We are extremely grateful to Walter Huddleston, who joined us in October for his second harder-level Distant Hills walking holiday with his wife Angela, for sharing this poem of our walk up Am Bodach and Ciste Dubh. We hope you enjoy it!
Heads In The Clouds by Walter Huddleston
Road ahead closed, barring way to preferred Monroeic climb.
Time to create plan B, time to venture further up main road,
Time to say hello to Corbett, Am Bathach,
Still pulling the duvet of early morning cloud ever tighter around its steep assent,
Hiding the truth of the nature of the climb,
Hiding the truth of the adventure to be had.
Up we climb, gaining height with every step, the cloud keeping pace,
Thinning enough once in a while, just for a moment or so,
To give glimpse of opposing hillside, or even the glen below,
Before closing in once more, to keep the secret, to keep the suspense,
While natural waterways, flowing sedately far below,
Amplify their chattering banter through the shrouding moisture, to our ears above.
The shout goes up, “Is that the sun breaking through?”
No! it’s the reflection from Loch Cluanie.
And as we watch this light grow in size and strength,
The golden orb that floats in the sky, breaks through the cloud, warming faces,
Highlighting cloud inversion below us, the perfect home of Brocken Spectre,
Before closing once more to engulf all it surrounds.
Five hundred metres or so ascended, and first summit gained,
The cloud growing weaker by the second.
The ridge to the summit, still sixty or so meters in height away
The snout eerily standing prominent, and with top visible as it ascends,
the sides blur and disconcertingly disappear,
giving the ridge a more razor like appearance than it deserved.
As the remaining required height was gained, and a glimpse of final goal granted,
The enshrouding mask the hill had maintained thus far,
As if leading up to the great reveal, the “Ta Dah!” almost audible,
Was quickly dissipating, leaving the backdrop hills naked and exposed,
With every crease, every fold, every curve, highlighted to the Nth degree,
The final push to conquer the Munro, Ciste Dhubh, was made in basking sunshine.
J. W. Huddleston.
October, 2024




Distant Hills Guest House, Book Now – Limited Availability
We’re excited to welcome guests in 2025, but availability is limited, especially with the popularity of our walking holidays and B&B. Our moderate hill walking week in March is booking up fast, as is the hard hill walking week in October. Be sure to secure your spot soon to experience everything the Scottish Highlands have to offer.
For bookings, questions, or more information, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to welcoming you for an unforgettable Highland adventure!
Distant Hills Guest House, Book Now – Limited Availability
We’re excited to welcome guests this year, but availability is limited, especially with the popularity of our walking holidays and B&B. Our moderate hill walking week in March is booking up fast, as is the hard hill walking week in October. Be sure to secure your spot soon to experience everything the Scottish Highlands have to offer.
For bookings, questions, or more information, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to welcoming you for an unforgettable Highland adventure!





















































































































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