View from Craig Fonvuick. Some clouds building up.
A change in the weather
Richard Davison • August 21, 2020
Another fine day on Friday 24 July, great for walking in the hills. But there were some subtle changes during the day that heralds a front coming in overnight. Blue sky to start the day, with just a few high wisps of cirrus cloud, and very little wind.
Our walk took us up a lovely old track from Blair Atholl towards Glen Fincastle, where you come across a flower-rich meadow (this is on a line of lime-rich rocks that resurfaces below Schiehallion). As we climb, a few clouds start to appear and the wind is a bit stronger up here – or perhaps it’s a sign of a change in the weather as the winds usually increase as a front starts to edge in.
The walk continues across a high moor with some fantastic views of Beinn Dearg, Beinn a’ Ghlo, Ben Vrackie and Schiehallion. Lunch was on the lovely viewpoint of Craig Fonvuick. By this time, the clouds were a bit bigger and the high cloud had become thicker out in the west. The walk then goes downward into the Pass of Killiecrankie and follows Loch Faskally to Pitlochry where some drinks and ice cream beckon. The thicker high cloud and lower clouds continue to build.
As I write this in Pitlochry, the high cloud covers the sky. Although the front is taking its time, the most recent forecast suggests that rain will arrive by about 9ish this evening. The forecast this morning suggested heavy rain wouldn’t start until midnight….so perhaps it’s picking up its pace a little.
The timing of this particular front is well into the evening, so it didn’t affect our walk. But what if it was due late afternoon and came in two or three hours early? Suddenly you might have to contend with mist on the hills and heavy rain. Have you come prepared for that? Having a bale out option or starting the walk earlier are options to help manage this sort of situation.
Keeping an eye on the weather during the day is also important. Watch out for signs that the weather is changing more quickly than forecast. When you’re next out on the hills with a front on the way, observe what is happening and why so you can apply that knowledge when it might really matter!
This blog first appeared on the Mountain Weather Information Service website. Richard is an Ambassador for MWIS and writes an occasional blog for them.
Cloud filling the sky above Pitlochry. The rain isn't far away!
Richard & Brenda on the summit of Tour de Moyen in Switzerland As we wind down Perthshire Treks over the coming winter, we have had time to look back over the last 6 years and all the lovely people we have walked with and the great adventures we have had. One of our very first adventures was for a lovely group of women from the Netherlands organised through Schottland op Maat . They came to Pitlochry on one of the wettest weekends of the year! Plans were quickly changed from the proposed walk up Schiehallion to a walk along the Rob Roy Way followed by a walk around Pitlochry the following day – and they were amazed at the waterfalls – they don’t have many in the Netherlands! The same year saw Richard do his fastest ascent ever of Ben Vrackie with a young Russian couple who were into marathon running and we also provided some self-guided walking for a corporate group from Baillie Gifford . This first year, as it turned out, was fairly typical with some clients booking directly with us and others via travel agents or travel curators.
What’s it like to be a walking guide? Well, this year will be my 10th and final year as a walking guide, so this blog post looks back at my longer than expected second career.
If you're living or staying in Pitlochry or Aberfeldy, you can use a local bus to help you do a wonderful walk between the two towns. Find out more in our latest blog.
As I write this blog, a cold northerly wind has set in across the UK. A change in the wind direction so that it is coming from the Arctic is one of those weather patterns that is very noticeable for many reasons. Find out more in this blog post.
An overgrown path in Perthshire - just one of the obstacles on the TGO Challenge Life is a challenge but some people enjoy physical challenges in the outdoors. These challenges can be very rewarding and you can feel a great sense of achievement in their completion which can spur you on to do more and set yourself new targets. People are very different in what type of challenges they want to do and this can vary from just completing your first Munro (a mountain in Scotland over 3000 feet), walking the Skye ridge in 24 hours, doing a more organised challenge such as the TGO (The Great Outdoors challenge) or competing in an extreme triathlon. Much depends on whether you like to set your own individual goals or prefer the stimulus of a bigger group and whether you are competitive or not competitive.
Some winter walking in the North York Moors National Park, with some cold and snowy days and some warmer days!
A description of a walk on the moors above Bruar and Calvine, taking in a well-preserved stretch of a General Wade military road.
A visit to the Cairngorms in October 2021 allowed a close-up view of the "cap cloud" that can form in the Cairngorms - and the strong winds it generates!
A report on two wild camping trips near Glenshee and in the Letterewe wilderness in spring 2021.
