UKC

Scotland bouldering

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
olliekollar 27 Feb 2015
Hello to all.
I will be traveling through Scotland for 2 weeks in early May and would like to hit up some bouldering areas.
I'll be flying into Edinburgh, taking the train to Inverness and hiring a car from there. We will be spending time in the Highlands and Isle of Skye.
Could someone please recommend areas and a place to hire a bouldering mat.

Thanks!
 JLS 27 Feb 2015
In reply to olliekollar:
Torridon is supposed to be quite good...
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=2860
...it's a lovely area to visit even if there weren't boulders.

Not sure where you'd be able to hire a pad in the Edinburgh area.
Post edited at 00:03
 Lucy Wallace 28 Feb 2015
In reply to olliekollar:

Torridon is superb. I went to the Celtic Jumble just outside the village for the first time recently. Epic amounts of dry solid rock at all grades. Free campsite with showers too!
 ogreville 28 Feb 2015
In reply to olliekollar:


West Coast tour -
Drive north west from Inverness to Ullapool - bouldering at -

- Reiff in the Woods - road to Reiff just below Stac Pollaidh.
- Head south on the coastal road to Kishorn Boulders on the road up and over to Applecross
- Continue south to Torridon bouldering
- Over to Skye to the Coire Lagan Boulders (never climbed them, just walked past, but heard it's good)

I'm not a very experienced boulderer but all of the above makes for an amazing scottish tour, taking in the best of the west coast landscape.

This is probably all academic though, because you most likely won't find boulder mat hire in Scotland (sorry).
olliekollar 28 Feb 2015
In reply to ogreville:
If I can't find a boulder mat to hire I will probably buy one and sell it when I leave.......can't really take it on the flight home to California.
Also from some of the pics I've seen, there are some smaller blocs at Torridon that I would not need a mat for.

Thanks for the suggestions!
 Iain Thow 28 Feb 2015
In reply to olliekollar:

If you're going to Torridon or Reiff the Stone Country bouldering guide is excellent, and would give you plenty of other ideas too. Being reprinted but still findable. Or this website has downloadable wikis.
https://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/Bouldering
 mal_meech 28 Feb 2015
In reply to olliekollar:

There are plenty of good flat landing areas in torridon and coire lagan where you can get away without a mat though there are plenty of highballs where multiple mats are better. If your spending time in Skye check out cairn laith too...
vimeo.com/56216688
http://www.mcofs.org.uk/assets/getactive/mcs_factfile3_proof2.pdf
http://www.betaguides.co.uk/bouldering-areas/scotland.html?area=Isle%20of%2...
In reply to olliekollar:

Hi Ollie, drop me a personal message when you're nearer the time and we might be able to help you out, working on a new bouldering guide for Lochaber (area around fort william) and you'd be welcome to come along.
Oliver
In reply to ogreville:

I know I'm being pedantic, but you'd need to do Torridon first wouldn't you? Torridon is north of Kishorn and Applecross
olliekollar 01 Mar 2015
In reply to 65m moderate millington:

That would be great!

I think we are basing ourselves out of Fort Augustus for a few days as it seems to be in the middle of many things we want to do/see.

Thanks for the invite!

 Sherlock 01 Mar 2015
In reply to olliekollar:
Torridon & Coire Lagan (Skye) are indeed brilliant.Mal suggested Carn Liath but this is defo multiple pad terrortry(sic) and a long crawl back to the road.....
if you are staying in Fort Augustus then the Ruthven Boulder is not too far away and very good with flat grassy landings. Of course a pad is not essential at a lot of venues but helps prevent ground erosion and keeps your feet dry.Scotland ain't California!
If you are having trouble sourcing the excellent Stone Country guide get in touch,I can probably mail you a copy if you give me an address in Scotland (don't fancy transatlantic shipping costs).Hit me up for Torridon or Skye ,can bring pads.Will PM my mobile number.

 yodadave 01 Mar 2015
In reply to olliekollar:

haven't found anything in Scotland that compares to Bishop highballs,
then again though
I never found a bouldering area in Cali that I needed wellys to access.

Both are quite different.

My tips for bouldering in Scotland having moved from Cali last year:
beware ticks, smallest i've ever seen and so many of them
watch the weather obsessively, it can be dry 10 miles away even if your soaked where you are
Schist bouldering can be just as much fun as granite and sandstone
always through a jacket in your pack

have fun!
olliekollar 01 Mar 2015
In reply to Sherlock:
I have a copy of Stone Country on the way.
Actually found a new copy here in the States.

Will be in touch when we are there.
Thanks!
Post edited at 16:00
 Hamfunk 01 Mar 2015
In reply to olliekollar:

Could potentially loan you a spare pad if your coming up the A9. Could arrange some sort of security deposit, just so the pad doesn't get lobbed out the back of the car if your in a rush to get a flight home! PM me if your interested.
 mal_meech 03 Mar 2015
In reply to olliekollar:
Sherlock's right come to think of it, there's a few good flat area problems in Cairn Liath, but there not easy to find if you don't know where you going and the majority is multipad.... (having limped out, I wouldn't fancy the crawl either if your climbing solo...)

If you've got a copy of Stone country (Bouldering in Scotland) that will give you the choice picks of most areas. there are a few extras available on John's blog etc too for the extra additions later on http://stonecountry.blogspot.co.uk/. Best was the Betaguides Gabbrofest for Skye, but that's been out of print for years. now available online https://sites.google.com/site/boulderscotland/skye (ignore the Si O photos)

I'll try and dig out some better photos for a few of the Lagan / Coire Ghrunnda and An Sguman problems for on here later (got me reminiscing... )
Post edited at 14:03
 Sherlock 03 Mar 2015
In reply to mal_meech:

Mal,do you have any info on stuff in Coire Ghrunnda proper other than the PUTJ area?Always fancied a look up there but didn't know if I would be on a (very long) wild goose chase...
 mal_meech 03 Mar 2015
In reply to Sherlock:
see the pdfs attached to my edited post. Phantom Face etc I have some extra diagrams for somewhere too. They're all fairly space out that way (maybe a few hundred meters between) mostly it's good adventure bouldering. There's plenty of easy low stuff, and some gems, but it's all a long walk versus the other areas, and not so good, apart from the highlights James included here

Café Crème on the way up is a sweet little (frustrating) problem (always fell of the last move) depending on how the irrigation has lasted / pond under the boulder is now...it's called mermaid wall for a reason...
Post edited at 14:25
 Sherlock 03 Mar 2015
In reply to mal_meech:
Ah yes.Thanks.

 mal_meech 03 Mar 2015
In reply to Sherlock:

no probs, have fun!
 rachhunt 13 Mar 2015
In reply to olliekollar:

I just got this guide and apart from the slightly flimsy paper quality (I would question its resilience to drizzle, let alone rain) it seems to be a very well labelled and useful book. Plus comes recommended by Dave Macleod to boot who says that the rock in Torridon is better than Font in his opinion.

http://www.davemacleod.com/shop/torridonbouldering.html

You can get it on Amazon too though its the same price.

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...