Did you hear the one about the three deer? No...? Dear, dear, dear....

A school drop off and then straight onto the M9 / A85 through torrential rain to squelch up some hills. In mind I had the Munro pairing of Meall Glas and Sgaith Chuill; hidden away from the main drag up and over some boggy moorland, nestling away in the hinterland.

2 hours later I donned boots and jackets and headed off into the wilds; Ben More behind me dominating the southern skyline, threatening clouds but glimpses of blue and rainbows to brighten the mostly gloomy day. A couple of rowans too resplendent and glistening with water added to the scene. But no big panoramas. Just the steady squelch of boot on mud, mostly.
Upwards through trackless heather, bog, peat and tussocky grass; utterly alone, utterly peaceful and mercifully dry.
An hour in I stood at the top of the initial climb; both hills in front of me with a yawning chasm between them to negotiate later.
Aiming first for Meall Glas, I plodded ever upward; the grass becoming more burned and giving amazing browns and oranges, the dying heather with a grey/purple hue as a counterpoint. (Still no grand panoramas; but still no rain either.)

As I shuffled up onto the top of Meall Glas, the cloud that had pretty much obscured the summit throughout the trudge upward steadfastly clung to the top. No view there, then. 184th Munro done, I headed off across the undulating summit; and the cloud threatened to lift and I was granted fleeting glimpses to the north of Creag Mhor and Beinn Heasagarneach - hills I did in knee deep snow a few winters back.
And finally as I left Meall Glass, the cloud pretty much lifted enough to see the summit and I was also presented with a daunting view of the steep sided Sgaith Chuill - some 300 metres of descent, a peat bog and 300 more metres of ascent up mostly 1 in 1 grass. Could the Proclaimers be pressed into writing a song about this, I wonder?

*Grit teeth, engage low gear, slog it out with oneself / the mountain*

Once up, it's another airy undulating ridge to wander over; cloud now was above my head (not by much) and whilst hardly a 360 degree view, there was enough to keep me smiling as I strode toward the summit. Just in time for the cloud to sweep in about 5 minutes before I arrived - still it meant I crept through the clag and was afforded the deer in silhouette just below the summit. A lot of antlers on display with this lot. A mug of courgette and stilton soup later, it was off the summit and back into daylight - sunshine, no less. The threat of rain now long passed, I had a sunny evening descent; not too steep, quite soggy, but harmless / painless.
A 2 hour drive home and a hoover collection to boot; I was in a steaming hot bath with a gallon of tea by 8; and a quiet evening of oh-ing and ah-ing every time I tried to walk / stand. Only 97 left to do.  

Other photos of the day are here