Viewing page 65 of 151

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

87.

28th June 1952.  

Fine but mainly dull with S.W. wind till 3.30 P.M. after a fine night. Then heavy rain till bed-time.

Marcus Graham & I left hotel at 10.15 & went up S. slope of Ben Lawers, keeping just behind Meall Odhar & then slanting straight up towards summit. Had lunch at 1.20 on rocky scree at about 3,600 ft. & then worked up to scarp S.E. of summit & made W. to top of W. corrie, on way passing the patch of Sax. cernua on S. slope, which this year consisted of 15-20 plants bearing "spikes" & the best part of 100 young plants - all on the one ledge. Then made our way to summit as it was obvious that rain was near & after spending some time there admiring the view & Marcus taking two photos, looking S. & W., respectively, we went N. along the N. ridge & finally dropped down to Lochan-nan-Cat & so home by the Lawers Burn. Saw all the ordinary plants, but nothing new. Collected three lots of mosses & hepatica for Miss Thomson.

Around the first crag on the ridge N. of the summit were flying two Swifts & one appeared to come out of a hole in the rocky crag. When Graham joined me they flew away! Could they have been nesting there? [Later, No! only feeding. AWS]


88.

28.6.52, cont. Ben Lawers, MP.

Ptarmigan. After lunch, while collecting mosses, &c., on the scarp - facing South - at ca. 3,600 feet, we saw & heard ptarmigan all round us & saw 8 adults at one time moving away as we went on up towards the summit. The growling noises they made were very varied, as if cursing us or talking about us amongst themselves. Some of their notes were quite like those of the Raven. Saw also one raven below the lunch place, but except for that no other birds seen on the higher ground except the Swifts and numerous Meadow Pipits, which were seen almost to the summit. A Sandpiper seen & heard by Lochan-nan-Cat near outlet - in exactly same spot as in 1951.

29th June 1952.  A very fine day with gentle SW-W wind, warm, with much hot sun. Sunday! Spent day about Lawers & collected in 4 areas as follows:-

1 = Under cherry & ash trees, in small plot, at foot of lane to loch. 12 noon till  12.40 P.M.

2 = Marshy edge to field & beside stream, &c., in ravine between hotel & Loch Tay. 2.30 till 4.0 P.M.

3 = Amongst scrub, &c., along shore of L. Tay for 1/8 mile W. of old pier. 4.20 - 5.30 P.M.

4 = in lane from old (ruined) house near pier to road at school 5.30 - 6.30 P.M.