack and attempted to slide to safety.
I went flying down this hill and hit a big
rock and went shooting up in the air. It was

I had to be
rescued by
a guy coming
down the
other way.
But it didnt
put me off.
Quite the
opposite

that thing when youre rolling and bouncing

up and down, and Im thinking, If I hit my
head, Im in big trouble. However, I landed
the right way up, and I was fine.
Not all climbers are so lucky. Thats
why the work done by the volunteers who
make up Scottish Mountain Rescue is so
invaluable. Nairn agrees. Its incredibly
important what they do, he says. Anybody
who has ever been out on the hills and has
got into trouble knows that. Weve all got
the reassurance of knowing those guys are
there for us.
I know some of the mountain rescue
team, and I know they even get called out
on Christmas Day. They save lives and they
do it for nothing, so its great when we get
the opportunity to give a little bit back.

TAYNUILT HOTEL
ARGYLL

TS BEEN a while. As nippers my siblings

and I would relish jaunts north to visit our
cousins in Taynuilt, then a small village
on the banks of Loch Etive. Jealous? Just
a little. Clark and Graham grew up with
both feet squarely in Highland life shinty,
fishing, er, Runrig while we made do with
coastal Ayrshires sober charms.
But its my birthday and Im going
back to Taynuilt (now, like yours truly,
considerably larger) after too long a
separation to see what fettle the Taynuilt
Hotel is in now that its owned by the
chef John McNulty, who counts the feted
Kilberry Inn among his past postings.
Well well, I think, as we survey the
bar. This is a huge step forward from the
libations of generations past. Besides
dozens of gins, the bar stocks an estimable
range of high-end whiskies and beers, the
latter including Innis & Gunn on draught
and bottles of such joys as Schiehallion
and Jarl. As for wine, the staff pride
themselves on selecting wine that will thrill
your palate without busting your budget.
Dinner is a similarly gratifying affair,
marrying profound flavours with the sort
of portions you need if you embrace the
outdoor life as you very much ought to
round these parts. We took our bikes from
Port Appin over to Lismore but there are
hills aplenty and opportunities for sailing
and fishing by the dozen. McNulty and his
young team are in their element, garlanding
robust, well-sourced and precisely cooked
mainstays with gourmet flourishes that put
a bowling ball in your belly and a smile
on your face. Their recently-awarded AA
Rosette is well deserved.
Our nautically-themed Etive Suite comes
with all the bells and whistles, though
for most of our stay I am too bushed by
eating, drinking and the outdoor life to pay
much attention. That said, if the quality of
ones sleep is a barometer then our room
is slumber nirvana. Ill be back, but I wont
leave it so long this time.
Sean Guthrie was a guest of the Taynuilt
Hotel. One nights dinner, B&B starts at
139 based on two sharing. Visit
taynuilthotel.co.uk or call 01866 822437.

BY SEAN GUTHRIE

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