Category: Long Distance Trails
From canal paths to high ridges: Pondering possibilities for Lochaber returns
21st October 2025 The Lochaber and West Highland Way albums in the online photo gallery recently got updates (an overhaul in the case of the former) from trips to the former during April 2009, July 2013 and June 2024. However, this activity itself spurred some notions of returning to Lochaber because I fancy making digital replacements for what I pruned from the gallery. Naturally, it would have been better to have those newer images in place before culling their predecessors.
It was a previous round of curation that led me to traipse me along sections of the West Highland Way last year, one between Fort William and Kinlochleven followed by another from Glen Coe to Bridge of Orchy. Those journeys replaced images of lesser quality than what I prefer these days, efforts that were rewarded, which is just as well given the wearying heat experienced on the former and the wintry showers encountered on the latter. None of this took from the success of the endeavour, an aspect that dulled any wishes to return to the area for a time afterwards.
Returning to those unused excuses for returning, I am collating a few here for further perusal. These go beyond an ascent of the Pap of Glencoe from the village that gives it part of its name or even any continuation as far as Sgor nan Fiannaidh though that looks like a craggy proposition on OS maps even if Harvey Maps show a path up there. Proceeding any closer to the Aonach Eagach is of no interest to me, given its intensity of exposure and the scrambling involved; this also might be going in the wrong direction too.
Otherwise, Glenfinnan may have its monument commemorating the Jacobite Rising at the head of Loch Shiel as well as its cinematic associations because of a famous viaduct, and short paths that lead to classic viewpoints of both landmarks, while longer circuits climb into the surrounding hills and a track up the glen reaches the Corryhully bothy. Bringing us more on topic, Kinlochleven turns up a lot here because of what lies on its doorstep, which is far more than the well visited Grey Mare's Tail waterfall or even the well trodden West Highland Way, which threads past some of what is described below.
Matters of Unfinished Business
Glen Nevis
An encounter with Glen Nevis was among my earliest incursions into the Scottish Highlands. That was a serendipitous affair that included a trot along a very short section of the mountain track leading to the top of none other than Ben Nevis. It granted me ample views of what lay about me after some forest track trampling in advance of an intrusion that met no reproach from others who were better equipped for their hiking. Apart from the possibility of reaching Scotland's country top, other traipsing through the glen on the West Highland Way has left me sated for now.
However, that still leaves other parts much further into the glen. After all, my second visit took me all the way to the car park at the end of the tarmac road on a stroll with my brother. While a dull day might have limited photography, that was not the point at the time. It was only a few years later that I went past the sign asking about visitor preparedness to reach wilder parts on a day laced with heavy rain. Before that, I had loitered around Achriabhach on a wonderful August evening on a circuit that followed forestry tracks from Fort William before sticking with tarmac for the way back. Then, gaining height on the path shadowing Allt Coire a' Mhusgain granted me a vantage point from which to savour my surroundings at a time when directional sunlight cast many shadows.
Surprisingly, there has been no follow up on those incursions for a good while since they were made. It is not before time that this should be something that is set to rights, though the vicissitudes of Lochaber's weather and the numbers drawn by the delights that await them mean that the errand is challenging. Overcoming those will bring rewards, though.
Great Glen Way
Around midsummer this year, I pottered along the Great Glen Way between Drumnadrochit and Inverness. The start was under cloudy skies without much hope of seeing sunshine, yet there were breaks in the cloud cover later and a fine end to the day. For a long time, my dalliance with the trail was at the other end: between Clunes of the western bank of Loch Lochy, Gairlochy, Banavie and Fort William.
The sprawling rambles started from Spean Bridge and passed the impressively situated Commando Memorial. Their reach included the shores of Loch Arkaig as much as Loch Lochy, with Achnacarry and the Mìle Dorcha as landmarks on my traipsing. Along the way, I surveyed sightings of the Grey Corries as much as the more dramatic side of Ben Nevis and its neighbouring hills. Since all got captured on film, I would fancy returning to make digital images of these alluring panoramas too.
