Five things to do this week

DALMAHOY FESTIVE IN-ROOM CAMPING EXPERIENCE

Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club has come up with a way to keep families making Christmas memories with their in-room camping experience. It includes a camping tent for two pitched right inside the hotel room along with festive games, colouring and chocolate treats. Complete with all the camping accessories you need. Throughout December, £20 (can be added to any Dalmahoy room booking), Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, Kirknewton EH27 8EB, www. dalmahoyhotelandcountryclub.co.uk

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING

Join The Cauldron Edinburgh for a Gingerbread House decorating activity, accompanied by a Cauldron speciality – a warm mug of unicorn hot chocolate. The tickets include a pre-assembled house with an ice cream cone tree with decorations.

5-20 December, Tickets from £18 (advance booking required), The Cauldron, 57a Frederick Street, Edinburgh EH2 1LH

WINTER WONDERLAND FESTIVE TRAIL

Celebrate home this winter alongside raising funds for those without a safe place to call home and join Aberdeen’s Winter Wonderland Festive Trail. Homes across the city will bring joy to visitors as you get your walking boots on and see the city in a whole new light.

11-25 December, Free, Various venues, Aberdeen, https://aberdeen-cyrenians.org/ wonderland

THE SCHOOL OF LONDON - REINVENTING THE FIGURE

In the decades following the Second

World War, a group of London-based artists reinvented figurative painting in Britain, and were later dubbed The School of London. This display at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art brings together paintings by four artists.

1-31 December Thursday - Saturday (gallery closed Sunday-Wednesday), Free (booking required), 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR, https://www.nationalgalleries.org/ exhibition/school-london-reinventing-figure

CHRISTMAS SEARCH PARTY

This Christmassy, socially-distanced treasure hunt is organised by Gilded Balloon and Padlox Escape Rooms. Follow a Christmas-themed trail of puzzles, games and clues – stopping off at iconic Edinburgh landmarks.

1 December - 8 Jan, Tickets from £10 for a group of 4, Starting Point: St Giles Cathedral, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1RE

and the combination of all three mountains is a challenging and strenuous outing. The hills dominate the lonely, remote head of Glen Lochay and much of the climbing is on rough, trackless terrain.

Beinn Heasgarnich is a big grassy whaleback of a hill and is easily reached from Badour, at the end of the public road in Glen Lochay, via its subsidiary top of Stob an Fhir-bhoga. From the summit of Heasgarnich you drop down into the boggy depths of the Bealach na Baintighearna where a small lochan, cradled in the curve of the bealach, is useful as a navigational aid to line up the steep route of ascent all the way to the summit of the second Munro, Creag Mhor.

Creag Mhor is more shapely than Heasgarnich, formed by the blunt apex of three distinct ridges. Its minor top, Stob nan Clach, is easily reached by following the rim of Coirecheathaich from where you should drop down steep southerly slopes to reach the Lairig Mhic Bhaidein. Ben Challum can be climbed from here by crossing the south-east spur of Cam Chreag and negotiating the steep slopes of Challum’s north-west ridge.

The ascent of Ben Challum from Strath Fillan is certainly a much easier and straightforward option, particularly in winter conditions, and offers a very satisfying outing to fit in with the short daylight hours.

ROUTE PLANNER

Map: OS Landranger sheet 50 (Glen Orchy & Loch Etive)

Distance: 7 miles/11km

Approx Time: 4-6 hours

Start/Finish: Kirkton Farm, Strathfillan (GR: NN360283)

Route: From the remains of St Fillan’s Priory near the farm follow the middle track uphill to the left of the old cemetery and cross the West Highland railway line.

There is a footbridge just east of the level crossing. Leave the path and take to the hillside in a NE direction. There is a very sketchy path. Continue over grassy slopes, over some bracken knolls then over flatter ground and a slight knoll where fenceposts to your right show the direction uphill. Where the fenceposts end walk a short distance to pass a small cairn then reach the S top at 997m. The summit lies to the N but descend slightly W from the S top for a few metres to find a ridge that descends gradually then gives a short pull to the large summit cairn. Return by the same route.

with a purpose offer the owner something akin to a vicarious enjoyment of such sports – a connection with a very aspirational pastime and characters such as James Bond.

CARTIER is a brand synonymous with luxury and when it comes to their watches, they have the creation of countless classics to their name.

Credited by some with bringing the wrist watch to the masses (versus the pocket watch) Cartier pioneered the use of non-round cases, including the ever-enduring Tank. The Panthere is one in this lineage.

With its sleek low profile case and very flexible brick link bracelet, the watch is a very comfortable wear.

Combine this with its simple dial, small screw motif details and low maintenance quartz movement, and it is easy to see why the Panthere is always a hit at auction. In Lyon & Turnbull’s auction on 9th December there are two Panthere watches, one in yellow gold and one in gold and steel.

LYON & Turnbull’s specialist auctions Watches (Edinburgh/ Live Online) and Select Watches (London/ Live Online) take place on 9th March and 28th April respectively, for a free valuation with no obligation to sell, contact Head of Watches Sarah Fergusson on 0141 333 1992 or email sarah.fergusson@ lyonandturnbull.com

The ascent of Ben Challum from Strath Fillan is fairly straightforward. It also offers the chance to visit what’s left of St Fillan’s Priory