sensed that there was more to it than that, but knew he didn’t want to interrupt the holiday atmosphere. She could read his mind, and was grateful for his thoughtfulness. Her feet started tapping again.
*
Three days later, after a magical drive down the west coast of Sutherland, revisiting the wonderful beaches, the weird mountains, and the vast panoramas, they arrived in the more conventional, though still spectacular, landscape of Wester Ross where the daunting Torridon Mountains throw down their challenge.
At the eastern end of Loch Maree, Ben stopped to check the map.
For the past three days, he had been so wrapped up in the enjoyment of the holiday, that he had forgotten about his chat with the Assynt Mountain Rescue man. Now it all came back. Was it fate, or just a strange coincidence, that he was about to drive past the next mountain rescue team’s headquarters?
*
Ben dropped Helen off at the Torridon visitor centre, while he went in search of the Torridon youth hostel.
There was no one in the room, set aside within the youth hostel for the Torridon Mountain Rescue Team, but the man running the hostel was a team member and very helpful. He let Ben read through the last few years’ annual incident reports, and allowed him to take a photocopy of the report of two years ago. Ben had noticed a spate of deaths in that year, mostly falls from high crags.
*
After returning the motor home to the hire company in what now seemed to be a disagreeably noisy and overcrowded Edinburgh, Helen, now back to her energetic self, persuaded Ben to end the holiday by spending the night in one of the city’s best hotels. She also persuaded him to leave his seventh-floor view of the city lights, to join her in bed early. It was her way of ensuring that their holiday came to a satisfying climax.
Chapter 15
Back at the cottage, they were greeted by hyperactive pheasants and ducks, like children who had been deserted by their parents for a week - excited, noisy, and hungry. Ben hoped that there was still some bread in the freezer.
He had difficulty in opening the cottage door because of the mail on the floor. Among the diatribes from insurance and credit card companies, miraculously offering to saveyoumoney while taking it off you, he spotted a Thurso postmark. Alec Gordon had kept his promise.
Later that night, with the unpacking finished, the washing machine whirring, the birds and humans fed, he settled down to read the Assynt team’s annual incident report of three years ago.It got off to a humorous start:
25th March Shin Falls
Call out for missing child (3 years) who had wandered off
from visitor centre play area. Found safe and well by RAF SARDA at 08.30, having been looking for dinosaurs.
9th April Ben Klibreck
Call out to search for owner of rucksack abandoned at
col. Owner identified from passport as ——————,
an American. Despite an extensive search involving 12 AMRT, 14 Kinloss MRT, 8 SARDA, and helicopter, nothing was found. After reports of various sightings, eventually found by police in Thurso the following Tuesday and bollocked rigid!
Ben’s guffaw made Helen jump. She was already back to the grind, poring over papers taken from her briefcase . He apologised and carried on reading.
10th MayInchnadamph
Call out to search for six missing Dutch women. Found by helicopter on path behind Beinn Uidhe cold and wet but
unhurt.
2nd JuneScourie
Call out for missing fisherman. Walked out to Lower Badcall having become completely disorientated in the area around Loch Mhuirt. No map or compass.
11th JulyGolspie
Call out for missing person, probable suicide. Nothing found.
Body found in sea off Peterhead two weeks later.
18th JulyAchmelvich
Call to assist Police in search for person thought to be ‘On the Run’. Nothing found.
3rd AugustBen More Assynt
Call out for missing woman on Ben More Assynt. Body found below top section of south ridge east of Dubh Loch Mor. Sustained
*
Three days later, after a magical drive down the west coast of Sutherland, revisiting the wonderful beaches, the weird mountains, and the vast panoramas, they arrived in the more conventional, though still spectacular, landscape of Wester Ross where the daunting Torridon Mountains throw down their challenge.
At the eastern end of Loch Maree, Ben stopped to check the map.
For the past three days, he had been so wrapped up in the enjoyment of the holiday, that he had forgotten about his chat with the Assynt Mountain Rescue man. Now it all came back. Was it fate, or just a strange coincidence, that he was about to drive past the next mountain rescue team’s headquarters?
*
Ben dropped Helen off at the Torridon visitor centre, while he went in search of the Torridon youth hostel.
There was no one in the room, set aside within the youth hostel for the Torridon Mountain Rescue Team, but the man running the hostel was a team member and very helpful. He let Ben read through the last few years’ annual incident reports, and allowed him to take a photocopy of the report of two years ago. Ben had noticed a spate of deaths in that year, mostly falls from high crags.
*
After returning the motor home to the hire company in what now seemed to be a disagreeably noisy and overcrowded Edinburgh, Helen, now back to her energetic self, persuaded Ben to end the holiday by spending the night in one of the city’s best hotels. She also persuaded him to leave his seventh-floor view of the city lights, to join her in bed early. It was her way of ensuring that their holiday came to a satisfying climax.
Chapter 15
Back at the cottage, they were greeted by hyperactive pheasants and ducks, like children who had been deserted by their parents for a week - excited, noisy, and hungry. Ben hoped that there was still some bread in the freezer.
He had difficulty in opening the cottage door because of the mail on the floor. Among the diatribes from insurance and credit card companies, miraculously offering to saveyoumoney while taking it off you, he spotted a Thurso postmark. Alec Gordon had kept his promise.
Later that night, with the unpacking finished, the washing machine whirring, the birds and humans fed, he settled down to read the Assynt team’s annual incident report of three years ago.It got off to a humorous start:
25th March Shin Falls
Call out for missing child (3 years) who had wandered off
from visitor centre play area. Found safe and well by RAF SARDA at 08.30, having been looking for dinosaurs.
9th April Ben Klibreck
Call out to search for owner of rucksack abandoned at
col. Owner identified from passport as ——————,
an American. Despite an extensive search involving 12 AMRT, 14 Kinloss MRT, 8 SARDA, and helicopter, nothing was found. After reports of various sightings, eventually found by police in Thurso the following Tuesday and bollocked rigid!
Ben’s guffaw made Helen jump. She was already back to the grind, poring over papers taken from her briefcase . He apologised and carried on reading.
10th MayInchnadamph
Call out to search for six missing Dutch women. Found by helicopter on path behind Beinn Uidhe cold and wet but
unhurt.
2nd JuneScourie
Call out for missing fisherman. Walked out to Lower Badcall having become completely disorientated in the area around Loch Mhuirt. No map or compass.
11th JulyGolspie
Call out for missing person, probable suicide. Nothing found.
Body found in sea off Peterhead two weeks later.
18th JulyAchmelvich
Call to assist Police in search for person thought to be ‘On the Run’. Nothing found.
3rd AugustBen More Assynt
Call out for missing woman on Ben More Assynt. Body found below top section of south ridge east of Dubh Loch Mor. Sustained
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