A Royal Welcome

A stag’s demeanour could never be described as ‘quizzical’ or, indeed, ‘curious’. It just kind of stares laconically with a hint of ‘I’m higher up the food chain than you’. It’s not, of course, but you’d still want to avoid any close contact with those magnificent antlers. We hadn’t expected to see a stag on our climb to Lochnagar. In fact, we hadn’t really expected to see anything when we set off in the dark. It was raining, again, and the sky felt heavy. This would be a claggy walk. There was a little questioning (rather than outright dissent) as we woke after a fitful night in the bothy, but we felt like sturdy types in sturdy clothing, and trod on regardless.

The day before, white horses had developed on the shores of Loch Muick, but in the blue light before dawn all we could hear was a gentle lapping. The fire in the bothy had died down to cold ashes, so we left some kindling on the hearth and blew out the candles. Lise Wortley and Tom Griffin, plus friends from Buffalo Systems, were joining Sidetracked and team mascot Wynter on this little Cairngorm expedition. And while we were on the Royal Family’s estate, we hadn’t expected such a royal welcome. In fact, expectations were pretty low; how wrong we were.

We’d travelled a fair way in these two old Land Rovers, but somehow they seemed more at home here, on a gravel track with the Cairngorms rising around us (anything beats the A9). It’s not hard to understand why Queen Victoria and her beloved Albert bought Balmoral Castle on the eastern edge of the Cairngorms as a Highland retreat. Mountains rise dramatically all around, and pockets of ancient woodland are dotted across the estate. It’s been a favourite Royal escape ever since.

We made the 20-minute drive to the Spittal of Glenmuick, where there’s an old farmstead and inn dating back to the 15th century. The inn or hospice was run by monks who provided food, shelter and safety for travellers. The remains of a farming community can be seen around.Our destination was the most singular bothy in Britain, and spooky even by bothy standards.

The bothy is in converted stables next to a Victorian mansion, and by ‘Victorian’ we actually mean ordered by the Queen herself. Glas-allt-Shiel was built in 1868 after the death of Prince Albert, and consequently known as ‘The Widow’s House’. It was used during her excursions from Balmoral, for royal hunters, and for a spectacular picnic setting. It’s still apparently used by the King. It took around an hour to reach the boarded-up building, but through little gaps you can still peer into the house; still, it seems, as Victoria left it.

The bothy, in the stables next to the main building, is little more than a ground-floor room with a fireplace and a mezzanine for sleeping. It is maintained by the Dundee University Rucksack Club, who do a great job at keeping it cosy. Out of the wild weather, we quickly set up camp inside, each of us with a role: start a fire, cook, sous chef, dog handler. Lise and Tom were leading the route tomorrow, and they investigated the map intently.

All of the land covered by our walk is within the Balmoral Estate, privately owned by the Royal Family, and is not property of the Crown. Balmoral Castle itself was bought by Prince Albert in 1852, and quickly became a favourite of Victoria and Albert, and equally so among more recent monarchs.

Victoria, in her diary, wrote of Balmoral: ‘All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils’. It is said the surrounding landscape reminded Prince Albert of his woodland home in Germany. It was a place for rest and relaxation away from the pressures of London life. For us, also a place for rest and relaxation, although perhaps not quite as much comfort as V&A. Pricey inflatable mattresses and sleeping bags, however, were up to the task. After Firepot food, we stoked the fire, opened the whisky, and dealt the cards until slightly too late given our 4.00am call time.

The mighty Cairngorms have been riven and beaten over millions of years by unimaginable geological forces to become Britain’s only sub-Arctic terrain. As a consequence, they have flora and fauna like no other place in Britain. Within the National Park’s boundaries are a quarter of Scotland’s native forest and one-third of UK land above 600m. The plateaux – there are several plateaux – are Arctic-like and share common characteristics with high-Arctic Canada and northern Norway. This unique climate supports a huge variety of wildlife, including red deer (impressive during the rut around October), pine marten, red squirrel, wildcat, and otter. In the winter, keep an eye out for snow buntings and ptarmigan in their white coats. In spring, dotterel can be seen, while rare ring ouzels are found in summer. Many birds of prey can also be spotted on the thermals around the estate, including the peregrine falcon, golden eagle, buzzard, and kestrel.

