No riots here (and Michael is forgiven)

Well I know that those of you who aren't into hillwalking might be getting bored of yet more pictures of me bouncing and skipping around in the Scottish Highlands, but I want to show you that not all parts of the UK are as troubled as recent news reports may have led you to believe.

Plus, I want to boast a little.

On Tuesday this week, I bagged my second Munro! Lochnagar this time, a whopping 3789 ft above sea level.

There were seven of us on the expedition all told. Me, Gail, her friend Michael, his grandsons George and Albert, neighbour Neil and his flat-coated retriever Jake.

It is thanks to Neil that I was able to travel out to the start of the walk (a ninety minute drive) in a separate car from Michael...

At twelve whole miles, it was my longest walk to date, and also my highest climb.

Here we all are setting off. Lochnagar is the peak you can see faintly in the distance (top left).

And here we are, half way up. Can you spot me, leading the way? You may have to biggify the picture.


I wanted to rush right to the top, but every now and then Gail made me stop to pose in front of what she thought was a scenic view. As if I am not scenery enough!


For some reason everyone kept shouting at me: "BERTIE KEEP AWAY FROM THE CLIFFS!"



Do you like this picture of Gail and me at the summit?

Guess what? Michael took the photo (and some of the others in this post). Yes, it turns out he isn't so bad after all.

I will admit, that right at the very top there, I was a little scared, which is why Gail is giving me a cuddle. But I don't want anyone to go away with the impression that I was carried all the way up. That absolutely was not the case at all.

On this fine walk, Gail even remembered to bring me things to eat and chew. Although of course, her own sandwich box smelled so much more interesting than any of the stuff I was given.


Jake and I were not the only dogs to conquer Lochnagar that day. Meet, Fergus, a friendly Keeshond.


After lunch, we set off back down by a different route.


So pretty. The landscape I mean. Oh, and me too, if you insist.

Yes and didn't us youngsters all do brilliantly?

It was George and Albert's first ever Munro, so HUGE CONGRATS to them!

And finally, I would like to point out that, at the end of the walk, besides Loch Muick, there were swarms of midges that were definitely more irritating than me...