[Trip Index] [Munro Index] [Home] 10th August 1990   Ben McDui Map The second highest mountain in the country. We started at the Linn of Dee and walked all the way up Glen Derry, then left at the Hutchison Memorial Hut and round to the summit of Ben McDui. Mist and cloud at the top. Andrew didn't fancy searching for the short but steep way back in the cloud so we retraced our steps and went back the long way - a round trip of over 21 miles. On the way back my boots were stubbing my toes and later both my big toe nails turned black and came off. Consequently I got new boots for the next trip! (Line 7 Goretex lined flexible boots which were very comfortable and did a pretty good job of keeping my feet dry too.) We got little idea of what Ben Mcdui looked like because of the mist. But this is the summit in May 2006 when I did it a second time Queen Victoria went up Ben Mcdui in 1859, riding part of the way on a pony. The mountain is also home to 'the Big Grey Man' who is supposed to haunt the slopes - Professor Collie, the famous mountaineer, apparently fled from the BGM, as have several other people. Fortunately he didn't put in an appearance on this occasion, although near the top, on the way up, we did come across a forlorn, lonely soul wandering about studying a map. He asked us if we knew the short way down - we chatted a minute or two and left him to it. Half an hour later, having got to the top and started back down again, we found him still there, still puzzling over it - some rum types in the hills, eh. We eventually left him to his fate and the BGM… and he was never seen again! (well not by me anyway)