GALLOWAY FOREST
Expedition Summary
Procedure
Outcome
In the Autumn of 2013 myself and Iain Challis traveled to Galloway Forest Park with the aim to successfully spend three days and nights in the wild obtaining media footage along the way. Whilst researching about Galloway Forest Park online we discovered there were a series of free-to-use bothies dotted around the Dumfries and Galloway area. We decided to go for the White Laggan Bothy as it was the closest bothy to the Red Deer Range which was the location we really intended on visiting as one of our main goals on the expedition was to obtain a shot of the Red Deer performing a rut, preferably at dawn. Once we had decided on our accommodation location we could begin to plan the logistics of the expedition. We regularly met up to discuss locations we intended on visiting, equipment we would require to obtain media footage and of course food and drink arrangements. One of the tricky decisions to make was what we would do about water. We decided to take 2 ten liter bottles with us and leave them in the car and only take what we needed in smaller more transportable bottles. When researching about the Red Deer Range we found a really helpful map that plotted the different types of wildlife on offer and where it was located in the Dumfries and Galloway area. From this, we picked some specific locations to visit on our expedition. We also purchased an Ordnance Survey map of the area to plan routes between the areas we intended on visiting and White Laggan Bothy. Some of these areas included; Clatteringshaws Loch, Clatteringshaws Dam, Wild Goat Park, Murray’s Monument and Glen of the Bar Viewpoint.
Once we had packed the car with all of our carefully considered kit the expedition had officially started. I made some safety checks on my car such as oil and tire pressure’s before we set off to assure our expedition wouldn’t be ended prematurely. On the way to the Bothy we stopped at a few places to briefly explore and get an understanding of the area. We stopped off at the Red Deer Range en-route to the Bothy and got slightly carried away and lost track of time. Before we knew it the light was fading and we had to quickly use our navigational skills to find the bothy. With the aid of the Ordnance Survey map we managed to spot the Bothy just as the last of the light disappeared. We quickly lugged our gear up to the Bothy and got soaked in the process. Upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised; candles, fire wood and even a spare roll mat had been left by a previous visitor. Our main priority was making a small fire in the little stove to heat the room up so we could dry off and give us some more light. This was easier said than done as constant days of perspiration had left the stove extremely moist. However, Iain persisted and managed to get it going nicely. This significantly lifted both of our spirits and we could eventually relax and have a good chat over tea about plans for the rest of the week. We got an early night so we could wake up bright and early to try and achieve our aim of getting a nice Red Deer image at dawn. This was our general order to the expedition. Up for dusk, quick breakfast, travel to the Red Deer range, spend the morning at the range, cook lunch on our portable stoves, explore different locations, return to the bothy once the light had disappeared, repeat!
Throughout the expedition myself and Iain had to make decisions and carefully considered judgments to ensure our expedition was a success. Without careful planning, research and decision making the expedition could have potentially been dangerous. For example; if i hadn’t done pre-journey checks on my car it could have broken down on one of the many remote gravel tracks we used to get to and from the Bothy. A helpful passer-by would have been extremely unlikely as we only passed about 2 vehicles the whole time we spent on the remote tracks. As there was no phone service this would have meant walking miles to the nearest town potentially in treacherous conditions. Another safety issue that could have quite easily turned nasty was the temperature in the Bothy. Even with the fire on heating the room for a couple of hours the room was still cold, if for some reason we couldn’t have started the fire we would have both been in serious danger of hypothermia and would of had to abandon the expedition. Overall I feel that due to our initial planning, decision making and organization we succeeded in completing a safe expedition. As for obtaining media in an expedition environment we weren’t quite so successful. This is mainly due to the relentless weather we had over the three days. We didn’t see one glimpse of the sun on the whole expedition. However, despite the weather we still managed to achieve some shots that we were proud of. They weren’t the shots we originally had in mind of the Red Deer performing a rut, but I feel that we persevered and made the most of challenging weather conditions.
Myself & Iain next to where we left my car (not to be marked)
Internal shot of Bothy with roaring stove! (not to be marked)
Cooking noodles on our tiny portable stoves (not to be marked)
Conclusion Overall I feel that I achieved our aim of successfully spending three days and nights in the wild obtaining media footage along the way. As i was very in-experienced in expeditions i am proud of my efforts. Granted, we did have a couple of ‘luxury’ items that made the expedition a lot less challenging than it could have been. My car for example, we used the car a lot to travel places when we alternatively could have spent more time walking. I think we justified this however as we managed to discover lots of the places we had originally intended on visiting in a fairly short period of time. As for our goal of obtaining a shot of the Red Deer performing a rut we weren’t quite so successful. Despite intentionally being there for the rutting season we only witnessed slight displays of a rut. We both patiently waited every morning in the hide but the closest we got to a rut was a few roars from the stags. However, i did manage to achieve some detailed close up shots of the Red Deer and other animals which I am pleased with. I feel the most important thing I learned from this expedition was that obtaining high quality media in an expedition environment can be extremely challenging due to a variety of different situations and circumstances. Some that can be dealt with before-hand through careful planning and preparation and others that have to be dealt with in the right way there and then. White Laggan Bothy - South of Loch Dee (not to be marked)
1 - Proud Red Deer Stag
2 - Inquisitive Female Red Deer
3 - The Chase
4 - Grey Mare’s Tail Burn
5 - Fungi
6 - Lichen Berries
7 - Nuthatch In-flight
8 - Lonely Coal Tit
9 - Red Kite
10 - Ariel Display
JOE BURN