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We were up and away in good time leaving from Cowdenbeath heading for Bridge of Orchy to climb Beinn Dorain and its neighbour Beinn an Dothaidh. All was going well, feeling fresh for a Saturday morning, and certainly in better fettle than last Saturday
, when suddenly I was faced with potential arrest and confined to a petrol station shop check-out area!
I was informed that I would be reported to the Bobbys the second I left the shop as I had filled up the mondeo with diesel and had no cash or cards! This was up in Perth, so hardly round the corner. I had very untypically put my cagoule on at home leaving my normal jacket over the banister. Valerie came in wondering what was I up to now, to discover I was under shop arrest!
And she was eager to get to the mountains.....her reaction was "Bod! Call the police yourself, at which point the manager offered that I could call a friend and he would take card details. After calling around and ringing phones of my good friends at 7.40am on a Saturday morning I resolved this situation and was granted FREEDOM!
(This was not the end of my suffering though for having nae cash today, read on!)
I knew from the outset as we left Bridge of Orchy Hotel that nae money meant nae beer after the walk! This was also a pub that needed my visiting as I had never been in before and I had been looking forward to a wee Shandy to revive me for the trip home! (Also, in the back of mind was fish n'chips!)
- Valerie and Ritchie.
- Coire an Dothaidh lies ahead.
- A fine wee spot - what's burn and what's path though?
- A bonnie bog on our first mountain Beinn an Dothaidh. We had chosen this first hoping that we might be lucky and see the clag clear later on Beinn Dorain. Perhaps hopeful thinking, but it was distracting me effectively from my dreams of a pint in the pub below later on.
- Making good progress.....
- Drookit heading for our first summit of the day!
- Ritchie and I, wet but happy!
- Valerie resting before we head back to the Bealach.
- The Bealach again.
- A glimpse through to Loch Tulla - the clouds have opened a window? Or have they?
- Valerie dancing in the rain, happy with herself having nicked my overmitts.
- After arriving at the first top we pressed on to the summit!
- The link path towards the highest summit. Some tend to stop at the first summit and miss this path that heads up again, if you look far enough in the clag.
- Valerie just behind me 2 minutes from Beinn Dorain's highest point.
- The glistening rock, just 2 or 3 steps to go.....and look! The sun is up there!
- Ritchie, surprised to see the sun too!
- The true cairn on top of the mountain.
- Whow! Huge drops down into the glen below with the West Highland Way.
- My favourite picture of the day! Moments, beautiful moments of mountain scenery and enlightening airs. Valerie had said all along that we might get a clearing on top of Beinn Dorain.....oh how happy we were to climb this one second.
- The Lochan on the way back down. Lots more clag!
- At the Bealach 3rd time around, and oh what a glorious sight. The pub nestled below! But what was I to do....
- The under-pass at Bridge of Orchy Station, kind of unusual for the foot of a Munro.
- Back to the Pub! Desperate with no cash I found myself even considering begging off the few West Highland Way walkers that were lingering around. I thought better of it though and stood with my tongue hanging out at the lounge bar doors. We even had time to spend an hour or so chilling before heading home. Ach-well!
- OH NO! No haddock for us today!
Driving by the Real Food Stop I also thought of going in and asking for credit! We tend to drop in here and always leave well fed and happy. But tonight I had to share a packet of crisps and a boost bar rather than a braw fish supper or a venison burger...mmmmm. All and all yet another fantastic day out in the Scottish landscape!