Craigallian Loch and Carbeth

[ngm1scot]

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First of all let me say that we had a great night, no matter how the rest of this report MIGHT sound: the threatened thunderstorms, low cloud and rain didn't materialise, instead we were treated to the most glorious summer's evening warm, balmy and not a breath of wind.

We started off from Milngavie Station Car Park just after 6pm, Martin John and I. I decided that despite bringing my OS map in the car, I wouldn't need it: after all it's the WHW with a wee climb over Carbeth Hill - who needs a map. The first thing was it didn't feel like a walk, Martin said, since we were in a suburban landscape with shops, trains, houses etc but that was to change! As we jauntily trod our way along the Main Street, sun cream was remembered and applied, money was obtained from the last cash machine before Fort William and we set off once again.

For me the WHW is familiar territory at least as far as Rowardennan, having walked and cycled bits of it at various times but never all at the same time. So the early part of the trip required virtually no navigation skills although I always forget to turn left at one point instead of going straight on but it mattered not as the two tracks join up eventually.

Soon it was uphill to the upper part of the trail in Mugdock and after a short breather and some water, headed on. Virtually in no time had we reached the Khyber Pass (why?) and on to the "open air" bit of the way shortly reaching the Loch,

Craigallian Loch lily pads

with views to Dumgoyne beyond. Onwards still...

We eventually reached the end of the long straight bit of well made track and I said to the guys, "Right, its up here" we headed up a more grassy ATV track which very quickly came to an end and then we were on to what felt like an MTB trail: steep, muddy and twisting through bracken and eventually some trees as we reached the top of the hill. Thankfully we didn't meet any MTBrs cos there was no where to go!

At last the track turned West and through an unpadlocked gate onto a fine grassy (but still narrow) path across the top of Carbeth Hill. It leads you successfully to the tarmacced path at Carbeth which brings you out nicely at the Inn. I only discovered that night after I was home that there might have been a quicker route down to the Inn.

We spent a beautiful 30 minutes in the setting sun downing a pint of cider (for them) and soda and lime for me . Martin however expressly stated that he wanted to go back a different way - not back down the mudslide. So we did. Instead of joining the grassy path that led across the hillltop, we followed an even fainter one round to the left which appeared at first glance to go back to the Inn.

Intrepid explorer that I am, I headed off in the direction I though we needed to go, initially across a recent path of downtrodden grass and when it ran out, I made my own, heading for the trees which I mistakenly thought were at the WHW level. You can see now why I should have brought my map but that was to get worse before it got better....

We slipped and slithered about on mossy tree roots,

In the mysterious wood without a path

leaf mould and loose peat, continually contouring the hillside just below the edge of the bracken, often surfacing to check position (map) and the existence of a path - ANY path - but there were none. It seemed to go on forever and eventually I hit on the idea of checking our GPS position on my iphone. Doh! I could see where we were and where we needed to get to so we carried on through the trees, over the trees, swinging from trees, discovering rotting or rotted branches, and picking up on what seemed to be trails from time to time but may have been nothing more than many badger tracks. Eventually a cry came from John who had been pioneering ahead of us - "A Path, A Real Path"

A Path has been sighted down there somewhere

We cheered and there was much rejoicing. After joining the path and heading in a confident Easterly direction, we rejoined the WHW and headed quickly back to Milngavie. But pausing long enough to take some snaps of Carbeth Loch.

Dumgoyne, Dumfoyn and Carbeth Loch

We spotted a young deer (unfortunately my video failed), and two frogs

Frog 1

Frog 2 - the evil one

and arrived back at the car about 10.30 in the pitch dark. It was one of those nights you would have had to experience to understand how crazy it was and yet it was great.

Note to self: Always take a map even when its an easy route cos you just never know...

Incidentally the walk time includes 30 minutes for a stop at the Carbeth Inn

[bobble_hat_kenny]

Nice report - that looks a great wee walk very close to home. There's definitely something not quite canny aboot that second frog, though !

[ngm1scot]

You're right about the frog. It never moved though we were roasting it with our camera flashes. Just those horrible staring eyes......