Turning a New Leaf

[aaquater]

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Or my first proper Scottish hillwalk, I guess I could call it, and thank my boss for prompting me to actually go out and do it. Not having any maps (I only bought them after I returned from this walk), I read up on several official routes and joined together several that were meant to have paths throughout. First, I headed up Ben Vrackie, which I spotted looming over the lochan below.

The look back to Pitlochry makes the sudden steep drop obvious, but walking it, it was a good path I had no trouble with.

Beinn a' Ghlo as a more prominent, more 'glorified' target on the horizon. Some day, though not yet; I first needed to get the hang of getting around Scotland.

I got down to the lochan but turned right and descended down the zig-zagging track all the way to the Garry and Soldier's Leap. This looks back down the Garry towards the Killiecrankie Viaduct. Following the river, it was a pleasant return to Pitlochry.

But I wasn't done yet. Another short official route brought me to the Black Spout waterfall and back. Admittedly, though, I made a wrong turn and walked a part of the route backwards, so I traced an 8 and not a 0. But I found my way back to the village and could officially say that I was hooked. If we're being extra dramatic, a new chapter of my life had begun.