Tag Archives: writing

photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way: Day 10, walking with the ghosts of Argyll’s army in the shadow of Ben Nevis

At the top of the first climb of the day, looking back on Kinlochleven and River Leven.

Long hikes through Scotland’s Highlands are hardly a new concept.

Why, as far back as 1654, the 1st Marquess of Montrose (James Graham) marched his 1,500 Royalist troops and Irish mercenaries 36 miles south to Inverlochy in 36 hours in knee-deep snow to surprise the larger and better-stationed troops of the 1st Marquess of Argyll (Archibald Campbell).

Montrose quickly routed Argyll’s men in the battle just north of Fort William — the end point of our West Highland Way trek — and chased them down this path to the spot where I am standing, about 7.5 miles south of Fort William. Argyll’s men were slaughtered, not so much in battle, but in retreat. Barely 400 of his 1,900 troops survived. Montrose lost less than a dozen.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way: Day 9, conquering Devil’s Staircase — with Rose

Rose Alcantara drops a rock on the cairn atop Devil’s Staircase and makes a wish (perhaps that I could walk a little faster?)

The barmaid in the first pub you reach when you walk into Kinlochleven is keeping busy pulling drafts. Lots and lots of drafts. It is around 1:30 p.m. and the place is filled with hikers who already completed their 9.5 miles from Kingshouse.

There is a celebratory feel to the day’s finish, probably because one and all have conquered the steep switchback challenges of the Devil’s Staircase, the highest point along the entire West Highland Way.

They all have something else in common: Check-in time for lodgings all over Kinlochleven — as if by mandate — is 3 p.m. Hikers who aren’t filling the pub are sunning themselves in the nearby park, lounging on sidewalk benches, picking up supplies at the Co-op, or seeking other pubs and restaurants.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way: Day 8, into the land of the gods via lochs, munros and moors

Scotland’s most photographable structure: Black Rock Cottage (now known as The Ladies’ Scottish Climbing Club). Behind it rises the formidable-looking Bauchaille Etive Mor (“Great Herdsman of Etive”).

In Scotland, there are beinns and munros (hills and mountains). Hills are most anything below 3,000 feet and that is what we’ve been mostly skirting on the West Highland Way. They are impressive as you walk trails carved into their lower regions. They form majestic, sloping walls on either side of gentle glens.

Today we are heading into munro country but to reach it, we must cross 50 square miles of the Rannoch Moor, a boggy region of grasses and heather and scores of small ponds and lochanes. I don’t think anyone who wanders off across the moor would ever be heard from again. It is a beautiful and unforgiving place.

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Memoirs -- fact and fiction, photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way: Day 5, the cinematic splendor of it all

My hiking companions Brian Connors, Susan Shors, Kim Scholefield, and my beloved Rose Alcantara set off to discover their own infinite possibilities this morning.

If Van Morrison had taken the walk with me today from Inverernan to Crainlarich, he’d surely want to write a song about it. He’s not a Scot, sure, but I think he’d get it in his Celtic heart. Titles like “A Sense of Wonder,” “Into the Mystic,” “In the Garden,” and even “Cyprus Avenue” were in rotation in my head as I walked beside the River Falloch.

This was a gentle one — thank God, after yesterday — no rock piles to climb, few inclines to surmount, no risk to life and limb.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way

Hiking the West Highland Way: Day 4, a hiker called it ‘Green Hell’ — now I know why

The WHW trail from Rowardennan to Inverarnan has a bad reputation. No doubt about it. Books call it the hardest stretch in the whole trail. An experienced hiker yesterday called it “Green Hell.”

Let me add to all that: This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. Physically, I mean.

The books say this segment is broken into two parts for a total of 14 miles. The reality is you can add a few more miles to that, and a lot of them require climbing up and down, up and down, up and down — over rocks and tree roots, through boggy bits, up steep steps, some ladders, and along nervously narrow cliff-side paths. There are a lot of undulations in that trail.

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Memoirs -- fact and fiction, photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way: On Day 3, a bit more than a stroll beside the loch

I would like to report that the chubby red squirrel navigated its way up the pine tree to the fifth level of branches with no assistance from me whatsoever.

You may be amazed to learn — as I was to see — that Red carried a small pinecone in its jaws while performing this feat.

Look, I know squirrels do this sort of thing very well without me. But it just seemed so important to me at the moment.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Uncategorized, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way: On Day 1 we learn that everyone walks to the beat of a different drummer, and that is just fine

Day 1: Milngavie to Drymen. Distance: 12-13 miles. Level of difficulty: Child’s play.

How long did it take? Maybe less than a mile. No, easily less than a mile.

But, technically, I wasn’t lost.

I just didn’t know where I was headed.

And I did feel … what’s the word I’m reaching for? Ah, yes: Foolish.

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Memoirs -- fact and fiction, photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way

Hiking the West Highland Way: We canned the ‘Outlander’ kilts for lack of abs

It looks like I won’t be wearing a kilt as we hike the West Highland Way.

It’s not that my heart was set up on it. The whole idea started as a bit of a joke. I think Susan suggested that her husband, Brian, wear one because he has nice legs and would look good in one. He good-naturedly went along with the idea.

Rose said my legs were OK, too, and maybe I should wear one. I went hot and cold on the idea.

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San Miguel de Allende, The Week in SMA

SMA events, Aug. 4-10: What a bazaar week this is, plus all-star baseball … and yes, everything else

So many opportunities for shopping: Sunday Market, Tuesday Market, Bazar Nativa, Rodarte, Tosma Saturday Market , Bazar Los Frailes— so much great shopping, so little time.

Sunday, August 4   

10-5 p.m.  Raising the bazaar on shopping

Bazar Nativa brings together merchants of second-hand and new clothing, antiques, costume jewelry, oriental, ecological and artisanal products, stones, toys, food, and even micheladas and live music on the first Sunday of each month in the Los Pinos Hall. 

Bazar Nativa is also a space that provides an opportunity for local artists to make themselves known. Yesenia Múñoz stressed that although most of the exhibitors are local they currently also have merchants from Celaya, Dolores Hidalgo, and Querétaro.

This Sunday, organizers expect more than 70 exhibitors and they have room for more. The exhibition hall is located at Salida Real a Queretaro #173.

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#smwc2025, San Miguel de Allende, The Week in SMA, Uncategorized, Writings

John Irving leads an impressive keynote lineup for 20th annual SMA Writers’ Conference

Author John Irving to headline the 20th San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival

The San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival heads into its 20th year with a diverse and impressive lineup of keynote speakers, led by “Cider House Rules” author John Irving. The literary festival takes place February 12–16, 2025, at the Hotel Real de Minas.

There are two components to the weeklong festival — the keynote speaker series and the actual writers’ conference which is a jaw-dropping series of workshops for writers of all sorts, aspirations, and interests.

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