Something that I have always wanted to do ever since I took up the pipes was to play them on top of Ben Nevis, at 4400 feet the highest point in the UK.  Well me hearties........check out the enclosed picture.  I only went and done it at the weekend.

Took me close on 12 hours up and down.  5 to get up and 7 to get down.  The reason that it took so long to get down was because I played my pipe's most of the way. The reception that I had was just so incredible.  I reckon that I had more pictures taken of me that day than Princess Diana had in her whole life.

I left camp at the foot of the mountain at 4 am.  The clouds were pretty low but once I got through 3000 feet I was way above them.  In the distance you could see the other peaks poking through. See attached picture, clouds do not photograph very well but I am sure that you will get the gist.  It was so very dramatic.  Then as I descended the clouds lifted and my pipes could be heard way across the valleys below.

I used a synthetic reed in my chanter and carbon fibre drone reeds because they are not so prone to atmospherics as are cane reeds so  everything stayed relatively in tune till I got to the bottom.  

I have posted a video of myself playing at the summit of The Ben on Youtube.  However, due to a steady breeze whistleing through the microphone I have to overdub my playing with  some alternative pipe music. The film is a little grainy but you can check it out by clicking on this link.

Click here to see me Playing The Ben

Now then, what else did I do up there?  You may well ask.  Well I shall tell thee.....I took up with me a laminated copy of the World Famous Oldham Scottish Pipe and Drum Band logo along with a copy of their tartan and a photo of the band, then I built a little cairn to put it into.  
So if ever you go up the Ben have a look around for it because they are all immortalised at the highest point in the UK. (Well pretty close to it).  The grid reference is....NN16725 71274 Program that into a GPS and that will take you to within a few feet of it. 
However, knowing hikers as I do and there need to urinate on trig points and the like I would not be surprised if the cairn does not get a trifle moist from time to time.  

 

Bye for now