An added sense of adventure could send one's mind to ponder the heights of Meall na Teanga and Sron a' Choire Ghairbh, often suggested as a joint ascent in guidebooks. My first reaction to such an idea was that the realities of carless hiking make this implausible, until I got around to looking at timetables. An early start could make this happen with a spot of care, and Laggan sounds a better starting point than significantly more distant Fort William. However, routing by Mìle Dorcha could increase transport options with a diversion to Spean Bridge.
The stretching of logistical realities sent another flight of fancy into my mind: walking from Laggan to Fort William using the Great Glen Way. This is no quick stroll at 36 kilometres (22.5 miles), though it can be managed in a single day given adequate hours of daylight. The aforementioned section between Drumnadrochit and Inverness was around 32 km (20 miles), after all. If required, a 5 km (3 mile) diversion to Spean Bridge would shorten the distance with access to bus and rail services. However, the section beyond Gairlochy would add digital photos for me when the weather is offering, so the full distance still appeals and seeing those aforementioned hillwalking summits would do no harm either.
Loch Treig, Lairig Leacach & Glen Spean
It was May 2006 when I walked from Corrour station to Spean Bridge after overnight travel got me to Fort William, an escapade that inspired one of the first trip reports on here at a time when brevity was more my style. The sunlit landscapes, still brown after the winter and awaiting greening for the summer, caught my eye as much as Loch Treig itself and any remaining snow on the surrounding hilltops. Though the start may have been later than was ideal, I was still in ample time for a train back to Fort William, and I seem to remember that there were later bus services available in those friendlier times too.
While I might have had a digital camera with me then, film photography was my mainstay at the time and later fumbling meant that I lost the photos anyway. Thus, going that way again is something that appeals to me should such an opportunity arise. Lairig Leacach and the Grey Corries would again have my ephemeral company, though there are other route options in the area that may appeal just as well.
The descent to Spean Bridge had me skirting Leanachan Forest, which offers possibilities such as the 9.8 kilometres Leanachan and River Lundy circular, offering a sheltered outing when weather conditions make higher routes inadvisable. However, the mixture of walkers and mountain bikers does mean that you need to pay more attention at junctions, without being distracted by views of Ben Nevis through the trees.
Adjoining that is Torlundy and the Nevis Range gondola that lifts walkers to opportunities that would otherwise require long approaches. From the Top Station, well-made paths lead to the nearby Sgùrr Finnisg-aig and Meall Beag viewpoints, as well as a more challenging 9.5 kilometre route to Aonach Beag and Aonach Mòr for those possessing the required stamina and navigational skills. In contrast, the Snowgoose Trail turns the approach on its head, climbing for 6 kilometres from the car park to the mid-station restaurant, with the gondola available either up or down to ease the effort.
Staring from Kinlochleven offers another possibilities, with some of these passing Loch Eilde Mor, another location visited a good while ago and with remaining digital photos too, some of which now being in the Lochaber album to which I alluded earlier. One is a circuit that also takes in the 13 kilometres long Blackwater Reservoir and its one kilometre wide dam, an intriguing prospect that frequents quiet countryside with views towards the Pap of Glencoe.
Another trail links with the track between Corrour station and Loch Treig from where there can be a reprise of the hike to Spean Bridge made in 2006, while continuing past Loch Eilde Beag to meet the Abhainn Rath could be another option. Heading north from there towards Lairig Leacach means a potentially tricky river crossing, even if it could make use of the pair of Crocs that I acquired after a similar necessity in Gleann Eanaich during May of last year. While the map may show a ford, the width of the river remains concerning, espcially when weather conditions mean a spate is in full flow.
Otherwise, a more committing possibility might be to continue west to Glen Nevis, an idea with which I have toyed in the past, albeit with a start at Corrour station after arriving there on a northbound Caledonian Sleeper train. The economics of that mode of arrival are not so favourable these days, and securing a booking is challenging enough, possibly because of overtourism. With a sufficiently early start, the Kinlochleven start might be a more feasible option.
A Spectrum of Underused Prospects
Ardgour
It was December 2009 when I made my only crossing of the Corran Narrows to savour what lies on the other side of Loch Linnhe. Leaden clouds packed the sky to ensure a dark and sunless encounter. Nevertheless, seeing these parts on a brighter day remains an unused prospect. Once you get there, the council-commissioned Corran Ferry gets you to the other side in minutes to reach perhaps deserted hills and more remote walking to boot.
