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It was safe there. Next day, I went there to collect it, drove at five mph to Calton Hill, told the other guides the story and they were thinking 'OMG ,what if something happens to it, we are in the ‘××××’! Nervous is not the word. But the day came, it went, all ok, great coverage for us and the successful walks we did. I returned it straight away, saw this guy and he obviously had been thinking on this and he said ' maybe next time, if there is one, we had better get insurance!’ I looked at him incredulously and thought “I just do not believe this.” That was a really, really nervous 24 hours that I had.’
Reversing up the Road...in a coach... for two miles!
Ros Newlands recalls an infamous incident when, on a training course in the highlands, Con Gillen who oversaw the STGA course for the University of Edinburgh and also lectured in geology – insisted that the coach could get access to Eddrachilles Bay – he had done it before.
‘But he forgot that “before” was in a mini bus,’ she said. The result was that the coach driver, John Johnson, had to reverse two miles back up the road when we reached an impassable bridge.
‘The following year on a tour of Shetland the local Green Badge guide took us down a narrow road that again resulted in John having to reverse but this time into a woman’s front garden – much to the amusement of a flock of sheep who came over to the fence to watch. Undaunted as ever John volunteered on year three and for some unknown reason had to reverse off the Craignure ferry.
In 2014 Norma Allan and Morag Dunbar wrote a song about the occasion to mark Con Gillen’s retirement. ‘Reversing Up The Road’ was sung to Yellow on the Broom.
This year the Scottish Tourist Guides will say goodbye to Con,
No longer to enlighten us on roacks and peat and stauns.
Without his expert guidance, how will we understand
these rocky scenes of schist and slate we see throughout the land?
The inspiration for our song goes back for many years,
Con led us up the garden path which ended up in tears.
We took Con’s road to Badcall, John Johnston at the wheel,
But soon we reached an impasse, John shouting “You’re no real!” CHORUS Reversing up the road,
Reversing up the road,
With John undaunted at the wheel, Reversing up the road.
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