tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post73399958402109208..comments2024-03-27T21:31:59.376+00:00Comments on Chris Townsend Outdoors: Walking the Watershed of ScotlandChris Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-50304048466426528772020-08-23T00:16:46.802+01:002020-08-23T00:16:46.802+01:00Hi Neil, thanks for letting me know. Congratulatio...Hi Neil, thanks for letting me know. Congratulations!Chris Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-44070790103630107302020-08-22T18:57:04.755+01:002020-08-22T18:57:04.755+01:00Hi Chris.
Just to let you know I finished the Shet...Hi Chris.<br />Just to let you know I finished the Shetland Mainland watershed walk on the 3rd of July 2018. It was a total of 97 Miles.<br />My son Liam and I completed the 34 Mile Yell Watershed on 24th July 2020 and the Unst 17 Miles Watershed on the 9th of August 2020.<br />They are the Three significant islands for the Shetland Watershed Neil R Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17631549267316442344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-55756939199837251202018-02-07T16:32:12.610+00:002018-02-07T16:32:12.610+00:00Hi Malcolm, No its not Scotland.
I have been mapp...Hi Malcolm, No its not Scotland. <br />I have been mapping the Shetland Mainland's Watershed. I have pretty much finished marking it up and walking it, after several revisits to the different sections. The maps don't give enough detail and I have found you have to walk it.<br />I hope to re walk it in a continuous unsupported walk shortly as a warm up for this year TGO Challenge. It will Neil R Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17631549267316442344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-11865832245090977792018-02-07T16:18:39.798+00:002018-02-07T16:18:39.798+00:00Thanks Chris.Thanks Chris.Neil R Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17631549267316442344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-42036500659222551612018-02-06T11:55:38.862+00:002018-02-06T11:55:38.862+00:00Neil, glad to see you're having a go at this. ...Neil, glad to see you're having a go at this. Are you trying the English section as well, or just Scotland? I think all watershedders are entitled to define their own rules. My own boundaries were "if it's a blue line on the Landranger Map and is flowing I won't cross it". However, there are several lochans which appear to flow or ooze at both sides, such as on the ridge Malcolm Wylie (previously Watershedder)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10488129801353393279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-59032558540320941322018-02-05T22:23:51.176+00:002018-02-05T22:23:51.176+00:00Neil, I don't know of any accepted boundaries ...Neil, I don't know of any accepted boundaries but I'd thought that in flat bog land a couple of hundred metres would be fine.Chris Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-91820442629533237352018-02-04T16:08:58.022+00:002018-02-04T16:08:58.022+00:00Chris what are the accepted boundaries for error o...Chris what are the accepted boundaries for error on the watershed walk.<br />I am currently mapping one and hope to complete this year I find flat Bog land needs a couple of hundred meters in some cases Neil R Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17631549267316442344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-77039653937973644392013-04-29T14:14:25.661+01:002013-04-29T14:14:25.661+01:00Charles, Dave Hewitt's book is mentioned in th...Charles, Dave Hewitt's book is mentioned in the Introduction to Peter Wright's book and described as 'excellent' so it has been acknowledged. Malcom Wylie and Peter Wright have a joint letter in this year's May edition of The Great Outdoors setting the record straight as to who did what when so I think all that has been cleared up. As noted above Peter Wright has aso mentionedChris Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-57207130815039311992013-04-29T04:06:41.677+01:002013-04-29T04:06:41.677+01:00Best wishes for the Watershed walk this year Chris...Best wishes for the Watershed walk this year Chris. Although Peter Wrights book sounds fascinating and well produced and I look forward to seeing a copy sometime, I echo Dave Hewitt's disquiet that his watershed walk and Malcolm Wylies (which I'd not heard about) have not it seems been mentioned and acknowledged by him at all. It seems very disingenuous.