The Druim na Sgriodain loop is one of the more convenient possibilities in an area more amenable to backpacking than day hikes, especially given the sparse bus timetable that is prioritised for locals more than visitors. Returning to the route, it is one that includes 12.2 kilometres of walking with 795 metres of ascent, an undertaking that would engage you for much of a day with its challenging terrain. After that, there is Garbh Bheinn, at 885 metres, often compared to a Munro and demanding of the kind of respect, making it one for dry, settled weather when visibility remains good.
This is an area for those seeking solitude and remoteness, especially when you venture into neighbouring Morvern and Sunart. As with much of the Scottish Highlands, it helps to have calm conditions along with a sense of self-sufficiency. While my incursions may be limited, I retain hopes of witnessing panoramas that sprawl over water and hill, gifts of clear sunlit days.
Ben Nevis
For someone with a fascination with a fascination with hill country and a long history of frequenting Fort William, it may come as a surprise to you to hear that I never visited the 1,345-metre high top of Ben Nevis. All that I have is a little taste of the Mountain Track from my first-ever foray into Glen Nevis. Advancing awareness of how ill-equipped I was for the full venture throttled any uprisings of ambition, assuming there ever were any, which exceeds any sense of reality.
My brother was wondering about reaching the summit when we went this way on our round trip of Scotland. The answer that seven or eight hours (allowing oneself nine might be no bad idea) were needed was sufficient for dulling any ambitions. Parking up a car at the youth hostel would have gained us a starting point for a 14.2 kilometre out and back hike if we were so equipped. If we had known, a partial climb might have been in order: after all, following the Mountain Trail to Halfway Lochan offers a 7.7 kilometre return route to a fine viewpoint at around 610 metres, one that offers views over Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe.
While the Mountain track might be my choice if I get to make an ascent, there are other possibilities for more experienced walkers, and the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête is a celebrated adventurous option. This 17.9 kilometre ridge route from the North Face car park is exposed and steep, involving scrambling and pathless sections that require assured footing and good judgement, particularly if cloud presses low over the massif. Thus, this is no place for novices.
Returning to the subject of partial ascents, the North Face approach to the CIC Hut is another fine outing in its own right. This 11.1 kilometre return route climbs steadily beside the Allt a' Mhuilinn to reach the memorial hut beneath Ben Nevis's towering cliffs. Nevertheless, you can continue to the summit from here, stretching your hiking distance to around 25.6 kilometres on a challenge that can take 11 or 12 hours with some backtracking as you round the mountain to reach the upper section of the Mountain Track.
Continuing the theme of combining the Mountain Track and the North Face Path, I spied another option on the map that gains views along its length, if not the top of Scotland's highest hill. This opens up going from Torlundy to Fort William via the CIC Hut, a 17.5-kilometre route that opens with a sustained climb. As a means of getting to know the terrain, this has its appeal and opens up possibilities for reconnaissance before committing to any sort of summit attempt, as grandiose as that makes things sound.
The Mamores
Continuing on the mountaineering thread brings me to things that are flights of fancy to someone who normally summits on a single hill (maybe two at times) in one day, rather than doing a round of them. There are some of those with renown to be found among the Mamores. This is the kind of hill country where safety needs added care. For example, the north-eastern ridge of Sgùrr a' Mhàim should never be used for descent, as it has been associated with fatalities. After all, you are covering the kind of ground that needs added experience, a head for heights, proper equipment and the ability to navigate in poor visibility.
One is the 15.9 kilometre Ring of Steall, linking four summits in a committing loop, and the 13.4 kilometre Stob Bàn and Mullach nan Coirean round. Both are technical and strenuous with ridge walking, scrambling, traversal of narrow arêtes and steep descents. Both are dwarfed by the 39.8 kilometre Mamores Tour that takes in the summits of Mullach nan Coirean, Sgùrr a' Mhàim, Am Bodach, An Gearanach, Na Gruagaichean, Binnein Mòr and others, and the descent from Binnein Beag that requires great care.
