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Warning: Some of you are likely to find the deep-fried part of this report unpalatable.Five or six days into the Festive break from work (lost track of days already) I thought I’d better get outdoors and see some hills. Hills other than the mountain of bath bombs in my flat that is – went a bit mad
in the Lush sale and, based on an estimate of 3.5 baths per day
, this one won’t be surmountable until June
. I rang my mates and we arranged to meet up for a walk.
- Walk Aboot's Bath Bombs A Plenty
Next day, en route to meet my friends in town, I popped into Frasers to collect a jacket I had ordered online. Getting older isn’t such a bad thing...walking past the tsk tsk tsk-ing
designer perfume counter assistants in my scruffy walking boots and woolly hat didn’t bother me in the least
.
- Walk Aboot at the Shops
Four of us were intending to walk Dumgoyne hill but by the time we arrived at the car park just across from Glengoyne Distillery, the hill was shrouded in a thick mist. I don’t mind if there isn’t going to be a summit view on a walk, but I’m also happy to go with the flow. The others decided to walk part of the West Highland Way instead.
- Dumgoyne hill post-mist
Although Britain had been thawing out nicely over the previous few days, the West Highland Way path was still like an ice rink. We were the only ones on it as far as we could see, and we only got as far as Killearn, a couple of miles up the road. The others stopped there to eat their left-over turkey sandwiches whilst I popped in to a cafe to buy a day-old scone...I fed half of it to the birds and sank them
. One of my mates checked out the timetable at a nearby bus stop (he was finding the icy path difficult) but he was on his own if he was thinking about getting the bus back tsk tsk tsk.
- West Highland Way Path
- Walk Highland Way Path 2
- Killearn
We took an alternative route back to Dumgoyne from Killearn, but the path was just as icy on that.
- Alternative route back to Dumgoyne
We stopped again at the Beech Tree Inn at Dumgoyne for post-walk teas and coffees. At first I was horrified
to find a deep fried Mars Bar on the West Highland Way-farers menu, but then, in keeping with my new year, new adventures motto, I decided to try it and see what all the fuss was about. I’m still traumatised
...can’t believe I actually tried a Scottish delicacy imposter and at tourist prices!!!
- Beech Tree Inn Menu
- Deep Fried Mars Bar :-/
A short but enjoyable walk and end to 2010.