Positively Alpine

In complete contrast to yesterday's blip - a perfect blue sky with the last of the setting sun tipping the hills on the far side of Glen Massan from where we were walking on thick crunchy snow on the upper reaches of Benmore Gardens. There was no wind, and all we could hear was the noise our feet made as we crashed through the hard crust like a pair of Yetis going for a walk.

There is so much talk these days of the research into the beneficial effects of time spent walking in the countryside as opposed to sweating it out in the gym. I could have told them that years ago - an afternoon such as I had with my pal and my pal's crazy spaniel wins every time in the endorphins stakes...