Highlands Journey - An Ode to Ben

More people die on Ben Nevis every year than Mt Everest but today it was a glorious cloudless sky. However, the locals do say that "if you can't see Ben Nevis it's raining and if you can see Ben Nevis, it's about to rain". While BC (before kids) we may have climbed it, instead we settled for a splash in the sparkling waters of Glen Nevis at the foot of the mountain. But based on the following poem reputed to have been written in the visitors book of the Ben Nevis Hotel in the late 19th Century, we did not miss much:


Ben Nevis Roll by, thou dense and damp pea-soupy shroud!

Do we thus reach the highest point in vain?

Roll by! we say, and leave behind no cloud

Our view to mar; but, should'st thou still remain,

Mark well the threat - "Never shall we come again."

If at first you don't succeed, try again:

Mist and rain you should not heed, try again;

When the clouds have rolled away,

And the sun holds glorious sway,

Climb the path without delay, come again,

All your labours he'll repay - grand old Ben.

We climbed thy stony sides, oh Ben!

We groped around thy cloudy head,

We peered and jeered and swore - and then,

In sheer disgust, we went to bed.

We toiled along with saddened hearts - and grief,

And found - ah, well, just mist and tinned Australian beef.

With the road trip coming to a close we had one more night overlooking Loch Tummel before having to return ‘Nessi’ to her owners. The scenery of the highlands is beautiful from dramatic mountains to calm Lochs and what better way to explore these hidden (and not so hidden) gems than in the campervan. The Kids (and I think even Kathy) had a memorable time.