The National Park is also home to important wetlands that support waders such as lapwings and redshank, as well as forests that are home to Scottish crossbill, crested tit, and the capercaillie, the largest member of the grouse family. You’ll also see mountain hare – huge things as the taxidermied one in the visitor centre at the Spittal of Glenmuick attests.

In the dark woodland we heard the rustling of something, but didn’t catch any eyes reflected back from our head torches. It was a grumpily steep climb immediately above Glas-allt-Shiel, tempered by the sight and sounds of the Falls of Glasallt. The path follows the stream under the pleasingly named mountain Little Pap. At sunrise, as we climbed higher along the ridge above the Central Buttress of Lochnagar, the clouds began to dissipate.

We walked around the top of the corrie, above Eagle Ridge, and to the cairn at Cac Càrn Mòr and then onwards to the main Munro summit of Cac Càrn Beag. As we arrived, the sun split the clouds and cast a wall of orange and yellow light. We gambled, and this was the payoff. This was a true mountain day of days.

And then the universe seemed to conspire again. On our descent, there we saw him, the stag, before us on the plateau. On his antlers, we counted 12 tines, or points, making him what is known as a Royal stag – a rare sight.

In mid-September, our Royal stag would be getting ready for the rutting season. As the days shorten, the testosterone heightens. And size matters. Come on, have a go if you think you’re hart enough. Soon, the deep, guttural rumble of the ruts would carry and echo through these mountains, but for now, our royal visitor was a solitary figure who soon moved on nonchalantly.

The visibility this morning was excellent, and Loch Muick looked a deep blue against the evergreen woodland. ‘All seemed to breathe freedom and peace,’ as the widow said.

Buffalo Systems Mountain Shirt

Buffalo Systems is one of those companies with an almost cult status. In the same way drivers of classic Minis flash each other, we’ve occasionally had a knowing nod from other people on the mountain also wearing Buffalo Systems clothing. You’ll also see them on the backs of many mountain rescue teams, as well as specialist military teams with a proclivity for wearing black.

The manufacturer is undergoing a resurgence at the moment since being bought by James Sleater (who accompanied us on our Cairngorm expedition) and Ben Fogle, who are keeping most of the manufacturing – and repairs – in Sheffield, where it was founded in 1979 by Hamish Hamilton.

Even if you haven’t heard of Hamish, you will most likely know Buffalo and especially Pertex, an ‘ingredient brand’ he also developed. His vision was to create a really simple and repairable system called the Double P: Pertex and pile. In his own words, Hamish was aiming for comfort: ‘Comfort means balancing insulation and ventilation, windproofness, evaporation of sweat and rainproofness.’

To achieve this, Hamish used a tightly woven, lightweight yarn designed to trap air and improve insulation efficiency. (Have a look at the Pertex website for a genuinely fascinating insight into how printer ribbons became an unlikely inspiration). It is also windproof and holds off the worst of the rain, especially with a DWR coating.

In the Buffalo Systems Mountain Shirt (pictured above?), designers at Buffalo chose the Pertex Quantum for the outer shell that is windproof to 50 mph, a windspeed that is a particularly lively day on the Cairngorms and probably best for a genteel tea in Balleter rather than a Munro. The pile in the Double P system is AquaTherm pile lining designed to be worn against the skin in this garment.

The shirt is smock-style, with a quarter-zip protected by a storm baffle and you’ll notice immediately a scooped back that drops 10cm from the front. On the front of the jacket isa large map pocket and there are two handwarmer pockets (through which a rucksack hip belt can be fastened). Like a few of the garments, you’ll see a hook-and-loop-style patch around the neck of an optional hood.

The Buffalo System garment line-up is split between shirts and smocks – midlayers of various weights and features that can sit next to the skin. From a simple windproof shirt to the more feature-rich Active Shirt, which has ventilation controls throughout.

Similarly, there is a range of heavier-weight jackets, gilets and parkas, also featuring a Pertex Quantum outer with a Durable Water Repellent treatment. Oh, and ably modelled by Wynter is a brand-new range of dog wear!

This is proper clothing designed for proper British weather. Just remember to give a little nod to a fellow Buffalo wearer.