Stronend and a poor parker

[McMole]

Park at the usual spot by Bailie Bow's Bridge where there is room for several cars to get off the road. Since my last visit a few years ago a lot of new fences had appeared with notices announcing the creation of the Ballochleam Plantation - a European funded development of sustainable forestry.

The only event on the walk up the track to Spout of Ballochleam was finding one of the gates padlocked and a herd of cattle about 100m further on. I decided that a short diversion uphill beside the fence then a traverse above the watchful bovines was in order. On my return they'd moved a few hundred metres further along to a feeding station. They seemed quite occupied with that so I felt I didn't need to give them such a wide berth.

The herd of cattle at the feeding station as I returned downhill

As the track started to level out near the Spout of Ballochleam a gate on the right gave access to a track that ran alongside the stream channel. That was almost dry because the stream had been diverted and was now flowing out of a pipe and along a channel to my left en route for the Carron Reservoir. I crossed the stream channel by walking over the small dam where the water was being captured rather than splash through the ford above it.

Looking back at the water intake on the Boquhan Burn and the turbines south of Carleatheran

While most of the ground was free of snow, where it had drifted some thick banks remained and had hardened. Though it wasn't possible to kick steps the textured surface gave enough grip to climb most of the short slopes easily.

One of the icy drifts across the path to the summit

About a kilometre further along the track it turned to head south and I continued west towards the summit. After a few minutes of heather bashing I headed for an obvious boulder with a pole near it and found a well-worn groove that led to a wider track heading to the summit. This passed a couple of small lochans with ice floes just before reaching the trig point and its encircling dry stone dyke.

One of the two small lochans just north of the trig point

Stronend's trg point

There were good views all round of the peaks - and wind farms. The sun was shining and there was only a slight breeze.

Cruach Ardrain on the left with Stob Binnein and Ben More to its right

Stuc a'Chroin and Ben Vorlich

Wind farm on Beinn Odhar

The weather radar on Holehead 7km to the south

Binnean Mor 8km to the SSE

After about 20 minutes I returned back mostly the way I'd come. As I neared the main track I saw another walker in the distance heading towards Carleatheran.

Another lone walker en route for Carleatheran

I also noticed what seemed to be a rush hour in the air as half a dozen sets of obvious contrails headed overhead en route for America while a close examination of the photo found several more fainter examples nearer the horizon.

Rush hour in the air

While walking the last 650 metres back along the single track road to my car I had to climb the verge as a very large and wide tipper truck headed for me travelling east. Back at my car I was suprised to find it still solitary. What transport had the other walker used to get there? When I drove away I found out. A small red car was parked on the verge not far past the start of the track to Ballochleam. Judging by the fresh tyre tracks on the other verge a certain large tipper truck had had difficulty squeezing past. I didn't stop to inspect, but if that car escaped without a nudge from the passing lorry its driver should be very grateful. Not a wise choice of parking place.