Craig of Monievreckie

[colinwatson]

Left home in thick fog, but it cleared as I drove past Dumgoyne, arriving at a very quiet Aberfoyle around nine. Not many people about.

Headed along the old railway track and through the grounds of the Dounans Centre. Despite the frost, there were a few very keen golfers out on the course.

The keen golfers!

It was beautiful to walk through the forest, looking across the sea of mist to the Campsies. I took the track to the bottom of the crags running across the Menteith Hills. In hindsight, it would have been better to leave the track at the crags. I walked on to the track junction and this meant I had a very steep initial ascent through dead bracken and nettles to gain the ridge. My consolation was that it would have been worse in summer when the bracken was high! When you gain the open hillside, the walking becomes easier, although much of it is through heather. As I made my way over the spot height and on to the summit, the views opened out spectacularly - Ben Lomond to the west, Ben More and Stobinnien to the north and Ben Ledi to the east.

Ben Lomond

The Crianlarich Hills

To make more of a day of it (and to avoid a rubbish descent to the track) I continued along the ridge and dropped down to pick up the Aberfoyle - Callander path. I have walked this on a number of occasions with D of E groups and have always found it to be a quagmire. Surprisingly, after all of the rain recently, it was the driest I have ever seen it and I made good progress back towards Aberfoyle. As I came along the track leading into the village, it was lovely to look down at the wooded hills popping their heads out of the mist.

Towards Aberfoyle

The Campsies through the mist

Arrived back in Aberfoyle just after two. A very enjoyable short day out. Great to see the sun again after such dismal recent weather.