An occasional series, when politics gets boring (or just plain ridiculous like today’s story about Tory Prize Muppet, Ross Thomson, going to Japan to do Foxy’s job for him.
Today, Munguin made a visit for lunch to Glen Lyon, Perthshire in company with some friends. It’s an absolutely beautiful glen, and one of the longest in Scotland, although it’s a challenging drive up a single-track road. (Munguin would like, at this stage, to say thank you to Anya, one of his team of chauffeurs, for all the driving she did. I’ll do it next time!)
It was a beautiful day. The temperature didn’t budge much from 20-22 C, and the scenery was spectacular.
We had an agreeable, and not particularly pricey lunch in Glen Lyon Post office, Bridge of Balgy, before driving to Fortingall to see the famous Yew Tree (not YES tree, yet).
Widely differing estimates have been made of its age, between 3 000 and 9 000 years. It’s certainly the oldest living thing in Scotland, if not Europe. The tree is enclosed in a walled garden of its own for its protection because, believe it or not, it was damaged by vandals. However, Munguin was able to perch on the wall and commune with it. (Maybe he talks Yew, who knows!!)
A little farther on we passed a sign for a small village where Munguin has decided that I should live. He said it would suit me nicely… so we stopped to have a look. Although the views were superb, it was, indeed, Dull.
Here, Tris, I’ve found a place you can retire to (on a generous pension) as soon as you reach 80.
Munguin, with all his customary kindness, has suggested I might like to take a trip to its twin village of Boring in Oregon… or even Bland, in New South Wales. I think that as I write (or you read) he is scanning the world for a place called Tedious to add to my tour schedule.
Munguin checking up that the staff left at Munguin Towers are hard at it… Yes, there is actually a working BT red telephone box up the Glen.
MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
One of my favourite Glens.
Next time you go, try this way. Aberfeldy, North side of Loch Tay, to the Ben Lawers Road over to Bridge of Balgie and Glen Lyon.
Or. Aberfeldy, South side of Loch Tay, stopping off at the Crannogs, onto Killin, follow the road round to the Ben Lawers Road over the hill to Balgie.
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We went through Aberfeldy on the way back, although we didn’t stop, Aucheorn. And Killin on the way in.
An Aunt and Uncle of mine had a week’s holiday up there at one point. It’s incredibly beautiful, and today’s weather was perfect
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Sounds like a wonderful day. Nice work from Munguin’s staff photographer.
Beautiful old tree!
What happens if you meet a car on the road? I back poorly!
Always heard about “glens,” but had no actual idea. So I looked it up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen
I loved Dull. Any Scottish location that would pair with this town in Missouri, USA. (Located south of Kansas City.)
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Would “Ordinary” pair with “Dull”? A place in Kentucky.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinary,_Kentucky
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Sounds like a perfect match…
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Population 208!
What do they do when someone dies, or is born… or just moves out or in, Danny? Repaint the road sign?
I can just imagine an elderly workman painting in the fact that the Smith’s have just had a baby boy…
That’s 209… done, neat job.
Hey Joe, have you started on that… oh… you finished. It’s just that old Tom died a few minutes ago so we’re down to 208 again!
This is worth a look… Although some of them aren’t that funny.
http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/pictures-scotlands-funniest-place-names-3680294
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Tris, at least the birth of babies is taken care of automatically on the Peculiar population sign. It’s a very small town and everybody knows everybody else’s business. So whenever a baby is born someone leaves town. 😉
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Ha ha ha…
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Years ago, I did a few Munro’s that had to be accessed through Glen Lyon and I remember the twisting extremely narrow stretches of road with stone dykes at either side and the trepidation I felt in my brand new car on meeting someone coming toward me.