<br /><br />I was inspired 15/16 charleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04848235542712760496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-1368049416572843712013-02-02T11:14:23.975+00:002013-02-02T11:14:23.975+00:00I have just come across this correspondence after ...I have just come across this correspondence after reading Dave's book and posting a review on my blog, conradwalks.blogspot.com " Scottish Watershed" - 31st January 2013. <br /><br />In retrospect, some of the things I wrote in the post, and subsequent comments may have been phrased differently armed with much more information from this thread, especially relating to the Sir Hughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17908756392825206914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-30860652130319321602013-01-05T09:23:27.917+00:002013-01-05T09:23:27.917+00:00Peter Wright edited his description on his Faceboo...Peter Wright edited his description on his Facebook Page in which he mentions Malcolm Wylie being the first person who walked the entire Watershed<br /><br />[....]This, the geographic Watershed was first walked in full, by Malcolm Wylie in 1999. And the story of further completions and projects since then, just keep on growing.<br /><br />Good Luck Chris!Willem Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16039250722884053175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-81971175851162470542012-12-28T08:44:03.537+00:002012-12-28T08:44:03.537+00:00I'm looking forward to reading about this as I...I'm looking forward to reading about this as I live pretty close to the watershed, in Airdrie. I can see it from my window! Best of luck on the journey, and be prepared for electric fences and barbed wire in North Lanarkshire!<br />JimGrendelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00173551941386159086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-1879347269462667322012-12-19T16:09:58.372+00:002012-12-19T16:09:58.372+00:00Thanks David. I hadn't thought of Orkney, Fair...Thanks David. I hadn't thought of Orkney, Fair Isle and Shetland. I'll have to think about that.<br /><br />Dave, I'll certainly view the walk as a whole, including supply diversions. I am planning on returning to every point where I leave the watershed though. Chris Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-78834518459234742502012-12-19T12:01:52.030+00:002012-12-19T12:01:52.030+00:00Chris - I was giving this some more thought last ...Chris - I was giving this some more thought last night and have been on Streetmap all morning! In theory - the watershed of Scotland (as opposed to the Scottish Mainland) doesn’t actually stop at the Pentland Firth. So if you are looking for ‘a first’ and are heading for Duncansby anyway, you could conceivably keep going and take in the watersheds of Orkney, Fair Isle and Shetland as well.<br /David Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-60266778140184979222012-12-18T23:43:00.284+00:002012-12-18T23:43:00.284+00:00Given that the two known mileage figures for the D...Given that the two known mileage figures for the Duncansby version are pretty similar, it looks as if my higher figure for the Wrath version did indeed include all the add-ons. I tended to see the walk as a whole – including supply diversions and extra hills – rather than a sort of on-watershed / off-watershed split. Some of the diversions to meet friends who arrived bearing supplies were quite Dave Hewittnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-43263481316784303492012-12-18T15:27:17.377+00:002012-12-18T15:27:17.377+00:00Nick Spedding and I (occasional contributors to TA...Nick Spedding and I (occasional contributors to TAC) have a mild watershed obsession and had semi-serious discussions about walking it a few years ago before discovering that Dave had done it first (and had written a book)! We ended up doing the Elvis to Presley instead...<br /><br />I had previously gone as far as plotting the watershed on a touring map of Scotland. Strangely, I never really David Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-5316327740091238772012-12-13T13:20:18.928+00:002012-12-13T13:20:18.928+00:00On the subject of how closely to stick to the prec...On the subject of how closely to stick to the precise watershed, I decided early on that my definition would be "if it's a blue line on the Landranger and it's flowing in one direction then I don't cross it". This had two main advantages: I was generally able to avoid suicidal crags, and I could legitimately cross the top sections of canals and drainage ditches. <br /><br />Malcolm Wylie (previously Watershedder)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10488129801353393279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-76345515260952376672012-12-12T13:09:57.047+00:002012-12-12T13:09:57.047+00:00I can’t remember whether the