Glen Nevis acts as an access point for much of this, as does Kinlochleven, from which stalker's paths will convey you to the likes of Sgurr Eilde Mor, Binnein Mor, Sgor nam Fiannaidh and Am Bodach. While reaching those heights on more modest incursions appears tempting, the potential of these making for challenging mountain days provides pause for thought.
Heading southwest
16th August 2025 Last weekend, I ventured to parts of England that I had not visited before: Devon and Cornwall. My base was Exeter, and any strolling was mainly urban in nature. Nevertheless, I did head out of the city by the banks of the River Exe and the Exeter Canal as far as Riverside Valley Park before turning back again. While others were so minded, there was ample space to avoid any sense of being overcrowded.
One back within city limits, I headed to its cathedral district on a photographic errand before ambling back to my hotel around by the city's Victorian era catacombs and a former abbey. After attending to a matter, the evening sunshine sent me wandering again, this time as far as Exmouth, where I pottered around by a coastline with many enjoying the glorious weather. As the day proceed to a close, I continued as far as Orcombe Point.
Since a landscape photographer was stationed there with her tripod-mounted camera, I did not intrude and set off to make my way back within urban surroundings again. Using a permissive path on National Trust land became the cause of my going astray, not a brilliant with the sun having retreated beneath the horizon. This caused me to follow more of the South West Coast Path than was ideal at the time.
The sense of urgency with which I made my made through Devon Cliffs Holiday Park may have attracted the attention of security if overheard radio chatter at the park gate was any indication. One past that point, all was unhindered and without any untoward exchange of words. Fortuitously, a bus was seen to pass on its way into the park, so I waited for it to turn around so I could speed up my return to Exmouth train station, feeling more than a bit foolish on the way after my blundering.
That sheepishness had plenty of time to fade over the following day. It was mainly occupied by proceeding as far as Penzance on the first rail departure of the day. The three-hour journey time was new information to me, yet I was not deterred. Getting to Cornwall for the first time was enough of a motivation. While St. Michael's Mount was ever present in eastern coastal views, it was just too far to walk there and back due to the travel time back to Macclesfield.
After strolling around the place for more than an hour, I was ready to set off again. Fancying a brief stopover in Plymouth, an idea with which I toyed the previous afternoon, I left on an earlier train. If I had expected forty-five minutes to suffice for an out and back hike to Plymouth's shoreline, I was to be proven wrong. Though that delayed my departure from the city by an hour, it was more than worthwhile with what was there to be savoured. That I got a quieter carriage for the journey as far as Birmingham was an added bonus.
The tight connection in Birmingham was a concern to me, especially given a hold up on the approach to New Street Station. Nevertheless, all was well, and I made an earlier coach connection from Wilmslow to Macclesfield too. If I had left Penzance or Plymouth later than I did, I might have been far more concerned.
That dalliance with the tail end of the Jurassic Coast near Exmouth popped another idea into my head for a weekend getaway. However, reaching the Dorset coast appears too long for an after work getaway of a Friday evening. Travel connections in the area are not as convenient either, causing me to question the motivation for such a proposal. Thus, I am leaving this prospect aside, at least for now. Catching Ely of a sunny weekend is more practicable and realisable, so that could be next.
Travel Arrangements
Here is the itinerary for this journey: 1. Travel from Macclesfield to Wilmslow: Taking a rail replacement coach service. 2. Wilmslow to Exeter: Catch a train, changing at Birmingham New Street. 3. Exeter to Penzance: Continuing the journey on a direct train. 4. Penzance to Plymouth: Board the train to Plymouth. 5. Plymouth to Wilmslow: Head back with a train change at Birmingham New Street. 6. Final stretch from Wilmslow to Macclesfield: By rail replacement coach service.
Between the rush and the ramble: Swiss cities, Scottish hills and life’s rhythms
28th June 2025 Much has happened since I last posted something on here. After an extended and frustrating period, I am embarking on a freelance assignment with a new client. This came unexpectedly while I was pursing a search for permanent employment. It also turns out that things may be improving on the freelance market, given what I am starting to see elsewhere. Those other opportunities can go to others; when you choose one for yourself, you are implicitly rejecting all everything and everyone else, as a Capuchin priest preached on marriage on a Sunday morning near the end of last year. Sometimes, wisdom can be portable from one context to another.
