Hunting For Snow

There are places in Scotland's mountains where patches of snow rarely melt from one year to the next. As the final traces of last season looked close to vanishing, Ed Byrne joined snow expert Iain Cameron for a trip to Braeriach... just in the nick of time.

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THERE’S SOMETHING VERY endearing about people who show dedication d to their hobbies. Even if it’s not something I’m interested in, I can’t help but admire the level l of time and effort people can put into certain pursuits. Despite having less than zero interest in football, for instance, I had to doff my cap when one of the other dads d from my kids’ school showed me around the Arsenal shrine he has built in his garden. His fanatical devotion is demonstrated d with every programme meticulously l filed, every scarf, every shirt, lovingly displayed. 

Football, however, is a very common obsession. I find that the more obscure the pastime, the more endearing the devotee. Someone obsessed with Star Wars won’t interest me as much as someone obsessed with Farscape. Anyone can be a Beatles fan, but try applying that level l of fanaticism to say, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Stuff your stamp collection, I want to meet someone who collects 19th Century opium pipes. That’s why I was fascinated to learn that there are a growing number of people in Britain who are very keen on monitoring the most persistent patches of snow in Scotland. That sounds like a hobby!