On one occasion we had an easy day planned doing both Stuchd an Lochan and Meall Buide. It was meant to be one of those – let’s chalk these two easy ones off as budding Munro baggers and get them under our belt. A training day in preparation for the future bigger stuff if you like. The weather forecast was very good for the day and we were both looking forward to it. We were surprised to find the hills totally covered in thick snow when we got there however and neither of us had possessed the foresight to pack our crampons. Luckily we did have our ice axes though so it wasn’t a bust, but much of the day was spent cutting individual steps to enable our ascent up the snow covered slopes. You might think that this would be tedious and boring but I used to love these winter ascents, I used to have these almost zen moments where I was completely at peace with the world. The spells of being at one with the universe unfortunately, being cramponless, were followed on this occasion by constantly slipping and falling on our arses when descending. We were never in any danger and we provided a bit of amusement for some of the crampon equipped climbers. Etched in my brain from that day on was a note to self, lesson learned, always have my crampons just in case. It was a very enjoyable day though with clear blue sky and fantastic views.
Unfortunately, chronic back trouble put an end to my Munro tally at a measly 50 climbed. I never did get to the Inaccessible Pinacle on Skye which I had always wanted to do but nevertheless I enjoyed every minute I spent in the mountains. I would recommend it to anyone as a hobby and as a means of keeping fit, it’s the best gym there is, with the odd bit of adventure thrown in as an added bonus. You see Scotland from a different point of view and you meet some interesting folk as well.
Happy days and please excuse my rambling reminiscence, I fair enjoyed it.
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Nice tale there, Greig12.
All the time I was looking at it, and every time we drove past another fantastic house with an amazing view, the practical side of me said, but this is a lovely day in a particularly lovely warm summer. What would it be like to live here in the snow?
Sorry to hear about your back. But 50 Munros is not a bad tally, and just think of all that beauty you’ve seen…
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Let’s not overlook Intercourse, Pennsylvania, although the nearby burg of Bird-in-Hand might be more appropriate.
And then there’s Hell, Michigan, which really does freeze over.
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He he…
Intercourse in Amish Country… Wow. (I did read the explanation and of course it is perfectly reasonable, but I think if I lived there I’d prefer it to go back to its original name). Bird in Hand is much more agreeable.
I like the story of the German travellers who remarked: “So schön hell”. Or “you can call it Hell for all I care.”
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I almost forgot: The best headline (Evah. Even if it was apocryphal.) in an Illinois newspaper was the wedding announcement, “Oblong Man Marries Normal Woman“
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HMMMMMMMMMMMMM
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Weird, that. Try this.
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Worked grand Jon.
Fascinating article. The reasons for some names is clear… but how on earth do you pronounce Benld?
I love the ‘Oblong woman marries Normal man’…. LOL
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Best guess: BEN-l-d (I’m happy to be corrected by any fellow Prairie Staters here in Munguin Tower, though).
Of course, we in Illinois have a history of massacring non-English place names. I give you Milan (MY-lan), Cairo (KAY-ro), Marseilles (mar-SALES), Des Plaines (Dess Planes), and my personal favorite: San Jose (san Joe-ss).
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LOL… Sounds like I’d more or less have to learn a new language… 🙂
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Rocks caught my eye. Similar to a “Praying Hands” sculpture in Missouri.
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Indeed. Of course, the Scottish version is just a stone split by nivation. 🙂
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Tris…..I much prefer the natural Scottish rock formation to the bizarre Missouri “sculpture.” But the shape and angle did make me immediately think of it, before I read the caption.
And once again……I always learn something new on MR. I’d never seen that word in my life. 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nivation
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Ah… Mr Boon. Geography teacher taught me that. 🙂
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And another word I learned from these comments……… 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munro
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Ahhh… University of Munguin.
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The only problem with Glen Lyon is that when you want to stop, there is no place to pull off the road. There is a fantastic gorge near Fortingall but with a cliff rising up on one side and a dyke and the steep drop on the other you just have to keep driving. Not so bad if you are a passenger and don’t have to keep your eye on the road.
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Absolutely. I was glad I was a passenger this time and I was sitting in the back so I didn’t have the typical “driver not driving” habit of watching the road.