From Geneva's Via Jacobi to Zurich's Hidden Woodlands
Bookending the above frenzy were trips away from home, first to a conference and then for leisure. The former took me to Geneva, where I got to explore the place in parallel. A Saturday arrival allowed for a Sunday saunter from Coppet back to Geneva that followed the Via Jacobi for much of the way, albeit with some deviations south of Versoix and near Geneva's Botanic Gardens. After getting sated by other strolling around the city, I embarked on an evening visit to Bern on the Friday before I returned to the UK, going by rail all the way home for the sake of added variety.
Zurich also got two visits. The first saw me go to Lucerne on arrival to make the best of the better day of the weekend with some lakeside strolling before venturing into a shady woodland with some ascent involved as I turned back towards the city centre again. A boat trip around Zurichsee made a lot of the mixed weather that came my way the next day, especially during an amble from Rapperswil to nearby Pfäffikon under breaking skies before returning by train. Some city strolling around Zurich followed the passing of a rain shower to round off the trip ahead of a return flight the next day.
The lack of sunny weather around Zurich drew me back later, even if temperatures were higher than what suits me. After following up a work opportunity, I caught up with the place on a sunny if sweltering evening to make some better photos. The next day, I went to Basel to potter through its Altstadt on a circuit taking in the banks of the River Rhine. That was completed in sufficient time to allow more wandering around Zurich after attending to a matter. More photos were made before my rambling among extensive woodland adjoining the city. That had me passing the city's zoo while remarking at the peace that surrounded me in the late evening, a counterpoint to what else was happening in my life.
An Ascent of Fionn Bheinn and a Section of the Great Glen Way
The action that resulted in the new freelance contract happened after all this and to celebrate the success, I made use of a trip idea that was thwarted by a previous frenzy of similar activity. Thus, I went north to Inverness when some sunny weather was on offer. After a late arrival caused by a tardy start, I went on a day trip to Achnasheen to make an ascent of Fionn Bheinn and take whatever views that gained me. An octogenarian was going the same way, but I decided to pass him and hike my own hike in the hope that the gradient would cause him to opt for a short stroll.
The route has a reputation for being boggy, and even a year with a lot of dry weather did not mean my avoiding soggy ground. That made the going more challenging on the initial stage of the ascent before gradients slackened for a while. It was only near the top that I met with better ground. By then, the views really opened out around me, as they had been doing while I gained height. Heat haze curtailed photographic hopes, albeit without taking from any scenic delights. For my descent, I went down by Sàil an Tuim Bhàin and Achnasheen Plantation to return to Achnasheen where I would have a lengthy wait for my train.
It was around five minutes before that arrived that my elderly counterpart arrived after reaching the top, further irking my conscience about having passed him on the way, even if I did need my own quiet time. The American was talkative, and I grabbed a step for getting him onto the train from the low platform, watching that he was OK after his extraordinary exertions. He seemingly ventured further up the carriage, apparently meeting some acquaintances. That was where our encounter ended.
Though myself wearied by my own actions around Fionn Bheinn, I stuck with my plan to follow the Great Glen Way from Drumnadrochit back to Inverness. The day started cloudy, and I contented myself with that as I departed from Drumnadrochit. Nevertheless, cloud cover began to break as I climbed up from the A82. Until the late afternoon, sunshine was to come and go. Before that, I deviated around by Carn na Leitire and relished some quiet road walking in advance of venturing onto trails again.
Then, I got word of some property that I had lost without my realising it and arranged a meet up with the finders to get it back before leaving Inverness for home. The kindness of others never fails to surprise me, leaving me to wonder at my own helpfulness or my perceived lack of it. A friendly chat ensued with passing fellow walkers after those phone calls; they were local and shared with me some knowledge about drove roads before we parted. They also said about travel being downhill from where we were, and they were not at all wrong about that. Being back in Inverness at an appropriate hour meant that I could attend to yet another matter before resting a while in advance of some gentler river bank wandering on a balmy summer's evening. It attempted to belie the forecast of rain for the next day, a failed ruse if ever there was one.
