The best laid schemes....
Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 11:36 pm.... often do go awry, but there wasn't too much grief and pain and there was some promised joy- I'll explain!!
I had booked two nights at the Four Seasons in St Fillans, which meant three days of getting out and about around Loch Earn. It was going to be the middle of May, so it be shorts, teeshirts and lots of sunscreen. I had planned....
Day one. Ben Chonzie, some lunch, down to the watersports centre to hire some kayaks or a rowing boat and then back to the hotel for dinner- dress code was to be smart- no problem I'll pack a dress and heels
Day two. Ben Vorlich, Stuc A'Chroin and return via Ben Our. Again out for dinner, maybe try the Drummond Hotel this time.
Day three. Saddle up and cycle to Balquidder, then home.
Perfect! Is this what happened? No!!! The Scottish weather happened!!! Please note that I am not comparing my minor inconveniences in any way to the hell that Kev went through!! I'm just whinging!
Anyway here's how it panned out.
Said goodbye to the kids and reminded them that if anyone asked them what team they supported (It was helicopter Sunday!!) just to say Clyde FC! They might still get beaten up but for different reasons!! And not wrap their cars round any trees!!
With the weather not looking too bad, we decided to change the days round and head up to Ben Vorlich first. Parked along from Ardvorlich House after running the gauntlet of hundreds of drunks carrying fishing rods!!! Is this normal??
The path up to the top is pretty good and exactly as described on WH.
And so off we set for Stuc A'Chroin...easier said than done! We met a very nice man who told us we were 30mins from the summit. Easiest way he said was to hang a right at the big boulder, head down and then we would pick up a zig zag path. Smashing! Problem is that once we left him we saw hundreds of big boulders and unfortunately none of them had a big neon sign on them saying 'This way!!'. I should also mention that we couldnt see very far at this point and it was pretty miserable. We looked around for some kind of path but there was nothing but lots of slippery rocks. I was happy to admit defeat and head back down. Of course 10 minutes later the sun decided to peak through and did we head back up? No!!
We soon picked up the path again and after about an hour Loch Earn came back into view.
We were a bit disappointed not to climb Stuc and Ben Our but we were more than happy to head back to the hotel. So we got scrubbed up, had a fab meal and some drinks and then tottered out onto the jetty for a photo.
We woke up to pretty dreich day, so we decided to get on our bikes and head down to Balquidder. The NCN (route 7) is well sign-posted in Lochearnhead and you can park up next to St Angus church (maybe not when there is a service on?)
The path is really good and if the weather had been better we would have had some smashing views but it was a bit misty.
After 30 mins you're in Balquidder. A quick visit to Rob Roy's final resting place and then a coffee and buns at the Library Tearoom.
Carried on down the cycle path until we hit Callender. Had a quick bite to eat and then headed back. I'm not afraid to say that I had to get off my bike and push up some of the really steep bits, I was getting really tired!
The next day I was very saddle sore and not in the mood to do anything other than a bit of shopping in Crieff. Got the kids some presents. Arrived home to find the house in relatively good order and the kids in one piece.
All in all in was a most enjoyable trip, even though we didn't do all the climbing that we wanted but we did a lot more cycling than we was planned!!
I had booked two nights at the Four Seasons in St Fillans, which meant three days of getting out and about around Loch Earn. It was going to be the middle of May, so it be shorts, teeshirts and lots of sunscreen. I had planned....
Day one. Ben Chonzie, some lunch, down to the watersports centre to hire some kayaks or a rowing boat and then back to the hotel for dinner- dress code was to be smart- no problem I'll pack a dress and heels
Day two. Ben Vorlich, Stuc A'Chroin and return via Ben Our. Again out for dinner, maybe try the Drummond Hotel this time.
Day three. Saddle up and cycle to Balquidder, then home.
Perfect! Is this what happened? No!!! The Scottish weather happened!!! Please note that I am not comparing my minor inconveniences in any way to the hell that Kev went through!! I'm just whinging!
Anyway here's how it panned out.
Said goodbye to the kids and reminded them that if anyone asked them what team they supported (It was helicopter Sunday!!) just to say Clyde FC! They might still get beaten up but for different reasons!! And not wrap their cars round any trees!!
With the weather not looking too bad, we decided to change the days round and head up to Ben Vorlich first. Parked along from Ardvorlich House after running the gauntlet of hundreds of drunks carrying fishing rods!!! Is this normal??
The path up to the top is pretty good and exactly as described on WH.
- Poser!
- Is it less boggy over there?
- How does he get up there so quickly??
- Walking like Quasimodo??
- Yippee!
And so off we set for Stuc A'Chroin...easier said than done! We met a very nice man who told us we were 30mins from the summit. Easiest way he said was to hang a right at the big boulder, head down and then we would pick up a zig zag path. Smashing! Problem is that once we left him we saw hundreds of big boulders and unfortunately none of them had a big neon sign on them saying 'This way!!'. I should also mention that we couldnt see very far at this point and it was pretty miserable. We looked around for some kind of path but there was nothing but lots of slippery rocks. I was happy to admit defeat and head back down. Of course 10 minutes later the sun decided to peak through and did we head back up? No!!
- Heading back
We soon picked up the path again and after about an hour Loch Earn came back into view.
- Loch Earn
We were a bit disappointed not to climb Stuc and Ben Our but we were more than happy to head back to the hotel. So we got scrubbed up, had a fab meal and some drinks and then tottered out onto the jetty for a photo.
- Trying not to look too cold!
We woke up to pretty dreich day, so we decided to get on our bikes and head down to Balquidder. The NCN (route 7) is well sign-posted in Lochearnhead and you can park up next to St Angus church (maybe not when there is a service on?)
The path is really good and if the weather had been better we would have had some smashing views but it was a bit misty.
- A bit misty
After 30 mins you're in Balquidder. A quick visit to Rob Roy's final resting place and then a coffee and buns at the Library Tearoom.
- Balquhidder
- Is he buried there or not?
Carried on down the cycle path until we hit Callender. Had a quick bite to eat and then headed back. I'm not afraid to say that I had to get off my bike and push up some of the really steep bits, I was getting really tired!
- Halfway between where?
The next day I was very saddle sore and not in the mood to do anything other than a bit of shopping in Crieff. Got the kids some presents. Arrived home to find the house in relatively good order and the kids in one piece.
All in all in was a most enjoyable trip, even though we didn't do all the climbing that we wanted but we did a lot more cycling than we was planned!!
very entertaining polly - glad you made the best of the weather and got out and about 
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