figures I gave in Wal...I can’t remember whether the figures I gave in Walking the Watershed, 850 miles in distance and 100,000ft of ascent, did or didn’t include the various add-ons and extras – eg as well as the Gleouraich busman’s holiday, there was also an extra ascent of Ben Lomond while I was waiting for my support team to arrive. Clearly the Cape Wrath branch is considerably shorter than the Duncansby one (Dave Hewittnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-35972852983187049672012-12-11T22:35:05.853+00:002012-12-11T22:35:05.853+00:00Thanks Dave. Enjoying it is of course the main rea...Thanks Dave. Enjoying it is of course the main reason for doing it. My aim is to keep the walking continuous of course, as on all my long walks, and also to follow the watershed as closely as possible. I'll have to deviate to pick up supplies but as with you I'll restart where I left off.<br /><br />My reasons for thinking you are the only person to have done a continuous watershed walk Chris Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-74772738858744329332012-12-11T11:00:07.119+00:002012-12-11T11:00:07.119+00:00Hobb’s Flow is at NY567903 or thereabouts. As Malc...Hobb’s Flow is at NY567903 or thereabouts. As Malcolm says, it’s an unmarked and rather mundane spot, but it is the southern terminus of the Scottish section of the watershed.<br /><br />Re the “unbroken continuous” thing, my view is that, of the six known traverses to date, three of them – by Martin Prouse, Colin Meek and me – fit the bill. As you’ll discover next year, it’s nigh on impossible Dave Hewittnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-30333319365421032372012-12-10T16:28:01.545+00:002012-12-10T16:28:01.545+00:00Malcolm, thanks for your response. Good to hear fr...Malcolm, thanks for your response. Good to hear from you and congratulations on your walk. In any writing I do about the walk I want to credit those who have already done it - I also hope to avoid any controversy. I don't want to pick a fight with anybody but I do want to be fair.<br /><br />I look forward to reading your account.<br /><br />Good luck with the Munros. Chris Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-8257303647675722652012-12-10T15:19:33.957+00:002012-12-10T15:19:33.957+00:00Chris, I am the "modest and very pleasant man...Chris, I am the "modest and very pleasant man" so kindly mentioned by Dave Hewitt in his recent posts (thanks Dave!). Despite my modesty, I'm happy to confirm what Dave says about my having completed the Scottish Watershed in 2000, and that Peter Wright was aware of this when he published the Ribbon of Wildness.<br /><br />I don't really want to pick a fight with Peter over thisMalcolm Wylie (previously Watershedder)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10488129801353393279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-78618840958092467682012-12-10T11:34:32.342+00:002012-12-10T11:34:32.342+00:00Thanks Dave. I think I am right in saying you are ...Thanks Dave. I think I am right in saying you are the only person know to have done an unbroken continuous walk though? From his account in The Scottish Mountaineer Colin Meek left the watershed for a more direct route in places due to time constraints (still a great achievement of course). <br /><br />Peter Wright describes Peel as the logical though not exact start of the watershed. I shall Chris Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-31765996191378955502012-12-10T09:35:06.429+00:002012-12-10T09:35:06.429+00:00Let me know if you can’t find that issue of TAC – ...Let me know if you can’t find that issue of TAC – I’ve still got a few copies in the house and can post you one. There used to be an online link to a Cambridge News article about Malcolm Wylie’s walk, but this doesn’t seem to be available any more. He has the beginnings of a watershed blog from 2009 here: http://britishwatershed.blogspot.co.uk/, but this hasn’t been developed – although it does Dave Hewittnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063908328061898266.post-90150642186753014062012-12-10T01:20:43.102+00:002012-12-10T01:20:43.102+00:00Thanks everyone. Dave, thanks for the Malcolm Wyli...Thanks everyone. Dave, thanks for the Malcolm Wylie link. I'll have to see if I can find that copy of Angry Corrie. I should have it somewhere. Your walk is the real precursor to mine as it was a continuous one - the only one to either of the possible finish points I think?. I'm aware of the grough article and debate. I'd like to list all those who've walked all or part of the Chris Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04282926597863688874noreply@blogger.com