On being reunited with my lost property, I caught the next train to Edinburgh. Travelling meant that I was indoors from any rain. Even a delay due to overrunning engineering works around Pitlochry failed to scupper my progress, despite it meaning that a later departure from Edinburgh was my lot. The mixture of satisfaction and being humbled by the actions of others brought no cause for complaint.
In Reflection
For me, these recent months have been a reminder that life rarely unfolds as we expect it; we never know enough to plan everything; that is an ongoing life lesson for me. Here are some prompts: a freelance opportunity that emerged after a long wait, the kindness of strangers who returned lost property and chance encounters on hill country paths. Then, you can get a contrast between the frenetic pace of a search for work and the measured rhythm of walking at the same time as a juxtaposition of paths trampled and life experienced: sometimes boggy and challenging underfoot, otherwise offering clearer paths and broader views. It all exhibits how mysterious we are and how life is likewise.
There has been much closure to complement all of this mix of parallels and contrasts, too. There may be the prospect of following the South Loch Ness Trail, but that can wait for a weekday when bus times work better for such a venture. Having considered possibilities while I was up north, I am decided on that awaiting another time. With so much satisfaction otherwise gained, there can be no cause for complaint. Other things matter now as life proceeds into a new chapter.
Frantic: When life’s vicissitudes collide with getting away for a long weekend
3rd May 2025 The past week has been hectic for me, hence the title. However, the result of my exertions was an offer for my freelance services that clashed with another opportunity that came to nothing. The offer was accepted despite warnings that it could be rescinded. The coming week will show whether that was a bluff or not.
All this was happening during the first real sign of heat that we experienced this year; the hot, sunny weather was a foretaste of summer. There were local strolls in the midst of the frenzy, a necessity for keeping my mind in order throughout all of it. My mind even turned to a Scottish incursion centred on Inverness that would have allowed a visit to Fionn Bheinn near Achnasheen as well as a stroll from Drumnadrochit back to Inverness along part of the Great Glen Way.
However, there was too much happening to allow the getaway to become a reality. A hotel booking was cancelled after learning that the weather was not as enticing as I might have desired during a sequence of simplification. Having the prospects for another time will do no harm, though. Ideas are not so plentiful in my head as I write these words, anyway.
Business is set to return me to Geneva for a conference, which will be handy for getting to see the place again. The initial motivation for all of this was making connections for securing freelance work as well as building up my knowledge. Some of that may be less pressing after the past week, though it will be good to get out among colleagues again. Wandering the city in pleasant sunshine will be a bonus too.
These are times when being a solopreneur can be isolating, especially when trying to source work in a challenging market. Thus, it is just as well that the wonders of nature at springtime offer much needed solace and consolation. While my wanderings may be curtailed this year, any such encounter only spurs desire for deeper incursions. There may be time for those later.
Added springtime serendipity around Stirling and the Trossachs: From Forthside to lochside
14th January 2025 To complete, the Stirling series of trip reports, I am leaping forward to April 2024 to relate the rest of the excursion to Stirling that closed out my rambling around Ben Ledi. That portion of the trip has been described already as part of the collection of hikes around Callander's main local hill. That was not the only highlight offered by a few days of sunshine that contrasted with previous dull weather stints in the area.
Footsteps Around the Forth
Stirling is not always a dull weather spot for me, though. While my first encounter with the place in 2002 might have gone like that, others have not been so. Typically, they have been weekend affairs, with a Saturday arrival and a Sunday departure. There are a few that stand out in my memory. One from November 2023 is among these with its incursion into the Ochil Hills on a gravel track shod with lighter footwear, not my usual way of working. That too has been described elsewhere as one of a collection of hikes around the said hills. There has been some slicing of hill walking trips to the area, of which this is another example.
Returning to Stirling walks, one from February 2016 remains lodged in my mind, coming as it did in a period of great change for me. The Sunday of that weekend came as a crisp, chilly, sunny day that I could not waste. Going inside to see what is in Stirling Castle or the Wallace Monument did not feel right to me, so I stayed out of both of them. When there is a significant fee, there often is a commitment that I am not willing to make.