Still, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about that. There are a couple of farm gates you could stop in for a couple of minutes as long as you didn’t move far from the car. Long enough to see the view.
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Tris….Interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a view in the USA worth stopping for that hasn’t had some of the natural surroundings blasted away to form a parking lot (car park) for an “overlook.” 😉
Lots of overlooks in the Colorado Rockies. However, these are between the white knuckle drives along narrow mountain roads that lack even the hint of a guard rail or a shoulder on the road. The Colorado Department of Transportation takes leave of their senses when they build mountain highways.
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LOL. We have a few of those too.
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Glen Lyon is home to quite a few of minor Scottish aristos. Back in the day, they used to hate plebs walking on ‘their’ land. Coming back after a days hill walking, it wasn’t unusual to find the air let out of your cars tyres.
I used to love telling them to fuck off, when told to I couldn’t walk here. One keeper even pointed his shotgun at me. I walked eight up to him and told him I would stick it up his arse unless he lowered it. I loved class war in those days. 🙂
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He he…. Class warrior.
There is no law of trespass in Scotland, so you were completely within your rights.
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Juteman, here’s an old (no doubt apocryphal) story but I’ve always loved it. Hillwalker striding across moorland in Argyll meets red-faced chap who tells him to “Get off my land, you swine!”. Hillwalker asks, “How come it’s YOUR land then?” ‘Landowner’ replies, “Because my ancestors fought for it!” Hillwalker says, “A’ right, c’mon then, Ah’ll fight you for it, ya wee fat bastard!” Hillwalker proceeds on his way without further challenge.
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Brilliant Andi…
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Tris, it’s many years since I was in lovely Glen Lyon and more than a few since I’ve been on the summit of a Munro but I’ll never forget the beautiful summer day in the glen when I pulled off the road and decided to walk up the hillside for a more expansive view. I had my boots in the car (boots in the boot) and set off for a wee dauner. I just kept on climbing as there was always another rise ahead and I kept hoping for the view to open out. It did eventually when I found myself on top of Meall Ghaordaidh (1039m) – and a wonderful view it was. It was also a bit of a surprise to realise I’d bagged a Munro by sheer chance. Happy (and fitter) days!
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LOL. Made me breathless just to think about it Andi…
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That Ross Thomson could’ny negotiate a revolving door.
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They must be utterly desperate to be sending him anywhere. He’s already shown he has absolutely no understanding of…well, anything.
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Have flown over good patches of the West coast, still amazed at the dry stane dykes that have been built right over the summits of mountains, 3 meeting at a point,just thought that “This is MY bit”, then thought of the people who had to move miles of stones to make the walls, probably just as impressive as the great wall, in their own way.
Can’t see the sense in it but if people were paid to do it, even if it was a pittance, at least they might have fed the bairns.
The deer just jump over them.
Like the Sma Glen at Crieff, Lock Eck, but a favourite is Glen Fruin, unfortunately the army have a training facility at the western end that stops you seeing the view. It does let you see the Faslane base and I’ve never been questioned about stopping to look. Wonder if the enemy just go there as well and record the movements.
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I’ve often wondered about walls way up there. I suspect sheep found a way over them… or through them.
I guess there is nothing to stop someone taking photos of Faslane from up there… If you can do it, so can Ivan Ivanovich…
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Tris I think the little furry one might have a stalker , if you look at the sign of Dull , below it you can just make out the stalker , who is this mysterious person , what do they want with the furry one , just what is the stalker’s intentions . I once knew a gnome who was kidnapped and was pictured in various safe houses around the world , is this the same person , the gnome napper .
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Ah, Ricky. Let me put your mind at rest.
Munguin thanks you for your concern, but, rather like the Orange President, Munguin travels everywhere with his own protection. The legs in fact belong to his personal body guard.
🙂
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That sets my mind as ease , should have hired one for the gnome .
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They should indeed!
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