100 Weeks of Scotland: The Ben Nevis Race

100 Weeks of Scotland heads north this week. Picture: Alan McCredie

Week 97

It is the journey that is the most important thing not the destination.

Today, the sun is out and Scotland has never looked so beautiful. I pass the journey by counting the Yes and No signs that have sprung up over the last few weeks. Twenty for ‘Yes’, and two for ‘No’. Although one of the ‘No’ signs was artistically the best...

Through the Trossachs and on into the north, I make my first u-turn in Lochearnhead, where one of my favourite things, an old garage has caught my eye (throw in a couple of old petrol pumps and I’m in heaven.) As I carry on I do my usual thing of just being completely astounded by the landscape, and just past Bridge of Orchy I give in. I pull into a stony gap at the side of the road (which may or not be a layby) and take some photos. I’m always astounded by how disappointed I am when I take a landscape shot as I can never make it look as good as what is laid out gloriously in front of me.

I’m soon in Fort William and, although I prefer the getting there, I’ve always liked the place so the destination is not so bad. I am here first and foremost to do some stills photography for a TV company, Solus Productions, who are filming a documentary in which my friend, the Scottish actor Tony Kearney, attempts to run the annual Ben Nevis race, as his father and uncle had done years before. The race begins and ends at Claggan Park, the home Fort William Football Club. When I arrive it is shinty that is being played, and after watching transfixed at this legalised, yet incredibly skilfull form of sporting warfare for a few minutes I head off to start work.

As the competitors left to run, like madmen and women, all the way to the top of Ben Nevis and back, I wandered round and took in the atmosphere. I unintentionally diddled the British Legion out of a £1 for a raffle ticket and was pursued relentlessly until I found someone to borrow the quid from. I rarely carry such large sums. I wandered to look at the replica Model T Ford that was on display, in honour of the one that had driven up the mountain in 1911. I was invited to pay another pound and guess the rear tyre pressure, but alas, The Legion had cleaned me out, and now I’ll never know.

I would like to say the runners soon straggled home, but they didn’t. They came bounding into the park like they had been out for a quick run, not scaling the summit of the highest peak in the UK. It had only taken the winner around 90 minutes, and he seemed barely out of breath.

The fun was all soon over. My friend Tony came roaring home in at a magnificent 2 hours 45 minutes and before long I was heading south again, on another journey, to another destination. The road goes ever on.

• Alan McCredie began the ‘100 weeks of Scotland’ website in October 2012, and it will conclude in Autumn 2014. McCredie’s goal is to chronicle two years of Scottish life in the run-up to the independence referendum.

Alan says ‘one hundred weeks...’ is intended to show all sides of the country over the next two years. On the site, he says: “Whatever the result of the vote Scotland will be a different country afterward. These images will show a snapshot of the country in the run up to the referendum.

“The photos will be of all aspects of Scottish culture - politics, art, social issues, sport and anything else that catches the eye.”

Follow the project at 100weeksofscotland.com. You can also follow Alan on Twitter @alanmccredie.