My traipsing then took me around Gowanhill, the caste perimeter and Old Stirling before I wandered in the direction of Cambuskenneth Abbey, or what remains of it, which sadly is not that much. Then, I pottered around the Wallace Monument before circling around to Old Stirling Bridge. All this occupied enough of the day beside part of the River Forth that I had no inclination to approach the Ochil Hills, which I was then viewing from further afield.
Stirling's Castle has its photographic attractiveness, and that brings me to May 2019 when I arrived in the city to make use of some evening lighting. Otherwise, it was a case of retracing old steps before returning south after the last of a string of Scottish incursions, mainly centred on Edinburgh and starting around Easter of the year. For later visits, the motivation was photographic, while the Easter escapade featured much walking and slaying of old wounding memories from my time living in the city for educational advancement.
The first evening of my stay in April 2024 drew on those previous visits to Stirling. Wandering by the River Forth took me by the Cambuskenneth Abbey ruin. After a photographic vigil, I set on for the Wallace Monument while more photographic exertions resulted before I started to explore the trails around Abbey Craig. Since the monument was shut for the day, there were few about to intrude on any solitary ambling. There was much to savour in this compact area before I again struck on for Old Stirling Bridge and followed the River Forth as far as Forth Valley College before turning towards the castle while the day wore on towards sunset. The light was faded, so photography was near halted, or at least the results got regarded as mere record shots. Going around by King's Knot, I made my way towards the lodgings for my stay, noting in the west where I was headed the following morning.
Lochside Rambling from Callander to Aberfoyle
It is often that an outing inspires a follow-up excursion. It was during the hike around Ben Ledi that I spotted an information board mentioning the prospect of circumnavigating Loch Vennacher among other possibilities. Naturally, that popped an idea into my head. With the Ochil Hills being closed off by an incursion in November 2023, that left a day free to make use of the idea. It all was in the spirit of serendipity, and that was set to affect the execution as well.
Thus, I returned to Callander after the gifts of the previous day. Hovering over the day was a throwback to the English August Bank Holiday weekend in 2007 when I ventured north to Scotland to hike part of the Rob Roy Way from Drymen to Callander with a stopover in Aberfoyle. A tumble in a train station rather cast a shadow over the proceedings because of my having hurt my ribs at the time. That made the use of a rucksack more challenging, especially since I was carrying quite a load for the weekend. Nevertheless, I managed to follow through on my plans with an overcast arrival in Callander after a sun blessed start in Aberfoyle. Even so, there were many thoughts about coming back to the area that were lost to me until I revisited that old trip report, even giving a little re-editing for clarity.
Thus, when I followed the A81 across the River Teith after a circuitous deviation caused by my stocking up on refreshments, I probably was reversing a route taken nearly seventeen years before, albeit in continuous bright spring sunshine. It was as if I were using an idea parked in my writings for years before. Once off that A road, which can be busy, I was on quieter tarmac. Since this also is part of National Cycle Network route 7, I also had cyclists for company, even leap frogging a duo until they got going and left me after them. Heavier traffic like timber lorries can go this way, so care is needed, and there was one that passed me at one point. Mostly, though, I was in quiet surroundings.
Patient trotting conveyed me to the shore of Loch Vennachar, which I had viewed from around Ben Ledi the day before. Some wild swimmers were in the water, and I left them to their pursuit, surveying what lay north of me. Naturally, one of the hummocks was Ben Ledi and its neighbouring hills. One of these, Stuc Odhar, even appeared its equal in a distance of some kilometres; in reality, the summit heights differ by over two hundred metres. Nevertheless, these were to detain my attention for much of the way.
All the while, there were constant reminders that Aberfoyle is not that far away; Scottish Rights of Way Society signage offered evidence of that, tempting me to reprise the former route from August 2007, albeit in reverse. Even so, I stuck with the cycling route because that hugged the loch shore. After an awkward meeting with others near the Sailing Club premises around East Lodge, I continued past West Dullater with a brief stop at the Invertrossachs Scout Activity Centre, where I was reminded of days spent at the Firbush Field Centre during my university days in Edinburgh.
