Friday 27 February – Sunday 1 March 2026
A Highland Base at Dalwhinnie Old School Hostel
The late February meet brought a strong turnout to the Dalwhinnie Old School Hostel. It is a very warm modern hostel, with wood burning stove, and a well-equipped base conveniently placed near the village and, naturally, the distillery. Demand was brisk: spaces filled quickly, a short waiting list formed.
Getting There: Car shares were organised with the usual efficiency, and there was spirited early talk of a mass cycle-in to Ben Alder, although the idea gave way to more achievable hills in winter. The last car arrived around 9 pm on Friday — just in time for the customary settling-in, evening chat, and cake.
The Hostel: The Old School proved an excellent choice. Clean, comfortable, and welcoming, it offered secure bike storage and large bunkrooms reserved exclusively for the club. One member made enquiries about a hot tub, but that is only for the summer months.
Food and Catering: Despite nursing a recovering knee, one volunteer cook rose magnificently to the occasion, producing a hearty dinner for eleven hungry mountaineers. The menu was substantial and thoughtfully adapted for vegetarians and one mild peanut allergy. A lively running debate about pancakes — Dutch, German, and various disputed variations — provided entertainment throughout the weekend.
On the Hill: With mixed forecasts, flexibility proved essential. Friday’s clearer skies drew a few members toward the smaller hills near Killin. Saturday saw the group spread across a range of objectives:
- Monadhliath Munros and Meall Chuaich, four groups set out at varying hours to make the most of the clear morning conditions each achieving their goals.
- The Fara — a popular choice, offering a fine ridge walk high above Loch Ericht which tea time tales of river crossing.
Evenings: After the hills, Saturday evening was relaxed and convivial. Stargazing was discussed and carried out, a possible disco was proposed (with a firm request for lights) but concern for the well being of non club members held noise at an acceptable level.
The weekend also brought birthday celebrations for two members, marked with a shared card, a banner, and considerable laughter.
Dalwhinnie’s winter night was nonetheless awesome.
Departure: A misplaced phone caused brief anxiety on Sunday morning, though it was recovered swiftly thanks to a calm head and sharp eyes.
By late Sunday morning, the hostel had been tidied and vacated early. Some members fitted in a short walk before heading south; others departed early ahead of the afternoon weather.
Warm thanks were extended to the organisers and cook, and there was general agreement that Dalwhinnie merits a return visit.
- Report by Scott M
Far Away Team – report
After considering a few different options for our Saturday walk, Berenice’s plan turned out to be the best. Our female‑only group started the adventure at 8am. We were bathed in sunshine and began the day with big smiles.
Shortly after the start, we had to cross a river, which became a bit of a challenge. All of us were wearing winter boots except for Katrina, so we managed to walk through with dry feet. Berenice, being the kind soul she is, offered to throw her boots to Katrina so she could cross without getting hers wet. What could possibly go wrong….
The first boot thrown by Berenice landed right in the middle of the river and was swept away by the strong current. Luckily, brave Lesley managed to catch it.
I remembered that I used to be very good at throwing things back … in primary school, so I offered to throw the boots over to Katrina.
I threw the wet boot like a professional athlete over the water. But when it came to the second, dry one, my arm did something very strange and the boot ended up… yes, in the river. Luckily it got stuck on a rock and was easy to fish out.
Poor Berenice ended up with two wet boots. Luckily, I had waterproof socks, which made walking in them a little more comfortable.
The rest of the walk was less eventful, but we enjoyed beautiful views and great company.
- Report by Paulina P
