Beinn Nuis Lockheed C-60A Lodestar 42-56014 Crash Site

There are a number of air crash sites from WWII on Arran, including three on Beinn Nuis.  Two of these are fairly accessible, but the third, a Lockheed  C-60A Lodestar flying from Prestwick to Stornoway in 1943, is located high in a remote gully and not easy to reach.
I was contacted by a family member of one of the victims who hoped to visit the site.  Luckily he is fellow mountain fan, and so we enjoyed an adventurous day exploring the slopes and gullies between the Nuis Face and the Flat Iron Tower.  Although the visibility was virtually nil, it wasn't long before we found the site.  Being there with someone who has a direct connection to the site brought home  in a very poignant way, the loss and sacrifice that so many young airman and their families suffered during WWII.

The plane came down almost 70 years ago on the 30th Sept 1943. Seven people were on board and all were lost. There is more information about this and other air crash sites on Arran available online here.

Stacach and Goatfell, Showers and Sunshine

Today there was a chill in the air as the wind swung to the east and brisk blustery showers rolled in from the sea. I was working today on Goatfell and North Goatfell, with a lovely high traverse of Stacach Ridge, the rocky curtain that hangs between the two peaks. Its a great scramble, due to the damp weather, we avoided the trickiest sections with a wander along a traverse path that cuts under the buttresses on the east side.  Finally we topped out on Goatfell to fantastic panoramic views. 

Mist billowing over the rim of Mullach Buidhe

Stacach from North Goatfell.

Cir Mhor, posing nicely in the Autumn light.

Looking back towards North Goatfell from the summit of Goatfell.