Around Invertrossachs, I left the roadway for a narrower track that still acted as a cycle path, forming part of NCN 7. It amazed me that the trail was in use by bicycle tourers, given the lack of width. Thankfully, it was quiet and a pleasure to stroll, with only one cyclist passing the way. While the bucolic woodland may have limited views, they had been somewhat unchanging anyway.
That had altered by the time that forest cover began to thin to allow views of the western extent of Loch Venachar, which was petering out, unlike its eastern end, which is dammed. All this may have started below the dam of Loch Drunkie, which I would meet later; at that stage, it was hidden among the trees around a kilometre away to my left. My surroundings began to feel more peopled as I approached the track junction where there was a sign for Aberfoyle, one of several that I had passed that day.
A desire for ice cream lured me onto the route of the Three Lochs Drive to find the way to Brig o' Turk. If I had stuck with my initial plan, the Great Trossachs Path would be carrying me back to Callander. Instead, I had decided to make for Aberfoyle, conscious that its last bus to Stirling was earlier in the day than that from Callander. Nevertheless, I continued to Brig o' Turk on what became a fool's errand, for there is nary a service station in the place. However, I did get to spot the way to Glen Finglas, somewhere that tickles my fancy for another time.
On the way back from Brig o' Turk, I took a chance and went as far as Loch Achray before circling back to the junction where I left the NCN 7. Time was on my mind at this point because the twists and turns of the trail to Aberfoyle made for difficult ready reckoning of progress. Even with the noticeable strength of the sun and the heat of the afternoon, I pressed on uphill.
In time, I would meet with Loch Drunkie and stop for photographic exertions on a periodic basis. The Forest Drive was being well-used by then, not necessarily the most relaxing situation for a passing hiker, though it was to have a compensation later. Many were stopped by the loch, which hardly was a surprise in the circumstances. Once past this sprawling watery landmark, the heat experienced on broad forestry tracks was punctuated by a random act of kindness: a Tunnock's Tea Cake was offered through a car window, and it would have been rude to refuse it. Profuse gratitude after acceptance could be the only response.
Near an unseen Lochan Reòidhte, the Forest Drive route was left behind me as the trail entered shadier surroundings, another blessed relief from the weather. While warm sunshine is great and is sought, there can be a cost for a journeying rambler; using sunscreen is a must (especially for fair skinned types like me), as is keeping hydrated. A descent laden with progress lay ahead of me, yet my thoughts turned to anyone coming the other way on this steep track. It was becoming clear that my timing worries were for nought; there was plenty of time in the end.
Once the gradients slackened, aching limbs needed coaxing to continue the rest of the way. Thankfully, the end was in sight by then, and refreshment supplies were augmented ahead of a replenishment break before the bus appeared. That left me about an hour in Aberfoyle, a very quiet place, while I was there. Protesting knees got some respite as information boards were surveyed. Not without reason has Aberfoyle been highlighted as a centre for mountain biking, with all the tracks and trails that thread the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. The moniker "Gravelfoyle" has been invented to reflect this, for there is much here, though some steep slopes can be expected. To one weary wanderer, all that felt far away, so the arrival of the last bus to Stirling was a welcome sight.
Looking through photos now, I realise that I pottered around Stirling again before retiring for the night. There should have been continuing fatigue after the day's exertions, yet the sunny evening drew me outside again, though not for an extensive stroll like the first evening in the city. The next morning, sunny surroundings may have attempted to hold on to me only for life's responsibilities to ensure that I returned south again. Nonetheless, there remained an air of satisfaction as I did so. Scottish sunshine had done its magic and its landscapes gleamed as a result.
Prospects and Reflections
Though I might be less inclined to focus my attention on Aberfoyle, I am left with some ideas for possible future visits to these parts. Hiking the northern side of Loch Venachar is one option with a few added extensions. Glen Finglas is the first of these that could be part of a larger circuit around Ben Ledi. After that, there is Loch Katrine, which lay some kilometres west of where I found myself, and time was against my reaching its shores. A lengthy out and back trot from Callander would fit in that one during longer daylight hours. Sometimes, adding to one's ideas collection can prompt a fear that one will remain ever distracted by them and unable to attend to the essential matters of life. Even so, it is even worse not to have any at all.
